hero

I just found out that my good friend Jeremiah McLean’s wife, Monique McLean, is in the newest Skillet video – Hero. The song talks about us needing a hero, and it shows a fireman, a guy in the army, and a nurse (Monique). The video is trying to show that even the people that we classify as heroes in our every day life need a hero themselves – Jesus. It’s so easy to just go from day to day and not think about how much of a hero Jesus was. He was the ultimate sacrifice – living a sinless life, and still choosing to lay it down on the cross for our sins. I just found it so powerful and wanted to share it.

strength

I miss lighting.

I miss being connected. I miss feeling needed. Right now I wish that things could be like they were before, but I know that will never most likely not happen. I honestly feel like I can’t go back to where I was. So instead, I’ll make a new way. I’m going down paths I never thought I would take. And I’m nervous. Maybe I was too comfortable where I was and the Lord just couldn’t use me like that. I will come out on top because I refuse to let circumstances keep me down. I can do all things…

servant

Over the past few days I have had tons of time to think and pray. I got to spend a weekend in the woods with an awesome group of guys last weekend. As we were hiking through the trails I began to pray and the Lord really started laying some stuff on my heart. I have come to realize that I am so far from where I want to be. God challenges us to live up to some pretty tough standards but I have decided I want even more than that. I want to be like Jesus. Always giving of myself and never expecting in return. It’s easier said than done because I am one of the most selfish people I know. If I were to look back at all of the things I have done in my life, it’s a good possibility that 99% of them would be because I expected something in return. Maybe it wasn’t something physical, like a gift, but I know that I thrive off of gratification. I guess my prayer for today is “Lord make me humble.”

A pretty cool guy named Jesus once told his disciples:

“If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

What would it be like if I was a servant of all?

identity

If you are receiving your affirmation, love, self-worth, joy, strength and acceptance from anywhere but God, He will shake it.

I guess I just wanted to write a reminder (mostly to myself) to examine your life and see if there are areas where you are depending on something other than God. That is something I have been struggling with. Where do I find my identity? God has promises for my life, and when I remind myself of them, all of my problems go away.

Jeremiah 29:11 – “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Luke 6:35 – “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 10:28 – “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
John 14:3 – “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
John 20:29 – “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”
Romans 10:9 – “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
James 4:10 - ”Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
Genesis 28:15 – “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.  I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 – “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

presence

Last night I went to midweek service at Highlands. It was just an ordinary night, just another service when I entered the building. As the service started and I began to worship, I could feel something was different. I could tangibly feel the presence of the Lord in the room. The Holy Spirit was on the move. I experienced worship unlike anything I’ve ever known before. His presence literally took my breath away. For an entire song I sat and just experienced peace and love that was being poured out on me.

I found this quote from C.S. Lewis and it completely describes what I experienced last night.

“It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men.”

As you go throughout your week, I pray that you experience worship like you never have before. May God reveal to you His presence and love.

truth

If we really love Jesus we will increasingly love what he loves.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in him.
– 1 John 4:16

waiting

It’s always weird when you are in a position of waiting on God, and you don’t know what’s next in His plan for your life. These transitional periods always drive me crazy, and it takes everything within me to keep my mind focused on my purpose and His plan for my life. There is a verse that keeps coming to my mind, and I know it has some major significance in what’s going on in my life right now.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Dwell on that verse for a while. See what the Lord has to say to you about it. He has plenty to say to me!

encouragement

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Trust it. Live it. Believe it.

seasons

We have all learned about the different seasons throughout the year. We learn about them in elementary school: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Everyone has their favorite season. Some like summer because it is warm and sunny, some like spring because of the beauty of new growth, some like fall because the trees change colors, and some like winter because it’s cold and every once and a blue moon it snows here in Alabama.

Well, just like there are seasons in the year, there are seasons in our lives. I believe that God takes us through these seasons to teach us different things. In Ecclesiastes 3:1 it says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Has anyone else noticed that it has either rained or been completely overcast for the past week? This can have such an effect on my mood if I let it. I could sit back and say, “well, the Lord is just taking me through a rainy season in my life right now.” I could sit back and complain about everything that’s going wrong, or I could step up, push through this season, and learn what God has to teach me.

I just wanted to write a quick encouragement saying that if you are in a tough season right now, you can make it through. Find some Godly friends that will lift you up, get in the Word, pray about it, and let God teach you what He has in store for you to learn and you can come back stronger than before. That’s what I’m believing for in my life, and that’s what I know God wants to do in your life too!

patience

This is a post from a long time ago on a different blog, from a different time in my life. As I was reading it, I was just inspired to share it.

I know if you are anything like me, patience is a hard thing to come by. I heard a quote today that actually inspired me to write this blog. It was by a woman named Margaret Thatcher. She said, “I am extroidinarily patient provided I get my way in the end.” Thats so true for me.

But what about when I dont get my way? What about when I’m patient, and the end result seems to suck just as bad as it was to begin with?

Well, thats where I am right now. I’m being patient. Waiting on God. Waiting on life. Waiting on something. I can’t put my finger quite on it, but I think that waiting isnt enough. I dont think God wants me sitting around reminding Him about how patient I’m being, because that’s not actually patience at all. I dont think God wants me complaining to Him about everything I’m waiting for.

So I’m sitting here thinking, and the fruits of the Spirit come to mind. Galations 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no law” So I did a little Bible study and I looked up patience, or makrothymia in Greek. It says, “longsuffering, forbearance, slowness in avenging wrongs.”

Patience doesn’t mean “waiting”?? What?! Patience means longsuffering? Slow to avenge wrongs? Crap. That’s not what I signed up for..

But then again, that’s exactly what’s going on in my life right now.

Maybe He’s testing my patience…

Maybe He’s testing yours too…