not as it should be.

{found via pinterest}

here's the thing about this week: it reminds us that we are great sinners, and it reminds us that we have an even greater savior.

this world is not how it should be. that doesn't mean that wonderful things do not exist within it, and it certainly doesn't mean we shouldn't be grateful for what we've received from a gracious God. but it is a reminder that we are broken. we are reminded that christ alone can make us new, because christ alone could go to the cross for us. christ alone could conquer death and sin for us.

this world is not how it should be. we as people do not live in perfect union with our creator. plain and simple. but the above sentiment is just as plain and simple: you are not the mistakes you have made. our God is big enough to redeem them. every. last. one. of. them. no matter who you are, and no matter what you've done.

it's easy to think that people are too far gone for God. it's almost automatic in a way. it's not that we think that about everyone, but we do think it for some people. for certain people. "that's just the way s/he is," "s/he'll never change; i should have known better." but the thing is, miracles happen every day. and our God is a God of miracles. there is never anyone too far gone for God.

this week is about sacrifice - the greatest sacrifice ever made - and the opportunity for redemption. at some point we were all too far gone, but God didn't leave us there. he came and found me in my too far gone place, and he brought me to himself.

no, this world is not as it should be, but take heart - we serve a God who has overcome the world. we serve the great redeemer.

happy easter!

xo,

katie

The Simplest Lessons...

Some weeks it's just hard to write a blog post...  when I get focused on a task, trying to divert my energies is like trying to change the course of a rushing river, almost impossible.  This was one of those weeks!  I am in "get ready for an art festival" mode and 98% of life feels like an interruption (just keeping it real).  And yet, God gave me SO much I wanted to write about...  this could have been 'pages' long!

But just yesterday, I was reminded of such a sweet truth...  I was telling Amanda Mascara about something that happened a couple of weeks ago with their adorable son, Knox.

It was after Sunday School and I was chatting in the fellowship hall.  Knox was trying so hard to keep up with the 'big' boys and it took about 30 seconds for him to get run over, literally.  As he got up, you could tell he was trying so hard not to cry, but he was hit hard and as we started to move towards him, he spotted his daddy standing nearby.  He wanted nothing to do with us 'stranger' ladies...  he only had eyes for his daddy.

Tim stopped his conversation, comforted him and before long, Knox was back in the midst of it...  And about 30 seconds later (again), it happened a second time... and he went straight back for his daddy.

It didn't hit me at the time, but yesterday when I was relating the story to Amanda, I realized how profound the simplest stories can be...

Where do you run when the world runs you over?  I hate to admit it, but too often I get distracted by "strangers" (aka. idols) who can't really comfort me...  comfort food...  comfort shopping...  comfort television... any escape to distract me from the pain...

But what if I set my sights on my Abba Father and didn't let any other promise of sympathy, comfort or relief pull my focus from Him?!  I bet I would find the strength to get back in the game as quickly as Knox did.

Why don't you take a minute and ask God to show you where you tend to run when life runs you over?  I'll leave you with these verses from Psalms that I love so much (Psalm 73:25-26)  "Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing on earth I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Let God be your strength...  your refreshment...  your everything!

Sharla

Wilderness - what do you see??

Years ago there was a list the US Forestry Service put together that were actual comments left on comment cards at wilderness areas.  Some of the ones that I really liked:

"Trails need to be reconstructed.  Please avoid building trails that go uphill."

"Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs.  Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests."

"Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them."

There were two things I noticed about these comments (after I snickered for a while).  First, they all have to do with making the individual's visit better.  Sometimes I find myself doing this in my daily life - rather than look around at the many blessings I have - I want to things to be better.  I chose to be frustrated by traffic, schedules, my to-do list and people who frustrate me.  How much better would my days be if I were thankful that I have a car to drive, children that have things to do, the ability to get things accomplished and the privilege of being in a community where I am only frustrated by others and not physically harmed by insurgents, suicide bombers, or an oppressive military.

Second, I think the people who made the comments failed to see the reality of the situation.  Wilderness is called WILD-ER-NESS  precisely because it is "wild-er" than other areas.  The same goes for the world around us.  We are subject to sin and it's effects all around us.  While that can be challenging, uncomfortable and less than optimal, it is the nature of our surroundings.  However, just like there is beauty and goodness to be found in the wild -- there is beauty and goodness to be found all around us.  We just have to be willing to focus on the right things.

God clearly advises this in Colossians 2:6-7  "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

May you find joy in Christ by giving thanks for the blessings we have amidst the day - Cynthia

at a loss

{found via pinterest}

okay, i'll be straight with you. i'm kind of at a loss this week. i don't know what to say.

sure, i have a lot of ideas in my head, but none of them have come together to make any meaningful sense. and every time i start to write something about faith right now, i make God sound cliché, and the God of the universe is anything but cliché. the people of this world who try to describe him often make him sound that way - i have no doubt that i have done so on more than one occasion. we use our old standbys when we don't have anything else to say, even though the standbys sound hollow.

living the christian life is tough. well - attempting to live the christian life is tough. let's be honest, none of us do it super well, and no one does it perfectly. but God does not weary of us. and how great is that?

no matter where we are, or what we've done, what our past looks like, how we behaved 5 years ago, or 5 seconds ago, he will receive us with open arms because Christ finished the work a long time ago.

you may be like me today. maybe you're a bit at a loss. maybe you don't know why something happened, or is happening, or what is going to happen. maybe you feel alone or too far gone.

maybe you, like me, just need a reminder that the God of the universe created you, and loves you, and has a purpose for you. when you're at a loss it doesn't always feel like God sees you, even in the moment. but for all the times i've been at a loss - and there have been plenty - i can always look back and see him at work, somehow, some way.

he always finds us.

sometimes we have to come to the end of ourselves to realize who he really is, but nonetheless, he finds us. and he does not grow weary of us.

much love to you.

katie

Remembering Stones

Yesterday in Sunday School, we talked about when the Israelites crossed the Jordan river to go into the Promised Land (Joshua 3).  I loved learning more about the culture and all that God's power over the Jordan would have meant to them.  But it's what happened, after they crossed the Jordan, that I want to write about. 

In Joshua 4, God instructs them to choose 12 men, one from each tribe, to take up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan and put them down where they would stay the first night.  Verse 7 says they were to be a memorial to the people forever.  I've always thought of them as remembering stones and I think the principle is essential to us today.

More than once, the Bible tells us to remember...  Remember the wonders of the LORD...  remember what He did...  Remembering God's faithfulness to us in the past can give us the courage to be obedient Him in the present...  Remembering God's works, His sovereignty and power, can encourage us when our world seems like it is spinning out of control...  Remembering God's past work in our lives can reassure us and encourage us to persevere, even when God seems distant or silent.

One of my most precious remembering stones is on our oldest son's leg (it's really his remembering stone, but as his mom, I claim it too!).  About 2 1/2 years ago, Zack was working his summer landscaping job when he tripped and fell while operating a 1500 pound piece of landscaping equipment.  It ran up the lower part of his leg and when he pushed it off, the treads cut down into the lower part of his leg.

I'll spare you the gory details, but I have to tell you one thing that's essential to this story...  The treads cut down right between the two arteries that run down the leg.  Doctors were amazed that they were untouched.  If one had been cut, it might have been tragic, but if both had been cut, as one nurse said, "short of a miracle, it most certainly would have been tragic." 

I don't see the scar on his leg that I don't also see the hand of God...  Just yesterday (with no idea of what we had talked about in Sunday School) Zack said, "Mom, it's strange, I can feel my heart beat through the scar."  Another reminder that I don't have to live in fear...  I don't have to constantly worry while waiting for our children to come home... God holds life in the palm of His hand.  It doesn't mean that nothing bad will happen, but it does remind me that God is in control of all of our days.  Psalm 139:16 tells us that God ordained all of our days, before one of them came to be.  All of my worry won't change a moment and God is far more capable of protecting those I love than I'll ever be.  And as much as I love them, He loves them far more, so I can trust that too!

Remembering stones come in all shapes and sizes, much like the stones they would have chosen from the middle of the Jordan.  They are simply the stories of God's work, His love, His faithfulness, His redemption and restoration in our own lives.  They can come from answered prayer, a life experience where God redeemed a story of heartache for good, or other stories of God's provision, protection, etc.  But here's one last thing about remembering stones, they can be used to encourage others and to teach others about our Great God!  In Joshua 4:6-7, God told them to tell the story to their children.

So, do you have a remembering stone?  I would love for you to share your story with us.  You never know who might need a word of encouragement today!

Happy remembering!

Sharla

Walking A Mile

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.  That way when you critize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.  ∼ Jack Handey

I think this is a funny quote.  Although, it is said that truth is often found in humor.  This truth is not the 'Big T' truth of God, but the 'little t' truth of reality.  Too often we are critical of others, try to justify our own critical natures and fail to treat others as Jesus asked us to treat them. 

The idea of walking a mile reminds me of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount which instructs us on many things.  For me, one of the most convicting instructions is found in Matthew 5:38-42:

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,^[h] let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

This passage very clearly tells us how to react when evil is done to us.  Those are hugely radical statements.  Yet in our culture we have qualified, excused, explained and reasoned around them.  Did Jesus really mean what he said?  If he did this is what he asks us to do:

• When someone hits you, don't hit back.
• When someone sues you, give him and extra amount.
• If you are forced to do something for someone, double the work.
• Give to those that beg from you.
• Lend to the one that asks to borrow from you.

As a follower of Christ, it gives me a lot to think about ∼ Cynthia

building a kingdom

{found via pinterest}

every day i wake up, get keane out of his crib and proceed to get us breakfast. there are a million little things i do on a daily basis, and i do most of those things to benefit me somehow. most of the day, most of the time i do things for me. even if what i'm doing is also for someone else, there's usually something in it for me too.

at the end of the day, i'm ridiculously selfish. we're all pretty selfish when we get right down to it, and we can easily get caught up in pushing our own goals through to fruition.

and that's the thing. no matter who we are, or what we do, or even what we believe about God, we work every day to build some sort of kingdom. we may work toward building our own individual kingdom, a kingdom for our family, a kingdom for our company, or any other number of kingdoms. but the point is, we serve someone. we set someone or something up on that pedestal and we live our life for it.

sometimes we live for money. sometimes it's fame. sometimes it's family. sometimes it's for someone else's agenda. sometimes it's politics. sometimes it's simply to chase happiness. and sometimes it's God.

personally conviction has set in over the last couple of weeks. how often do i really live to serve God? and who or what do i put in his place? and why do i live like that other thing matters more?

i know i cannot work simply work harder at it, and live a better life out of my own ability. and i know that living more for God will not change how much he loves me or accepts me. i know there are many things in my life that i must simply surrender to God over and over and over again [x(a million)]. but i also know that in building his kingdom i can rest in him, and his perfection and his sovereignty and his justice and his holiness. i know that his kingdom is the only one truly worth building. and though one day he will build a new heaven and a new earth, his kingdom will not pass away.

xo,

katie