Stir Crazy Snow Days

If you don't live in the Southeast (and you don't watch the news, read the news, or hear the news...we need to talk) you might be unaware that we had quite the snow/ice storm for our area over the past couple of days. I understand that our amount of snow/ice is nothing compared to just about anywhere else in the US, but for us it was a good bit. It was even enough to cancel school for not just 1 day, or  2 days, but 3 full days (who knows what will happen on Thursday).  Needless to say most of us, teachers and students, were pretty excited about our snow day on Monday. I am also sure the students were pumped for the snow day today and even more excited about the snow day tomorrow, but I (and many others) are becoming a little stir crazy! I can only do so many loads of laundry, read so many books, watch so much tv/movies, and be on facebook so long.

Recently I was talking texting with my fabulous friend Jessica about how stir crazy we were both becoming not being at school (we are both teachers). We were discussing all the things we had already done and what we were possibly going to find to do with our day tomorrow. As we were texting I was also reading her latest post on her blog "Single in love: My Year of Me"  ( You should all read her blog. You will love her!). As usual her post challenged me to think about my stir crazy snow days in a different light.

In her post Jessica writes about how last Wednesday the Lord answered her prayer for desiring him by giving her this overwhelming sense of joy and "head over heels giddiness" in her time with him. She mentions how she didn't want to have to go to school, not because of her "talkative or unmotivated students", but because she couldn't wait to spend more time with Jesus. And that my friends, is when it hit me.

Why am I not relishing the fact that I have extra time to spend with the Lord? I have been able to catch up on my Bible reading (hopefully getting ahead soon), finish the book Radical by: David Platt (posts to come soon on the impact it is having on my life),  and have extended non rushed time in the word and prayer. Looking back on it, its been FANTASTIC!

I have been desiring this extra time to eat up God's word and his revelations to me since school started and yet I was blinded by my boredom and lack of ability to travel to the blessing God had given me in snow.

Thank you Jesus for giving me friends like Jessica to remind me to look in the little things for your blessings to be found. Thank you for giving me this precious extra time to spend with you. Continue to open my eyes to the time wasted when I could be spending it with you. Thank you for reminding me in your gift of snow that in your scripture it says that I will be purified with hyssop and washed whiter than snow. ( Psalm 51:7)


PS. Be on the look out for a combo post between Jessica and I this Friday.

Praise Jesus!

Passion 2011 went down in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this week. I was unable to attend this year, but was able to watch the main sessions online. Boy were they powerful! Oddly enough I was also experiencing great amounts of anxiety from an unknown cause. I slept horrible, woke up sick, and cried all the way to work many times this week.

The first night Chris Tomlin led a song with a lyric, "All my fountains are in you". This single line kept rolling over and over in my head during my times of anxiety. I clung to the fact that everything I am is in him, glorifying him is my joy, and fear/anxiety is not a product of Christ.
  

As the week progressed the anxiety eased up and then today was a day of complete joy! I could not stop smiling and meditating on how blessed I truly am in the Lord. He has given me everything I could ever need or want. He created me to glorify him and when I am my joy is complete!

It's amazing how when we focus on Christ and do not dwell on our emotions or circumstances we are set free!

Thank you Jesus for freedom from anxiety! Thank you for holding me in times of fear! You are my rock and my foundation, my joy is in you!

Trials= Gold

"But he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."
Job 23: 10

A couple of days ago I wrote about how I was memorizing two verses a month based on my Bible reading through the year. Since I started in December Job was on my list to read. Most everyone who has grown up in church knows the story of Job. Here's a brief refresher. One day Satan came to God and God asks him if he has considered his servant Job. God continues telling Satan that Job is upright, blameless and shuns evil. Satan responds to God by saying, "Of course he is you have blessed everything he has," (my paraphrase). So God offers Job over to Satan as long as he does not "lay a finger on the man himself,". Eventually Job has lost everything and even his friends and family are telling him to turn away from God. Job continually cries out to God and never turns away from him. Job even goes as far as saying "But he knows the way I take; when he as tested me I shall come forth as gold".  

Can you imagine losing everything you have? All your possessions, your home, your family,  your friends...EVERYTHING! It blows my mind to even consider thinking about it,  much less considering my emotions towards God if that did happen to me. I can hear myself now... Why me God? Where are you in this situation? Did you abandon me? What did I do to deserve this? Did you have to take everything? What's the point of serving you if I lose everything in return? Did I not do all as you asked of me? If I promise to do (fill in the blank) will you give me my family back? I can almost guarantee I would not have the capacity to look beyond my emotions and consider what God's plan might be in the heartbreak.

God knew where Job was during this trial. God was right beside him the entire time. God never looked away or lost track of the circumstances. Job professes to know that is true in this verse. What incredible faith! Job goes even father to say that he knows good will come of this, that he "shall come forth as gold." What a statement! How much do I need to remember that in the times of testing, discipline or hardship God has a plan for me and his plans are good! When God tests me it is to strip away anything that is hindering my relationship with him so that I may become gold! We should not fear hardships or a trial because it is one of God's ways of growing us.


Lord I pray that when a trial comes my way I will remember that you are always there with me. You know the way I take and when you are finished with me I shall come forth as gold!

He Deserves so Much More

New Year’s Resolutions. I know it’s January 3, 2011, but I have not gotten around to posting about resolutions. You may or may not be a resolution person. You may start them at different points in the year or vow to never make them because you always break them (you didn’t know I was a rapper did you :)) You may call them promises, changes, or commitments, but I’m going to call mine a goal/commitment.



My goal/commitment for 2011 is to read the Bible through in a year and memorize two verses a month from those same readings. This is something I have tried to do on many occasions and failed. With this being the year of taking on failures and fears I decided to give it another go in Christ’s power and grace.



In previous years I would pick up my bible and begin reading on January 1 without giving much thought to it (I definitely avoided asking someone for accountability. Why would I need that? I am independent and strong. Hear me roar!). I would make it a month or so and then lose track of where I was because I was always behind. In my mind I would justify why I should move on to something else instead of keeping to my commitment. So much for commitment huh?



Recently in my time with the Lord I have been convicted of the lack of discipline in my life,  specifically in my relationship with him. What does it say to the lost world around me that I can’t even commitment to read the very words my savior wrote for me? How prideful am I that I can’t even seek out accountability for this step of growth in my life? How selfish am I to not hunger and thirst for the words he has given me? The creator of this world is worth so much more than this. His glory and renown deserve more attention than this. All of these questions and reflections led me to enter this season of reading with a different mindset. This year is about about him, his glory, and his name. Its an act of discipline and obedience through his power and grace working in my life. This is not about me doing something great, but God working through me and in me to make me more like him.



A wise old man (Hey Dad!) once taught me that all goals should be measurable, attainable (but not too easy), and time sensitive, so I made sure to make my goal in that way. I will read the bible through in a year using the Discipleship Journal’s plan. As I am reading I will pick two verses a month to memorize (1st from the reading on days 1-15, 2nd from days 16-25). I started in December 2010 when the Lord laid these goals on my heart. I hope to be able to share some of what he is teaching me through this journey with you. If you see me don’t hesitate to ask me how it is going or to quote to you my current scripture memory :)



What about you...do you have any resolutions, commitments, or goals for 2011?