Friday, August 31, 2012

A selfless heart.

"Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”"
~Romans 15:2-3
{"Build him up..." i.e. edify and strengthen.}

Oh, how refreshing an edifying person is! They are selfless. Their focus is outward. They know the relentless, steady love of their Savoir, Father, and Husband and it overflows. This is where dying to ourselves brings life, not only to us, but to others.

Philippians 2:3-4 echoes this: 
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
This is humility. Casting pride aside. And letting this broken vessel of our lives pour forth Jesus. Ephesians 4:29 follows this theme of building up: 
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
Die to ourselves. Build others up. Give them grace. It's a shadow of the gospel. It glorifies the Lord.

Oh, let us live selflessly, as Christ did. Loving selflessly. Forgiving when people hurt and sin against us, even if it's again and again. May we faithfully point people to the Savoir ~ the Refresher of the weary.


 Sometimes it's the littlest kindnesses from a selfless heart that bring the biggest joys!

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Your mercy remains!



"Yet in Your manifold mercies You did not forsake them in the wilderness..."
Nehemiah 9:19a


Despite the many times I stumble, the Lord's mercies are there. They are unfailing. They are manifold. And they are new every morning! 

It's a comforting and humbling truth that His beloved can rest in. :)

Monday, August 20, 2012

Less of me and more of You, Lord!


"He must increase, but I must decrease.” ~John 3:30

My birthday is coming up... Birthdays and the beginning of new years often tend to make me stop and take a look at this life in a different light. Am I wasting my life? What areas do I need to grow in?

Ever increasing is a desire within me to die to myself more and more. I recognize how very unhelpful my flesh is!  I find a growing frustration with my flesh and can echo Paul's words: "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." (Romans 7:15) Can you relate?

To be the hands and feet that bring refreshment to weary souls, is the desire of my heart. What could be better in the long run? Dying to self is eternally the most joy producing life, because what people really need is Jesus. And in Jesus is where true hope and refreshment is found.

For quite some time now, I've been fascinated by Job's description of his life before the Lord allowed Satan to test him:

"I delivered the poor who cried out, the fatherless and the one who had no helper. The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the lame. I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the case that I did not know. I broke the fangs of the wicked, and plucked the victim from his teeth."
~Job 29: 12-17

That kind of life starts now in being faithful in the little things {Luke 16:10}.

And yes, this quote rang a bell in my heart when I read it:

“The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you -- your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or you anything -- then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it. True Godliness leaves the world convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the only explanation for you, is Jesus Christ."
~Major Ian Thomas

 Oh, may there daily be less of self and more of the Lord. Let us follow hard after Him, and there find abundant life and peace.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

The Lord Brings Peace


From:  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"Never did a sinner trust Christ too much. There was never a case of a guilty one who believed that Jesus could forgive him and afterward found that He could not - who believed that Jesus could save him on the spot and then woke up to find that it was a delusion. No; plunge into this river of confidence in Christ. The waters are waters to swim in, not to drown in. Never did a soul perish that glorified Christ by a living, loving faith in Him. Come, then, with all your sin, whatever it may be, with all your deep depression of spirits, all your agony of conscience. Come and grasp my Lord and Master with both the hands of your faith, and He shall be yours, and you shall be His."
~Charles Spurgeon

"Turn to Christ your longing eyes,
View His bloody sacrifice:
See in Him your sins fogiven;
Pardon, holiness, and heave;
Glorify the King of kings,
Take the peace the gospel brings."

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

My keyboard. =)

Have you ever had a desire in your heart and then experience God graciously granting you the gift that fulfills that desire?

I have... and it helps me to remember these stories while I'm struggling with other areas in my life. :)

One gracious provision the Lord has given me is: a free keyboard! :-) I know, I know... you're wondering "why is this so exciting?!"

Let me explain... Ever since I was a little girl I've found much enjoyment playing by ear on the piano and making my own songs up. It still gives me great pleasure sitting down and playing new songs... and? My family loves it when I make up new songs. :-)

So a few weeks ago I had an extreme desire to be able to get a keyboard so I can actually connect it to my laptop and use a special program to write out the music (instead of promptly forgetting the song)! The day after, my family told me about a free keyboard a family was trying to get rid of!! I emailed them quick and they wanted to get it to me as soon as they could. Amazing.

I'm learning patience through this though, first I had to wait for my keyboard, once I got it I had to wait for my laptop to come back from getting fixed, and now I'm waiting for the right cord.

But this waiting is giving me time to write words... and come up with music for some of those songs.

Ohh, I love songwriting! I feel God's smile on me while I do it.
I know I have much to learn on this journey but it is a happy road to travel. :-)


"Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful."
Psalm 147:1