"Stranger"

Mandi Mapes | "Stranger" from AsiaStories on Vimeo.

"Let It Shine"

Mandi Mapes | "Let It Shine" from AsiaStories on Vimeo.

"We are the Body"

Mandi Mapes | "We Are The Body" from AsiaStories on Vimeo.

Clearing the Stage

This morning at work, I was listening to Jimmy Needham – he’s one of my “go to” artists and I definitely recommend all of his music – and a few verses of the song “Clear the Stage” caught my attention:

“Tell your friends that this is where the party ends 


Until you're broken for your sins, you can't be social.


Then seek the Lord and wait for what He has in store 


And know that great is your reward, so just be hopeful.


Take a break from all the plans that you have made 


And sit at home alone and wait for God to whisper.

Beg Him please to open up His mouth and speak

And pray for real upon your knees until they blister.




Shine the light on every corner of your life

Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open

Then read the Word and put to test the things you've heard 


Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken”


So, I want to ask you… how often do you truly humble yourself before God’s throne and seek His presence?  How often do you step out of your daily life, setting apart quiet time to be still with God?  How often do you bare your heart before the Father and ask Him to transform you, mold you, break you?  And, I’m talking about more than a daily quiet time.

If this isn't a regular part of your walk with God, then maybe it’s time to consider asking yourself why you aren't purposefully dwelling in the presence of God.  Maybe you’re afraid of what He’ll ask you to do or what He might say?  Maybe you’re afraid that He won’t look upon you because of the sin in your life? Maybe you are just making excuses because you’re lazy?  It’s time to get honest with yourself and with God.  The only way we can do battle against our sin is with the power of God working in and through us:  His might, His strength, His wisdom, and His salvation for our good and His glory.

Let me encourage you to carve out special, extended time to abide with Christ.  It may mean taking an extra vacation day or setting aside a few hours on a Saturday afternoon.  Pick a spot where you can be completely focused and free from distractions.  (For me personally, I prefer to go to a quiet lake or peaceful park where I can be outside.)  Turn off your phone and leave your iPad at home.  Go alone, just you and God.  Take your Bible, a notebook, and some tissues (because I guarantee you that you will be moved to tears in the presence of our holy God).  Talk to God, use your voice.  Get on your knees and pray.  Sing and rejoice because of the grace and mercy you have been shown.  Bask in His light and love. 

Purposefully abiding with Christ is such a precious privilege.  Jesus came to earth, fully man and fully God, lived the life I could never live, died the death I deserved to die, and defeated sin and death when he rose from the grave and took his position at the right hand of God.  Because of that profound truth, I – me! a sinner! – have been given the incredible ability to dwell with the Most High God.  You have the same privilege. 

Right now as I am in a time of decision making, it has been so crucial for me to carve out purposeful time to pursue God and commune with him.  First and foremost, my objective is to grow in love and adoration for my Savior as I give him honor and glory.  And secondly, there are a few things for which I need God’s wisdom and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It’s my joy to be still before the Lord.  And I know that God delights in me when I delight in Him!  

So, whether you need God to speak into your life, break an idol, free you from a sin, or exchange truth for a lie you are believing, be purposeful about carving out intentional time to sit in God’s presence.  Bow before the throne, leave your day-to-day life behind, and soak in the goodness and faithfulness of our Father.  He will hear your cries.  He will act.  He will meet you in a wave of love and grace.  I promise you that He will overwhelm you with His lovingkindess.  

PS:  Consider fasting in conjunction with purposeful time set apart for God.  If you're interested in fasting or just want to learn more, let me point you to a series of posts by my pastor JD Greear that you will certainly find helpful and encouraging:

http://www.jdgreear.com/my_weblog/2011/03/prayer-and-fasting-part-3.html

http://www.jdgreear.com/my_weblog/2011/03/prayer-and-fasting-part-2.html

http://www.jdgreear.com/my_weblog/2011/03/why-we-fast-part-2.html

http://www.jdgreear.com/my_weblog/2011/03/prayer-and-fasting-part-1.html

http://www.jdgreear.com/my_weblog/2009/02/breaking-the-power-of-your-body-over-you.html

We are called. We are loved. We are kept.

C.J. Mahaney, Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, KY, preaches from Jude 1 on those who are called and kept for Christ’s purposes at the 2013 20/20 Conference at South Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

This is truly one of the best sermons I have ever heard.  Please take an hour to listen to this encouraging message - you won't be the same after hearing these affirming words about God's great love for you.  

Wisdom from Amma

Here's a little wisdom from Amy Carmichael, known lovingly as "Amma" (mother) by her children and fellowship family in India.  In this section of A Chance to Die, a biography written by Elisabeth Elliot, Amy Carmichael addresses seeking guidance from the Lord before making a decision, discerning a calling, and then standing firm against the enemy's attacks after you surrender to that calling and God's will.  There is great wisdom in her words that has been very helpful to me over the last few weeks.  I hope you will also find strength and encouragement from Amma today.

Finding guidance from the Lord:  “They found that [guidance] came through circumstances, through careful thought, through the general feeling which followed prayer and fasting, by an impelling sense of duty, or a word from the Lord.  This ‘word’ might be something remembered at the crucial moment, or a direct command… [a] word which ‘doth in a way known to Himself twine and bind the heart which way He pleaseth.'”  To this point, Carmichael “quoted Westcott’s note on John 12:28, 29, ‘The apprehension of the divine voice depends upon a man’s capacity for hearing.’”

Knowing your calling: “As for a ‘call,’ this was a matter of waiting at the Lord’s feel for quiet assurance. ‘A call is just that.’”

Standing against opposition:  After discerning and acting upon a calling, "let her prepare her heart for temptations… She will be instantly set up against all sorts of attack and this will increase after she takes the next step."  Carmichael suffered many attacks from the enemy, “and no wonder.  Her aims were otherworldly.  The purer the aim, the more vehement the opposition, human and spiritual, ‘for our fight is not against any physical enemy:  It is against the organizations and powers that are spiritual.  We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil.’”

All quotes taken directly from, A Chance to Die, by Elisabeth Elliot

Writing, Reading, Baking, and Snowing: An Update

As you can see, I've put some work into giving this little blog a bit of a face lift - it's much prettier now, don't you think?!

In the past few days, here's what I've been...

WRITING

 Check out the aritcle I wrote for Global Hope India's latest newsletter here.

READING

I have found this newly released book to be so encouraging and challenging - pick up your copy on Amazon! I'm so thankful for this Summit family and their story. 

 & BAKING

Snowy days are perfect for baking strawberry blueberry bread.  Delicious! 

Yes, it really did snow again! Here's proof:

Stay tuned for more updates! 

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...