Burdens

Verse of the Week:

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 

Burdens

In the movie, Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins is chosen as the ring bearer; destined to take the evil ring of power and destroy it in the mountain of fire. As he carries the ring and embarks on his journey to the mountain, the ring grows heavier and harder to carry.  The ring becomes a immense burden the longer he carries it. In the end, the ring takes hold of him so much that when his travel companion and loyal friend, Sam asks him if he remembers his wonderful home,  Frodo replies:

 No, Sam. I can't recall the taste of food... nor the sound of water... nor the touch of grass. I'm... naked in the dark, with nothing, no veil... between me... and the wheel of fire! I can see him... with my waking eyes! 

The ring became so heavy and burdensome that it consumed Frodo to the point that he was surrounded by darkness with no memories of the good things in life.

Often times people tend to focus so much on their problems, that it grows to be a burden.  At first the burden may seem light, but the more they carry it on their own, the heavier it becomes. Eventually the burden takes over their lives, and they are unable to see past it and focus on the good things in life.  They cannot see any way out.  The harder they try to fix their burden, the worse it becomes, and eventually they are hopeless because they cannot get rid of it or fix it.  They begin to despair and wonder why life is even worth living.  And some eventually give up...

Burdens often enslaves us and master us.    In 2 Peter 2:19b, it talks about how we are slaves to whatever masters us. 

For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

Whatever you are obsessed with in this life is usually what has you enslaved.  The more you focus on your burden, the more it enslaves you.  

It is human nature to look at a problem and try to fix it. If the washer breaks down, we call someone up to fix it.  If your son falls and scraps his knee, you wash the wound and put a band aid on it. If the car needs the oil changed, you change it.  If the dishes need to be washed, you wash them.  

However, have you noticed that if some of these things do not get fixed immediately, it becomes a burden?  Suppose your washer breaks down, and you call someone to fix it, but they cannot fix it; the burden becomes greater.   The problem grows bigger, and you begin to ask yourself, "How can we afford to buy a new washer? How am I going to get laundry done? My husband needs a clean shirt for his work party tonight and my son is running out of pants to wear!"  You start to panic and the burden gets heavier and heavier to the point that you are frustrated. 

We are usually fine and breeze our way through life when things go great. As long as we are able to solve and fix things, life seems easy, but I have learned something about the origin of burdens.  Burdens come about when you try to fix things and cannot.  The harder you try to fix it the worse it gets and the heavier the burden.  Burdens come about when you have the illusion that you are in control.

Jesus has something to say about burdens....

 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

For those of you who are not aware what a yoke is, it is a wooden cross piece that is attached to an animal that helps them to pull a heavy load in a wagon or cart.  Jesus is saying that the yoke He has is easy to pull and light.  He is saying that we can find rest in Him.

When a person cannot fix a burden something must happen to lighten that burden, it is called SURRENDER.

When a person realizes that they cannot fix something, they realize that if they keep carrying the burden, it will grow heavier, so they surrender that burden to someone else, Jesus.  He is in control of the situation, and nothing ever happens that is out of His hands.  All things are under Jesus' feet (1 Corinthians 15:27, Ephesians 1:22, Hebrews 2:8).

Here is the problem, whenever, we give our burdens to Jesus, we expect Him to FIX it.  Here is the reality: sometimes He does not fix it.  You see, God doesn't promise to take our problems away, but He promises to be with us as we go through them.  Jesus clearly says, 

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  (John 16:33)  

Jesus didn't say that we would not have troubles, but he did say to take heart, because he has overcome the world.  He is still sovereign. 

So when a person sees a situation that ends in hopelessness and grief, and it nearly rips a person's heart to shreds, God is still sovereign.

So how does God lighten the burden? Remember how we are slaves to whatever masters us? It is all about the focus; the more we focus on the problem, the heavier the burden, but the more that we turn our eyes to Jesus and see the problem through His eyes, the lighter the burden! Your worry is replaced with trust.  Your negativity is replaced with shimmer of light.  You realize that you are not alone and that someone is there with you through it all.  If you don't understand why something happened, you are ok, because you know that someone else does understand.

If I am going to be mastered by something, then let it be Jesus!  Let him consume my thoughts, may His own thoughts reflect my own.

I have seen what happens to a person when Jesus is not there.  They have no hope. Day by day they try to fix their burdens never succeeding. Day by day they see negativity in this world that eventually consumes their thoughts.  When they finally have had enough of it all, they despair because there is no one to turn to.

Someone once told me that Christians use God as an illusion to bring them comfort when they have problems.  Even if He is an illusion, I much rather have hope in an illusion than despair in nothing.

I am reminded of a song that I sung as a little girl:

I will cast all my cares upon you.
    I lay all of my burdens down at your feet,
And anytime I don't know what to do
   I will cast all my cares upon you.

Thank you, Jesus, that we can lay our burdens down at your feet!  To you be all the glory, Amen!

According to the World's Standards, We Don't Have Much...What I am Thankful for....

Verse of the Week:

My lovingkindness is everlasting. Psalms 136

According to the World's Standards, We Don't Have Much...WHAT I AM THANKFUL FOR!

I have always been a simple person.  My wedding was small on a 1,500 dollar budget, with an already used wedding dress, and my old prom dressed sewed and made into a bridesmaid dress.  It wasn't my wedding that mattered,  I was thankful for the man waiting for me at the front of the church.  I was thankful for the life we were about to share, not just our wedding day.  Our wedding day was one day of our life together, I was thankful for the many days, weeks, months, and years we would have together.  I was thankful for his heart for Christ and his passion for the things of God.

When I became pregnant with Brayden, the simple part of me came out again.  Our baby room/space consisted of a nice used crib, Brian's old chest of drawers from college, and a few homemade pictures and frames made lovingly by me. We didn't spend 6,000 dollars on our baby's nursery (the average cost today) or buy brand new furniture or paint our walls.  It wasn't the baby's room I was concerned about.  I was thankful for a healthy baby boy.  I am thankful for the privilege God has given me to take care of Brayden. I am thankful for the opportunity to LOVE Brayden.  I am thankful for the sleepless nights, poopy diapers, teething days, and for every boo boo I get to fix.  I am thankful for our sweet boy's laughter and joy in the simple things in life.  I am thankful for the opportunity to learn more about how to trust God and trust him with Brayden.  I am thankful Brayden belongs to Him.

While someday I look forward to owning a nice house, I am content in our little home at the present moment.  While we do not have the newest furniture, updated technology, or a lot of room, we are content.  But it is not the home that matters to me.  I am thankful for the laughter shared, tears shed, prayers said, memories shared, and Christ-like love shown within the walls of this home.  

We are now mostly a one income family.  While we are thankful that money helps meet our needs, it is not money that I am the most thankful for. I am happy to sacrifice our double income to be with our boy.  I am thankful for the opportunity to stay at home with our son and to see every stage  Brayden goes through; from discovering his hands and feet,  to sitting up, crawling, and now walking.  It has been a joy to watch our son grow up, and see that little boy that God made grow and transform. I delight in watching our baby grow up.

According to the worlds standards, we may not have much, but when I look at my life through God's eyes, I am richly blessed! I am thankful for the things of God, not the things of the world. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying having a 50,000 dollar wedding, a 5 bedroom house, and a large salary is wrong, but I do believe the motive behind it matters. Lets face it, we do live in a materialistic society, where it is important to have everything, but is that what truly matters?   Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)   Possessions are nice, but I am thankful for God and his AMAZING LOVE because that is ultimately what lasts and matters the most. Jesus says in Mark 8:36, And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  What matters the most, your 500,000 dollar home, or your eternal destination? If I lose everything in this world (which I will someday whether through death or something else) including all my possessions,  my family, and my friends, I am still thankful, because of the one who lives inside of me and loves me so much. I will never lose Him. I will be with Him forever.  My soul is secure because of Jesus.


Author, Steve McVey once wrote an amazing letter in his book, The Grace Walk Experience. Using verses he had underlined from the book of Psalms in the Bible.  He strung all of the verses together and wrote an amazing love letter from our Heavenly Father.  

This is what I am thankful for.....

I am thankful for the things of God, not the things of the world.  Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Why study the Bible?

Verse of the Week:

Ephesians 1:17: "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better."

Why Study the Bible?

I remember the time when Dad and Mom presented me with my very first Children's Bible at the age of 8 years old. I was so excited about my new Bible that I was determined to read the Bible all the way through, from the beginning to the end.  So I started in the book of Genesis and delighted in the classic stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and, of course, Joseph and his coat of many colors.  Then Exodus came, and I was swept away by the stories of Moses and the Israelites and their escape from Pharaoh.  Then Leviticus came... ummmmm....I wish I could say that I loved reading about the rules for burnt offerings, rules for grain offerings, rules for sin offerings, clean and unclean animals, rules about leporsy, Passover, and well...the list goes on; lets face it, I was 8 years old!  At that age, I read the Bible for it's stories, and Leviticus looked like a foreign language to me!  So I got frustrated, and on the shelf the Bible went collecting dust for a few months.  Then a few months later I got some inspiration again to read the Bible from the beginning to the end, but I couldn't remember where I left off from last time...sooooooooooo I started over again in the book of Genesis.  I continued to read Exodus; then once again, Leviticus came...Borrrrinnnnggg!  And I gave up again.  And the process would start over.  During those first two years, I must have read Genesis and Exodus a thousand times, but nothing in the rest of the Bible.  Finally my Mom encouraged me to just skip Leviticus and look at other stories in the Bible, and I must say the experience proved to be much better for me. As I grew older and matured in my faith, I began to understand the purpose of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy and their significance to the story line of the Bible, but it sure did take awhile!

Why study the Bible?  Many people in today's society consider it out dated and old fashioned. After all, who wants to read about how to sacrifice a bull or what to do when Leprosy goes away (a big help considering we don't even get Leprosy today!).  Even though the Bible is one of the most sold books in America, most Bibles are stuck on people's shelves collecting dust.  Why should Christians study the Bible?

Suppose you are sitting in a coffee shop with a cup of espresso with new friend you just met.  Suppose you want to get to know him/her better.  I suppose you would start asking your friend questions to learn more about them.  You would listen to his/her answers and stories and get a better grasp of your friend's character, personality, likes and dislikes, and many other things.  Now suppose you are in the same scenario,  but instead of asking questions and listening, you start to stare at the TV screen mounted up on the wall  of the coffee shop watching your favorite NFL team play football.  That is all that you and your friend do is sit and watch television in the coffee shop.  Did you learn anything about your friend then?  Probably not, except maybe that they can watch TV just like you!  The same thing with God. When you accept Christ into your heart, He comes to live inside of you.  He places His spirit in you and you now are born again into a new life of righteousness through the blood of Christ.  Don't you want to know more about the one who lives in your heart?  We learn more about Jesus and his character from reading the Bible.   It shows who He is, what He does, and how He acts.  It is a love story that starts off showing how man creates a mess for himself; how man tries to repair his messed up condition by following all of God's laws but fails; and how God sends his son Jesus to come and rescue man from his sin and repairs his heart.  It is a story of sacrificial love that is expressed to all people. Every book of the Bible is significant in understanding this story including boring ole Leviticus! ;) When we fail to study the Bible we might as well be those friends staring up at the TV screen in the coffee shop...clueless.


Sadly enough, people are dependent on Church to learn about God, and those that don't go to church, create their own concept of who they think God is instead of reading the Bible.  By creating who you think God is, you can then determine what standards you live by, no matter how good or bad your standards are.  This can be very misleading and dangerous. You could create a god completely opposite of the God of the Bible!

By studying the Bible, it allows us to be able to distinguish the thoughts that come into our mind.  Are they God's thoughts or the World's thoughts?  Romans 12:2 says, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  We renew our minds to be more Christ-like by studying the Word and understanding who we are in Christ. By studying God's character in the Bible, it enables you to see things through God's eyes instead of the world's eyes, and your heart is transformed into His likeness. You begin to display the fruits of the spirit, love, mercy, goodness, forgiveness because you discover those are the traits that are displayed in God and thus the same traits dwell in your own born again heart. As a result, when it comes to making decisions and hearing what God wants, we know what to do because we know of His character.  


As Paul says in Ephesians 1:17, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better."

May our deepest desire and prayer be to know our Lord better. AMEN!

Something for Singles!

Verse of the Week:

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalms 27:14

Something for Singles

Samson finished hanging up the phone.  He has just asked the girl of his dreams out.  After starring at the phone for a whole hour, he finally got the nerve to call her. He asked her out for a dinner and movie Friday night.  She said that she wasn't available that night, but maybe another time. Samson decided to call again next week and see if she wanted to go to the Church picnic with him.  However, when he called, she didn't answer the phone; instead, it went to her voice mail.  Samson left a message and asked her to call him back when she got a chance. One day went by, and no phone call.  "She is probably just busy and hasn't had a chance to return my call," Samson concluded.  Two days went by, then three.  "Maybe she forgot." Samson thought.  After a week of no calls, Samson analyzed the situation, "She might not be interested in me, or maybe she is just shy.  Perhaps I should call and make sure she isn't really interested."  So, he called again.  This time she answered and gave him a resounding NO!  Poor Samson.

Lisa came home from her college English class, frustrated.  She had seen the guy of her dreams in class that day.  He seemed interested in her, but yet after several weeks, he still hadn't asked her out.  She had made sure she talked to him every time they had class together, tried to sit by him during the lecture, and made effort to be available in the hallway for him to talk too after class.  Still, he hadn't asked her out.  "Surely he is interested in me," she analyzed, "After all, he smiles at me every time I see him; he teases me; and I have even caught him starring at me across the room.  I know he teases other girls, but he teases me differently.  He must be shy; that is why he doesn't ask me out.  Maybe he just doesn't know how to approach me yet.  Maybe he is scared because he knows I am the one, and doesn't know how to respond!"  Lisa continued to analyze the situation for the rest of the day.

Emily just went through a horrible breakup.  After 2 years of dating, she hadn't seen it coming until she found out from him last week that he was having an affair.  "What is wrong with me?" she asked, "Why did he leave me for another woman?"

Any of these situations sound familiar?  Lets face it, life as a single person is HARD.  The task of trying to find "the one" seems overwhelming, and the frustrations of going from relationship to relationship leaves a person hopeless and hurt.  Guys seem to be rejected more than they are accepted when they ask girls out, and girls seem to be beside themselves hoping a certain guy will take notice of her.  "What is wrong with me?" many singles ask, "Why can't I find the one?"  The process of WAITING seems torturous, and the older a person gets the more they question if they are destined to get married at all.

I was single for several years until I got married when I was 26.  While it was a difficult time in my life, it was also an amazing time as well.  I want to share some things I learned as a single person to encourage other singles out there...

1.  WAIT ON THE LORD
"Wait?  Did you say wait?"  I know what you are thinking,  "I have already waited 4 plus years and you are telling me to wait more!  Thanks for the advice, Katrina!"  Waiting on the Lord has to be the hardest thing to do.  Ever notice that God seems to work slowwwwwwlllly most of the time.  It drives me nuts.  In our fast pace society where we want everything immediately, waiting seems to be foreign to most of us.  Seriously, though, wait on the Lord.  He has your best interests in mind.  Don't try to take things in your hands to speed up the process.  Whenever we try to do things our way, it usually ends up in a disaster.  I have a sweet friend, who was single for a long time after going through a hard divorce.  She was lonely, and wanted to have someone in her life.  Not able to wait, she ended up marrying a man that she wasn't sure about, but because she was desperate for companionship, she jumped into it.  Many of the issues she was initially unsure about became big issues, and she is now in a very tough relationship.  She once admitted to me, "Katrina, I wish I had waited on God and not taken things into my own hands." She is still married and trying to make the best of the situation, but my heart breaks for her.

Unknown to most people, I had the opportunity to get married before I met Brian; the guy had planned to propose to me that summer.  However, I had many uncertainties about the relationship.  I could have chosen to jump into it despite my uncertainties, but I chose to wait on the Lord and seek His direction.  After several months of prayer and turmoil about what to do, I ended up breaking up with him.  It was hard to do, but afterwards, I felt a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).  I knew I needed to wait on God and seek His direction.  Whether His direction led me to a life of singleness or led me to a life with a man, He knew what was best, and I trusted Him.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalms 27:14

Be strong and take heart, God has plans way better than your own initial plans.

2.  CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE TOWARD POTENTIAL MATES
Here is something major I learned about potential mates when I was single.  Read and re read this sentence over and over until it is imprinted in your mind: I want for potential mates to have the girl/guy God wants for them, and if it isn't me, then GREAT; if it is me, then GREAT too! Here is what I used to pray about with potential guys.  "Lord, if this if the man you want for me, then make it clear for both of us, but if not, then I pray that you find a wonderful woman for him."  I firmly believed that even though I may have liked the guy, if he wasn't the one, then that was ok.  I was ok with it.  Most of the time, when we are rejected, we take it personally instead of realizing that "I" may not be what is best for that person and vice versa. 

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4 Delight in God and the plans He has for you.  Desire His plans. It makes a huge difference.  Before I realized this, I would wallow in self pity when I was rejected and pout.  "I want him!  Why couldn't he have been mine?"  I would analyze the situation and wonder,  "What is wrong with me?"  The truth is that nothing was wrong with me; it was just that we were wrong for each other; and what a blessing to find that out instead of entering into a miserable relationship. I wanted whomever God wanted, that is if He wanted me to have anyone at all.  His plans were best, and I delighted in them.

3. TRUST IN THE LORD
Ok, folks...Here is an important question. Who do you trust more...yourself or God? Do you trust the person who is always messing up and creating problems for him/herself OR do you trust the person who is perfect, who created the world, who cares so much for your well being that he prepared a place of escape from the fiery depths of hell? During the time that my sister was single, she would cling to the following verse: Let go of your concerns. Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth. (Psalm 46:10) Let go of your concerns about finding someone and just trust in God. He really does have your best interests in mind!

4. USE THIS TIME TO SERVE GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY
I am not saying that when you are married that you won't still serve God.  In fact, I believe that marriage should be one in which each spouse helps the other to grow closer in their relationship with God.  However, Paul did bring up a good point when he shared that when you are single your attention is not divided and you can focus completely on the Lord.  Here is what he said: 

I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife-- and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband. (1 Corinthians 7:32-34)

I will be honest, since I have been married, I have found it hard to have my one on one quiet time with the Lord; my attention is divided, especially now that we have a sweet son.  Instead of having quiet times with the Lord in the mornings, I am up and about trying to get my husband's lunch ready for work, feed my son breakfast, change his diaper, and get his clothes on for the day.  After that I keep finding stuff to do, and before I know it, the day has ended and I find myself crawling into bed without having that one on one time.   Enjoy having this time to spend with the Lord, making Him your beloved and you His beloved.  As much as I love being married, I miss that.

I have a friend who is single, and she is a blessing to so many people.  She is constantly helping out with the youth at church, helping families when they need her to watch their kids, getting involved in activities such as rebuilding homes for people, bring meals to the sick, giving new Mamas time to sleep as she watches their newborn babies and children, giving people rides from place to place, being a second mom too her niece and nephew, taking pictures in her photography business, and bringing joy to people's lives.  She is constantly on the go.  If she had been married, she would not have been able to do all the things she does because her time and energy would be spent on her family. God has plans for her, and she is able to serve him wholeheartedly because she is single. What a blessing she is to others! Take this time to enjoy serving God with all your heart, because eventually, it will be hard to do so with a spouse.

5.  ALLOW GOD TO  USE THIS TIME MOLD AND SHAPE YOU
I am so glad that things happen in God's timing if we allow him to do so.  If Brian and I had met even a year or two sooner than we did, we would not have been ready for each other.  Brian at the time had a "wild side" to him that this girl would not have approved of, and I was so insecure and lacked confidence in myself, that Brian would have ignored me.  God used that time to instill a strong desire in Brian to grow in Him, and He used that time to help me to firmly establish my identity in Christ. God can use this time to mold and shape you into the person that will first, bring Him glory and second, prepare you for your future spouse (if that is indeed what he has planned for you.).

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
    We are the clay, you are the potter;
    we are all the work of your hand. (Is 64:8)

Allow Christ who lives inside of your heart (that is if you have recieved Him into your heart) to mold and shape your mind to reflect His heart/mind.  He is the potter and you are the clay!

6.  CHERISH EACH MOMENT
I have found that life flies by.  I remember there being a time when I couldn't wait to grow up!  I was tired of being a child.  My mom would tell me, enjoy being a kid, because you will never get to be one again.  Life has flown by, and I am now 30.  I remember a time when I thought I would never get married, because it was taking forever, but then in a flash, I have been married  for several years and now have a sweet son.  My time as a single person was great, but I wish I had cherished it more.  I am learning to cherish each stage of my life.  I am now cherishing each moment with Brian and cherishing every stage of growth with our son.  Enjoy the time as a single person, there is a good chance that you may not ever get it back once you get married.

As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blowsover it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.(Psalms 103:15-16)

7. BE CONTENT 
This is the hardest thing.  We spend our lives thinking, "If I can graduate high school then I will be happy.  If I can graduate college, things will be better.  If I can get married, life will be amazing.  If I can have children, then I will be happy.  If I can retire, life will be bliss."  We are constantly looking towards the future to find contentment.  The secret to contentment is not to look to the future, but to Christ.  Paul discovered the secret to contentment: 

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

Look to Christ for strength not the future.  I was asked this one time and it has helped me so much then and now:  "Katrina, if you aren't content as a single person, what makes you think you will be content as a married person?" Here is another hard question, "What if you never get married?"  I am not saying you will never get married, God places those desires in our hearts for a reason, but the reality is that not everyone gets married.  Here is the point: I realized then and even now, that contentment doesn't come from situations (like marriage) but from Christ.  As a single person, there could have been a chance that I might not have ever gotten married.  Was I going to spend the rest of my life miserable because I wasn't married, or was I going to embrace my life with Christ and serve him wholeheartedly? Find contentment by relying on Christ's strength.

Hang in there, singles!  God knows the plans he has for you, and they are AWESOME (Jeremiah 29:11)! He loves you and knows the desires of your heart.  Rest in Him.

Cupid, God's Superhero?

Verse of the Week:

Ephesians 5:2 ...Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Cupid, God's Superhero?

If you could have any super powers, what would you pick?  I was once asked this random question, during a game when Brian and I were trying to get to know other couples.  I was hearing all sorts of answers: to be invisible, to be able to fly, to move around at the speed of light. When I got to share my answer, it sounded a little unorthodox, but that is just how my brain works; I come up with the weirdest things.  I wanted to be like Cupid and zap love into people's lives with my bow and arrow.  I would flutter around in my cute wings and whenever I saw any type of hate in people then ZING...POP!  My arrow would hit them and they would become all lovey, dovey, sweet, and cuddly with hearts popping out above them and little stars shining in their eyes.  Lets face it, I am a romantic at heart...I love hearing love stories about people and how they fall in love.  I love reading romance novels and seeing a couple come together against all odds because of their deep love, or a knight in shining armor coming to rescue his princess out of love.  My favorite movies are Pride and Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea, and Queen Victoria.  I sigh in contentment as I see the couple move in together for that sweet kiss or hear the man confess his undying love.  Yep...I am a hopeless...  I love LOVE! :)

Here is the problem....people in the world perceive love no more than as a deep affection towards someone, as a feeling, but love is so much more than just a feeling of attraction towards someone. Although it is nice to feel attracted to my incredibly cute husband, it would have never have been enough to keep our marriage together. Eventually he will have wrinkles around his face, bags under is eyes, white hair poking out of his head (that is if he doesn't go bald first!), a lump will form on his belly making me wonder if he is pregnant, and his rock solid muscles will be replaced with jello-like looking flab hanging off of his bones.  Poor guy...He sounds like a nightmare!  Nope, attraction is not a good foundation for marriage.  

Brian in 50 years.....AHHHH!!!!

You see, love is an incredibly complex word with way deeper meanings than a person realizes. One of my favorite romance authors, Micheal Phillips described love as this:

True love is deeper than mere emotions. True love never fades, it matures. All through the New Testament, love as Jesus describes it has to do with actions, attitudes, behavior, and commitment, not any particular feeling of giddiness.

 Lets turn back to cupid for a minute.  Suppose Cupid shot arrows that hit people and filled them with CHRIST'S LOVE.  What would that kind of love look like?

Describing Christ's love is incredibly hard to describe.  It is extremely complex....but the more I thought about it the more I saw one thing consistent whenever I looked into how Jesus loves.  Jesus's love is always selfless.  There is no room for self when loving with Christ's love.  Christ's love is ALWAYS in the best interest of others.  I Corinthians 10:24 says, Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.  Look at how Jesus loved and noticed that there is no selfishness involved.

• He came into this world lower than angels and made himself a man to save us.
• He healed the sick.
• He loved the sinners no matter what they had done.
• He created this beautiful world for us to enjoy.
• He died on the cross for our sins.
• He washed his disciples feet as an act of service.
• He asked God to forgive the ones who killed him.
• He made sure his mother was taken care of while dying on the cross.
• He taught us about love and life.
• He served others.
• He prayed for me and everyone in the garden before he was crucified.
• He promised to send his spirit to take care of me/others.
• He heals hearts.
• He promises to be with us always.
• He turned the other cheek.
• He never sought revenge.
• He has prepared a place for me in heaven.
• He wanted to bring His Father glory.
• He has taught us how to live life abundantly.
• He never rejects those who come to him.

WOW!!! His love is so selfless!  I made a list of things that I thought described Christ-like love, and here is what I came up with.

Think about how the world would be different if Cupid shot his Christ-like love arrows at everyone.  You would find the worst of enemies forgiving each other.  You wouldn't find any room for revenge in peoples hearts.  People would not be jealous of others but instead rejoice with them in their good fortunes.  People would be building each other up instead of putting each other down.  There would be no gossip and slander but people seeking to look for good in others.  People would be giving to the poor, open their homes to orphans and widows.  People would not get angry because they didn't get what they wanted.  People would not hold grudges.  People would be patient with others.  People would seek to find ways to be a blessing to others.  People would demonstrate unconditional love and love no matter how vile and horrible a person may be.  People would pray for others.  People would be truthful and have integrity.  People would be open to correction and be humble.  People would put the needs of others before their own.  What a different world it would be!

If everyone truly loved with Christ's love, there would be no more sin in the world! As it says in 1 Peter 4:8, Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Here is the amazing thing.  When we accept Christ into our hearts, His spirit comes to live inside of us.  So technically his love is inside of us too!  When we realize how loving Christ truly is, we can't help but love how He loves.  Jesus loves us fully and unconditionally.  Think of it this way...my husband showers me with love all the time that I can't help but want to love him in return.  It is the same way with our Savior.  He has done so much for us, that we can't help but want to love others with His love.  We begin to see others through His eyes and realize how much He loves even the worse of the worse, we want to love the same way.

Oh Lord, may our hearts cry be to love with the love you have inside of us!  May your voice be louder than the voice of our flesh/minds when it comes to responding to situations with your love.  May we view circumstances through your eyes of love.  In you name we pray,
Amen!

Ephesians 5:2 says, ...Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Yep, Cupid would be God's superhero if He ever needed one, but Jesus is greater than cupid, and His name means, LOVE!

  

Desires of My Heart

Verse of the Week:

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

     trust in him and he will do this:  Psalms 37:4-5

Desires of My Heart

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:4)  Boy does that verse sound good! How many times have I desired to own a million bucks, to travel around the world, and to live in a nice 3 bedroom home.  From the sound of that verse, it looks like God is my own personal genie giving me all the desires of my heart.  Right?  Many people are deceived by this verse and expect God to give them what they desire, and when He doesn't, they reject him or grow angry because he isn't that kind loving God that they thought He was.  I remember talking to a girl about prayer one time, and she told me:

"I have tried that before, but it doesn't work.  I never get what I ask for."

Not all people are asking God for a million bucks.  Some people are asking him for very good things such as peace in a home, safety of a loved one, and healing for a friend, but when He fails to give them what they want, they turn away from Him thinking what kind of loving God would allow harm to come to people? 

People tend to forget the first part of the verse, "Take delight in the Lord..."  What does it mean to truly delight in the Lord?  I read in a book one time that to delight in the Lord means that you want what God wants, not what you want .**   You love God so much that you can't help but desire what he desires.  When you delight in God's will, thoughts, and plans, they eventually become your own will, thoughts, and plans.  

Think of it this way.  Lets say Brayden, my son, falls in love with music when he grows up. For those of you that don't know me, I can't carry a tune when it comes to music.  I cannot even play an instrument other than 2-4 notes from piano lessons that lasted a month. To top it all off, I never really cared to listen to music any more because of my hearing loss; it just doesn't sound the same with a cochlear implant.  I much rather be running, hiking, playing basketball, bumping volleyballs, hitting tennis balls, tossing a football around, and throwing disc golfs.  I am an athlete not a musician. I would prefer that Brayden like sports too.  However, I love our son to much to make him do what I prefer, so if Brayden decided that he wanted to play the piano, sing songs, and become a musician; I would take delight in his passions for music and support him at all costs.  I would attend all of his concerts, listen to all of his songs, and provide him with music lessons to support his passion.  I would support him because I loved him and his desires are more important than my own desires for him.  I would not pressure him to play sports simply because it was my desire for him to do so, but I would desire what he wanted to do with his life. I desired what Brayden desired. 

 It is the same way with God.  I love God so much, that I can't help but desire what he wants. There are many things in my life that I have greatly desired.  I have desired to be a children's minister in a church; I have desired to work in the medical field; I have desired that some of my loved ones be healed of cancer; I have desired that I be healed of my hearing loss, but God said no.  However, when I shifted my focus on God and looked at His heart and His great love for me, my desires changed.  I desired what God desired. Sure I had a preference on what I wanted to do in life, but more than anything I wanted what God wanted.  The more I trusted in Him and grew in my relationship with Him, the more I wanted to do his will.  I knew He knew what was best for me.  He directed me into teaching which was not my first choice, but I grew to love it.  He didn't heal my ears, but I have seen how He has used my hearing loss to be an inspiration to others and to bring Him glory.  My loved ones struggled to win over the battle of cancer, and in the midst of it all, their deep faith has been an inspiration to me and others.  They have both passed away, but I know that they are happy serving God in an amazing place.  God's will is perfect; and I delight in the fact that He knows what is best. 

Lets take it a step further and not only reread verse 4 of Psalms 37, but verse 5 as well:

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

     trust in him and he will do this:

The key is to trust in God! When you are committed to doing his will; then you begin to trust in him on all aspects of your life.  In the story, On The Trail Of The Truth, God was talking to a young woman, and here is what He said:

When you trust me completely, as your Creator and Father and friend, when you trust me so much that you know I will do the best for you, when you trust me enough to want my will in your life, that becomes the desire of your heart.  The desire of your heart is to do my will.  And when you want my will for your life, and you want that more than anything else, then I will give you that-I will certainly work out my will in your life, And it will be the best possible life you could ever have! You will have the desire of your heart, and everything you could possibly hope for shall be yours-because your life is in my hands, not your own.

I want my life to be in God's hands, not mine.  I delight in you, Jesus!  My desire is what you desire! Mold me and us me and make me into the person that will bring you GLORY.  I love YOU!

 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

     trust in him and he will do this:

Are You Wise or Just Plain Stupid?

Verse of the Week:

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult;
     whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
      rebuke a wise man and he will love you
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
      teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. Proverbs 9:7-9

Are You Wise or Just Plain Stupid?

I remember driving my Mom and sister home one day a few years back.  We had all just had a great time together shopping and enjoying our mother /daughter/sister time.  However, our outing on the way home slowly went sour.  I don't mind driving people around town, but driving around town with my family was tough growing up.  I was the youngest in my family, and it seemed that everyone in my family felt the need to correct my nasty driving habits.  It was always hard having a back seat driver with me in the car.  Unfortunately for me, I had TWO back seat drivers with me that day.  I don't fully remember all they said to me that day about my driving, but I am sure it was along the lines of this: "Trina, don't follow to close to the car behind you, that is dangerous!"  or "The speed limit is 60 not 62!"  or "Stay in your lane!"  or "Don't turn so fast, slow down."  or "Don't stop so fast, it wears on the breaks!"  or "Trina, make sure you stop completely at the stop sign."  Whatever it was they were saying that day, my temper slowly started to rise up from steaming to a boiling point.  It is enough when I have one of them correcting my driving, but two? Whew! I was surprised that my anger had not gone from boiling point to an out right explosion!  Eventually, I had enough, and I decided to do something about it.  Once again my sister was about to say something, so instead of listening to her, I decided why should I even hear her voice?  By this time, I had gotten my cochlear implant to restore my hearing, but in order to actually hear, I have to wear my processor (looks like a hearing aid).  If I am not wearing it, I am completely deaf.  In this case, I was sick of hearing my mom and sister correct me on every single detail of my driving; soooooooooo in a fit of anger, I grabbed my processor and jerked it off my ear!  Ahhhhhh....silence. Life was good again... that is until I saw their faces.  I knew I was in trouble! When we got home, I faced the wrath of the Garrison women....lets just say that I never jerked my processor off  my ear again.


Here is the point I am trying to make from this, when someone tells me something that I don't want to hear, I have a hard time being open to their correction and rebuke.  I didn't want to hear what my Mom and sister had to say about my driving, so instead I got upset.  I don't like hearing critical statements on things about me from my husband, family, and friends.  However, this past week I read something that once again reopened my eyes....It comes from Proverbs 9:7-9

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult;
     whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
      rebuke a wise man and he will love you
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
      teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.

I realized pretty quick that I was the mocker, not the wise man in that verse. People can easily find out how wise they are  by how they respond to people's critical remarks.  Proverbs 12:1 says, Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. I don't know about you, but I sure don't want to be considered STUPID!  

Lets look at the same scenario above, but this time lets see a wise man's response to it.  While I tend to give my family a hard time about being back seat drivers, I happen to be one myself.  All throughout our marriage I have had a nasty habit of telling my sweet husband what to do behind the wheel:  "Turn right here!"  "Please be careful on those left hand turns, that car nearly hit us!"  "The light has turned green!"  "STOP!"  "Can you go faster than 20 miles in hour?  The speed limit is 35!"  "Please make sure one of your hands is on the steering wheel!"  Lets just say I am way worse than my family ever was at keeping my mouth shut when I am in the passenger seat.  However, my husband rarely gets upset.  He just doesn't respond to what I say, but instead, stays calm. As a result, he has kept us from having pointless arguments about his driving.  I wish I had been smart to do that!

Brian and I 50 years from now.

Here is the point, I knew I needed to be open to correction and really listen to what people have to say to me.  While some people's criticism can be beneficial, not all of people's correction is always helpful.  However, how I respond to criticism whether good or bad is very important.  When I respond negatively, it results in hurt relationships and causes a lot of needless friction in mine and other's lives.  I knew I needed to exercise self control and not get angry on every little bit of criticism I received.  However, I was also very aware that "Me, myself, and I" can not always exercise that self control.  In Galatians 2:20 it says,  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Christ lives inside of me.  I was aware that Jesus who lives inside of me was the one who gives me the ability to accept criticism without getting angry.  Self control was one of the fruits of the spirit, that was displayed in Christ (Galatians 5:23). So my heart's cry began to be the following: "Jesus may your voice inside of me be louder than the voice of the flesh whenever I hear criticism.  Give me your ability to have self control whenever people are critical towards me.  Help me to receive correction with your gentleness and kindness.  May I respond wisely and with your love.  May your light shine through me. Help me to focus on YOU and your character whenever I respond to criticism. For I know that it is not myself who does these things but Christ in me."

Are you are mocker, a wise man, or just plain stupid?  You can always tell by how to respond to criticism.