Substituting the Spirit

“We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone… (We) have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord, and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.” 

-A. W. Tozer

What's in a Wordle?

Have you ever thought about the words you use?  Through Wordle, I was able to analyze my blog posts, looking at the frequency with which I use certain words.  It's fun to step back and take this "big picture" look at my writing.  I guess I'm not too surprised by what I found out :)

Sisters of the Common Life

In her biography of Amy Carmichael, missionary to India for fifty-three years, Elisabeth Elliot discusses the ways in which Amy sought to disciple the women who joined her family as fellow servants and laborers for Christ.  What strikes me in particular about this extraordinary group is the “confession of love” that each woman committed to before gaining admittance to the group, which was known as the Sisters of the Common Life.  I love how this poetic vow summaries the core truths each aspired to as they desired nothing less than godliness and perfect devotion to Jesus Christ. The confession of love is recounted by Elliot on pages 241-242 of A Chance to Die:

My Vow.

Whatsoever Thou sayest unto me, by Thy grace I will do it.

My Constraint.

Thou art able to keep that which I have committed unto Thee.

My Joy.

To do Thy will, O God.

My Discipline.

That which I would not choose, but which Thy love appoints.

My Prayer.

Conform my will to Thine.

My Motto.

Love to live, live to love.

My Portion.

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance. 

Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou deservest; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will, O Lord our God. 

May we, women of God and fellow heirs to this sisterhood, take up the servant's heart and commit our lives to the pursuit of nothing less than whole-hearted love and devotion to our God. 

Happy Birthday Blog! You're 2 Years Old

I can't believe it's been two years since I began this little blog of mine.  It's been so much fun to have an outlet for my writing

I also can't believe how life has changed in those two short years... when I started this adventure, I was knee-deep in graduate school, spending sleepless nights grading student papers on "why Odysseus is a hero," and maintaining a full schedule of volunteer activities.  Since then, I have:

- Traveled!  My trips to South East Asia and Central Asia certainly top the list :)
- Became a Master... by finishing my M.A. degree
- Started an incredible job... and then got promoted to a job I love three months later!
- Narrowed down my volunteer activities so I can truly pour myself into the things about which I am passionate
- Made many sweet new friends (who live as close as the room next to mine and as far away as cities around the world)
- Bought a car!
- Gained a puppy nephew that I love to spoil rotten
- Read 42 books
- Ran through a field of sunflowers in the countryside of one of the most beautiful countries (bucket list item - check!)
- Lived in three different houses... all within 5 minutes of each other
- Stood by my Mom's side as she kicked cancer's butt (bravest, strongest woman I know!)
- Finally made it to Passion as a "door holder" (an incredible experience that really deserves its own blog post)
- Grown, changed, laughed, loved, learned, and so many other things - I am thankful.

It's been an exciting couple of years, and I am so thankful for the many ways I see God working in my life, perfectly orchestrating even the tiniest details to weave together my story.  Every day I'm learning more and more about what it means to abide with Christ and dwell in His presence.  I'm so looking forward to the things to come and I can't wait to share a little bit of my journey with you. 

Just for fun, here are a few of my favorite posts from the last two years:

God's Plan for Your Life and Figuring Out Your "Calling" - January 17, 2011

What Does the Bible Have to Say About Food? - September 22, 2011

I'm Not On Hold - May 25, 2012

A Piece of My Heart - June 26, 2012

So Much More to Come - July 10, 2012

Living Every Day on Purpose - July 24, 2012

A Lesson on Potting Soil - July 30, 2012

Waiting Expectantly - December 7, 2012

Dapper

Doesn't Mr. Darcy look so handsome in his tie?

27 Million

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day - an estimated 27 MILLION people are in various forms of slavery around the world (including the US). Do something about it:

http://enditmovement.com/

By the way... 27 MILLION is the equivalent of all the people in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. (July 1, 2012 numbers)

We're in it to end it.  Are you?

Friday Thoughts

I'm reading Amy Carmichael's biography, A Chance to Die, which is beautifully written by Elisabeth Elliot.  As I was reading during my lunch break, I came across a few quotes that I'd like to share with you.  They are mostly unrelated to each other, but I ask that you take some time to think through these important words:

“The great passion of Amy Carmichael’s life was uttermost love, which meant uttermost obedience.  The prayer of Jeremy Taylor was always hers:  Lord, do Thou turn me all into love, and all my love into obedience, and let my obedience be without interruption.” (p. 151)

“Often she ministered to professing Christians.  But, they said, the kind of Christianity she presented would cost too much…’We know what it means now, and it is very inconvenient,’ said one.” (p. 158)

“A few lines from On the Threshold of Central Africa, by M. Coillard, spoke for Amy, ‘If those friends who blame… could see what we see, and feel what we feel, they would be the first to wonder that those redeemed by Christ should be so backward in devotion, and know so little of the spirit of self-sacrifice.  They would be ashamed of the hesitations that hinder us.  But we must remember that it was not by interceding for the world in glory that Jesus saved it.  He gave himself.  Our prayers for the evangelization of the world are but a bitter irony so long as we only give of our superfluity and draw back before the sacrifice of ourselves.’” (p. 164) 

The Importance of Journaling

Every so often, I flip through old journals, skimming over past events, prayers, thoughts, and reflections that were captured in a flurry of pencil strokes.  Tonight was one of those times.  I dug out my journal from 2009/2010 and as I was scanning the pages, one particular entry caught my attention.  A poem of sorts written in the early morning dawn illustrated my thoughts as I savored a quiet moment with my Lord.  What I love about this entry is that it's raw and full of emotion; it takes me back to that place in time and I can relive the feelings that washed over me that day.  That's why journaling is important.  When I write I document my walk with Jesus:  the prayers, the joys, the tears, the reflections, the questions, memories, and the whispers of God as He speaks to my heart.  I write to process.  I write to treasure.  I write to savor.  I write to remember.  I write so that I can look back two years later and worship.

August 28, 2010

The morning sun is waking slowly, brushing the sleep from his eyes and stretching his sparkling rays. The breeze is calm, not all together motionless, but very gently rustling the vivid green leaves - leaves that will soon be shedding their summer skin for a golden, autumnal coat.  The sky is cloudless, a perfect crystal blue.  The finches have chased away the clouds with their morning song, harkening a beautiful day forward out of the night.  Just as nature wakes and shakes off the morning dew, I too rise from my bed, and taking up my pen, I write.  In the midst of life, busy and bustling, God rains peace on my life like a stream of cool, flowing water.  He is my tree and I rest in his shade as I sit on the dewy grass... 

Seeing and Savoring

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” —John 17:24

During the Christmas season, I took some time to read John Piper’s Advent devotional, Good News of Great Joy:  Daily Readings for Advent, which is available for free online at http://www.desiringgod.org.  In the introduction chapter, Piper bases his discussion on John 17:24 and points out that Jesus is praying for all believers—for us!—so that our deepest longings might be fully satisfied in the Father (v).  Piper asserts that “what Jesus wants for Christmas is for us to experience what we were really made for—seeing and savoring his glory” (v). 

Oftentimes we notice the glory of God displayed in big ways, such as through a painted sunset over the glimmering ocean or through a miraculous healing from terminal cancer, but how often on a daily basis do we miss many still, small moments to see the glory of our Lord?  The glory of God fills the earth, but how often are we too busy or distracted to really see it and respond in constant, joyful praise as we should?  When we truly see and experience the glory of Jesus, we are moved to worship as we savor His glory.  As Leslie Ludy once said, “daily life is bursting with opportunities… to create, to sing, to dance, to worship, to serve, to laugh, and to learn.”  When we come face-to-face with a loving, just, righteous, perfect, Holy God, the response of our hearts should be to bow in adoring worship before the throne of God.  Savoring the glory of our Father every minute of every day leads to an eternity of delighting, loving, treasuring, and abiding in Christ.  It is my hope and prayer that we might truly see and savor the glory of our Lord throughout the year, remembering that Christ was born in a manger to die on a cross so that we, undeserving sinners, might be heirs to righteousness and thereby enter into eternal fellowship with the Most High. What joy, what grace, what love.  Oh what a Savior! 

Hope In Tragedy

My heart is so heavy with the news of the horrific Connecticut school shooting.  Though tragic and terrible, there is peace in knowing that God welcomed so many precious little ones into his arms today. "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these'" (Matthew 19:14).  I can only imagine the joy on their sweet faces as the children ran into the arms of Jesus... 

Will you join me in praying for the families of the precious ones as they grieve and experience this unimaginable loss.  Pray also that many would seek the face of God in the midst of tragedy, for He is our only hope and salvation. 

Waiting Expectantly

“He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’ When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.” 

Luke24:46-52 (NIV)

God recently reminded me of this scene in Luke 24 in which Jesus appears to his disciples after defeating sin and death by triumphantly rising from the grave.  In this passage, Jesus astounds the disciples by proving that He is not a ghost, but is in fact the risen Lord in flesh and bones – alive and eating broiled fish!  Amazed and joyous, the disciples must have hung on every word Jesus spoke as He commissioned them as witnesses to the nations and promised the sending of the Holy Spirit.  Matthew 28 records the Great Commission in which “Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

Take a moment to imagine how the disciples must have felt.  First, Jesus appeared to them after being brutally crucified in public and laid lifeless in a tomb.  Then, after rising from the grave, He proceeds to eat broiled fish and prove that He is not a ghost.  Next Jesus points out that these events were all part of God’s divine plan and opens the disciples' minds so that they can understand the Scriptures.  Finally, He gives them the biggest job assignment ever: go to all people and proclaim the good news of salvation.  And, by the way, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit, who will go with them and empower them to fulfill this monumental task. 

I imagine that by this point in the story the disciples are pretty excited.  Risen Lord! Alive! Eyes opened! God’s plan for salvation! Go to all the nations!

But Jesus said to wait.  Yes – after all of that, He told them to wait.   

There they sat, stunned and in awe of Jesus, ready and willing to go… and they were just supposed to wait?  That's right.  The disciples were to wait for the Holy Spirit to anoint the perfect moment to go and spread the gospel to all people, tribes, and tongues.  According to Luke, they waited in a posture of continual worship, with a song in their hearts and praise on their lips.  They waited purposefully and with anticipation of the great things God would do through them for the building of His Kingdom. 

As Christians, we have all heard the call of the Great Commission.  Jesus’s words ring ever clear in our minds as we long to see the joy of Christ spread to all people.  It is the desire of our hearts to bear fruit for the glory of God and be a light in the darkness.  Jesus desires that all would know of His love and sacrifice, and that all would enter into the gift of eternal salvation He accomplished by dying in our place on the cross.  It is by confessing that He is Lord and giving our lives to God that we are saved.  We are the messengers of this great news!  We have been appointed! 

Do you ever find yourself in the same situation as the disciples?  I sure do.  Have you heard the call to “go” but are now in a season of waiting?  This passage is such encouragement to my soul as I relate to and learn from the experience the disciples had that day.  It is a joy to know that God has called me to be His child and has commissioned me to glorify His name by bringing others into the Kingdom.  Sometimes waiting on the Holy Spirit’s perfect timing to “go” is difficult – especially when you happen to a "Type A” girl who always has a plan... and a back-up plan.  However, God has shown me through this passage and my own experience that there is so much to be gained from a season of waiting.  What a sweet time to savor and treasure the Lord as I abide in His love!  I am thankful for opportunities to grow, to learn, to disciple and be discipled.  I am thankful that God has a plan for my life, and that He has given me the opportunity to wait in faith on His perfect timing. 

As Charles Spurgeon said in his sermon titled The Filling ofEmpty Vessels, “Waiting in faith is a high form of worship which in some respects excels the adoration of the shining ones above.”  Did you catch that?   Waiting is worship that outshines the stars that twinkle like fireflies dancing across the night sky.  May we wait in humble expectation of all that God has prepared for us, knowing that His plan will be perfected in and through us at just the right moment.  Worship as you wait.  Serve as you wait.  Love as you wait. Abide as you wait.  And when the time comes, may you boldly step out in faith and fulfill your high calling for the glory of God.

Practicing Self-Forgetfulness

Tonight I read a short book by Timothy Keller titled The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, which teaches about gospel-humility by examining the life, work, and writings of the Apostle Paul.   Here is my favorite passage from the book:

“The thing we would remember from meeting a truly gospel-humble person is how much they seemed to be totally interested in us. Because the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less… True gospel-humility means I stop connecting every experience, every conversation, with myself. In fact, I stop thinking about myself. The freedom of self-forgetfulness. The blessed rest that only self-forgetfulness brings.”

Keller notes that modern society promotes high self-esteem as the cure to all evils, resulting in self-worth that is based on how well we perform in life's daily "courtroom" rather than in the truth of the gospel.  We know that when Christ died, he paid the debt for our sin, bestowing His righteousness upon us.  No longer are we bound to the expectations that the world - and ourselves! - places upon us.  At the end of the day, it's not our successes and failures that matter;  it's the joy we get from resting in the love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that on the cross He accomplished everything necessary for salvation.  

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Romans 2:8-10

[Keller's The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness is available on Amazon as a Kindle download for just $0.99!]

A Prayer for Today

Shelly Moore Band, "Scratch"

I’m just a scratch on this line
Such a vapor of time
How can I think it's all mine
Or just for me 
A fleeting thing

My soul cannot rest here 
There is always something more 
That I'm striving for 
Round and round again in this so called circle of life
But it's never the same
So is it a circle or a line

Father, help me wait for my full reward
Remind my soul that it's not here
Father, help me wait for my full reward
Remind my soul that it's not here

So what should be my delight?
They tell me to buy to satisfy what I need
They've got me feeling alone, like this world is my home
When the most costly has been given for free 

There will come a day
When you will say well done
There will come a day
When you will say well done good and faithful one

And, check out Shelly's new CD, Unraveling.  

Prayer and the Heartbeat of God

"Prayer brings our heartbeat in tune with God’s own. In prayer, we come to God in worship. During times of praise and adoration, we are keenly aware of who He is, what He has done, and what His Word teaches us. This love for God leads us to contemplate His perfection and holiness." 

- Michael Sills, The Missionary Call (2008)

Something to Think About

"Many Christians are aware of the billions who have never heard the gospel and those among them who die without Christ every day. This concern is a constant burden in their lives. Like a stone in their shoe, it is ever on their minds no matter where they go or what they do. Their hearts reverberate with the cries of those who are being born into, live in, and die in darkness. They are concerned for the young girls whose parents sell them into sexual slavery to provide for the family. They are concerned for the millions of street children and their hopeless existence. Most of all, they are concerned for the glory of God. Their concern makes them wonder how they can live a holy life in faithfulness to God’s commands if they do not live in reckless abandon and radical fulfillment of the Great Commandments and the Great Commission." 

-Michael Sills, The Missionary Call (2008)