the joy of the Lord is my strength

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

(Eph6,Rom8,Ps96&136)

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Rom8,John10,Phil2)

The Lord is a warrior. The Lord is mighty in battle.

(Ex15,Ps24,Is42)

“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too difficult for thee”

(Jer32:17)

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. "Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

(2Cor4,Neh8,Ps30)

My Hope is in the Lord!

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope." ~Psalm 130:5

"Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" ~Psalm 27:14

"The Lord tests the righteous." ~Psalm 11:5
"The trials that come from God are sent to prove and strengthen our graces and immediately illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues and to add to their energy." ~Spurgeon

"Though He slay me, I will hope in Him; yet I will argue my ways to His face." ~Job 13:15

"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." ~Romans 5:3-5

"All discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." ~Hebrews 12:11

"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." ~Exodus 14:14

"In ALL circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at ALL times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." ~Ephesians 15-18

"Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my Salvation and my God." ~Psalm 42:5

O for Grace, to Trust Him More

"If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it." ~Exodus 20:25

I ran across this verse a few months ago, and it struck me - and I read it again this morning, exactly at the time needed most.

This life - it's not about me.

I forget that so often, on a daily basis. I'm so guilty of everyday getting so caught up in my own stresses and worries that I end up neglecting my relationships to people I love so dearly, bogged down with the weight of all I think I have to do, all alone, all on my own. We have grown up in this society that tells us we are to be self-sufficient, independent - don't be a bother, don't ever need anyone, you should be able to do it all on your own merit. Where is that in the Bible?? We are prideful creatures, all of us. We have lost the sense of what true community is - of giving, serving, and loving on one another in such a way that it's not a surprise when one friend meets the needs of another. Witnessing this kind of selfless love in the past months has been the most amazing blessing, and such an indescribably beautiful picture of the love that Christ has so freely given us. What have we done to deserve His grace? Nothing. What can we ever do to earn it or repay Him? Nothing. What does He expect in return? Nothing. All He wants is our hearts, our love, our joy, our good. To hold us to Himself for eternity - to give us mercy, not wrath. And He willingly chose the path of suffering, in order to hold me close - me. Imperfect, flawed, prideful, sinful me. That blows me away!

And yet...it's not about me.

This life that I'm living, I keep trying to earn His favor, to give back the grace He so freely gave. When I live as if I have to do things to merit His love, I'm nullifying the cross and His free gift of life and salvation. His heart rejoices in my obedience, but my spiritual salvation is not dependent upon it. And that's exactly what He's showing me - it's not about me. It's not about what I can do, what giftings and skills I have, what tasks I can do, what sacrifices I can make. This is about what God can do. He does not need me to wield my tools upon His altar, He does not need me to "save" anyone. In fact, I probably do more harm than good. Yet He invites me in, to be a witness to what Great things HE can do. He does not need me to cut or embellish the stones of His altar - but maybe He will let me stack them a little.

It's not about me. It's about God, His Kingdom, and what He can do.

As a friend said, "Nothing is too big. He has a purpose for you. Let Him lead."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V0rgrt1nTM

Prayer for Boldness

Ephesians 6:10-13 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."

Romans 12:11 "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."

Psalm 37:3,5 "Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act."

Isaiah 54:4 "Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;

be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;

for you will forget the shame of your youth,

and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more."

http://esv.scripturetext.com/isaiah/54.htm

Matthew 10:26-28 "“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matt+10%3A26-33

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?"

http://esv.scripturetext.com/psalms/27.htm

Psalm 73:25 "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."

International Justice Mission - Benefits - 2011 Dallas Benefit Dinner

International Justice Mission - Benefits - 2011 Dallas Benefit Dinner

se-curity

"Deep and lasting security, resilient hope, and sturdy rest of heart and mind can only be found vertically. You will only know the rest for which you seek when you begin to embrace the astounding reality of who you are as a child of God. If you are God's child, you are the object of the love of the Person who rules everything that there is to rule.

It's fundamentally impossible to be in a situation, location, or relationship where He is not present. It's impossible for anything or anyone to be more powerful than Him. It's impossible for anything or anyone to be wiser than Him. It's impossible for what He desires and has chosen and planned not to come to be. He rules every microbe of physical and spiritual creation. There is no rule of law that stands above Him. There is no one to whom He must answer. He is perfect in every way, existing entirely without flaw of will or character. He is the beginning and epicenter of everything that's good, loving, wise, and true. He never forgets, and He never fails to deliver on any of His promises. And Scripture says that He exercises His rule for the sake of His body, the church. (Eph. 2:22-23)

You are secure not because you have control or understanding. You are secure for one reason and one reason alone: God exists and He is your Father. He will never leave your side. He will never fail to provide. He will make good on everything He has promised. And He has the power to do so. He is Lord."

~Paul David Tripp (A Shelter in the Time of Storm)

snippet o' the day

"I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land." ~Exodus 23:29-30

Exodus is quickly becoming a huge favorite of mine. I used to just think of it as a history/stories, right now God is revealing so much to me through the Israelites' journey & struggles - about His character, about our/my sinful, foolish nature, about how tender and how detailed God is in caring for us, that He outlines details, specifications, rules & stipulations, because even though He is the giant Creator-God of the universe, He cares about the condition of our hearts at every moment! That's huge.

Today the Holy Spirit wowed me with these two little verses - God is going to drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites to give His people the promised land. But He's not going to do it all at once, all in one fell swoop - because even though God Himself can do anything, His people are mortal, tiny, weak, far from all-powerful. So He chooses to work in a way that is best for His people; purging the enemies of God little by little, growing His children stronger and more faithful, little by little, until they can handle stewarding well the entire breadth of the promised land.

I am weak. small. sinful. frail. God knows this, He knows how much I can handle. Though my sins have already been forgiven & justified once for all by His blood, death, & sacrifice, I have not become holy, perfect, & flawless overnight; I am still a fleshly mortal living in a broken, fallen world. Because this world does not need a bunch of perfect people walking around, it needs lovers of God who are struggling well and learning to do life based on God's agenda & timing. He's working out all things in countless interwoven details and in even the most minute circumstances. Our human minds are just so limited in scope that we can't see how or what He's working - we can't even see what's behind our backs or what will happen to us in the next hour. He sees all of time, every person's story, and how they are all woven together in the most beautiful, intricate, delicate pattern!

He is working on us, each of us, day by day, little by little, with just exactly the right amount of what we can handle.

O blessed thought! He cares so much for us!

More on how God gives each of us just enough each day:

Exodus 16 (16-18)

Matthew 6:25-34

verse 34: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

"He may delay because it would not be safe to give us at once what we ask: we are not ready for it. To give ere we could truly receive, would be to destroy the very heart and hope of prayer, to cease to be our Father. The delay itself may work to bring us nearer to our help, to increase the desire, perfect the prayer, and ripen the receptive condition." ~George MacDonald

patience

"I called him, but he gave no answer." ~Song of Solomon 5:6

Prayer sometimes lingers, like a petitioner at the gate, until the King comes with the blessings that she seeks. The Lord, when He as given great faith, has been known to test it by long delays. He has allowed His servants' voices to echo in their ears as if the heavens were brass. They have knocked at the golden gate, but it has remained immovable, as though it were rusted upon its hinges. Like Jeremiah, they have cried, "You have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through." In this manner true saints have continued to wait patiently without a reply, not because their prayers were not strong, nor because they were unaccepted, but because it so pleased Him who is Sovereign and who gives according to His own pleasure. If it pleases Him to test our patience, shall He not do as He wishes with His children? Beggars must not be choosers either as to time, place, or form. But we must be careful not to take delays in prayer for denials. God's postdated checks will be punctually honored; we must not allow Satan to shake our confidence in the God of truth by pointing to our unanswered prayers - they are not blown away by the wind; they are treasured in the King's archives. This is a registry in the court of heaven in which every prayer is recorded. Struggling believer, your Lord has as it were a tear-bottle in which the costly drops of your sacred grief are put away, and a book in which your holy groanings are numbered. By-and-by your case shall prevail. Can you not be content to wait a little? Will the Lord's time not be better than yours? By-and-by He will comfortably appear, to your soul's joy, and will cause you to put away the sackcloth and ashes of long waiting and put on the scarlet and fine linen of full fruition.

~C.H. Spurgeon

"Morning and Evening"

March 29 Eve

I just love it when God brings me EXACTLY what I need to hear or read, in the most incredible timing! He is so good and so faithful!

from Psalm 37

"Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;"

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord,

when he delights in his way;

though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,

for the Lord upholds his hand."

"Turn away from evil and do good;

so shall you dwell forever.

For the Lord loves justice;

he will not forsake his saints.

They are preserved forever,"

"The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

The law of his God is in his heart;

his steps do not slip."

"Wait for the Lord and keep his way,

and he will exalt you to inherit the land;

you will look on when the wicked are cut off."

"The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;

he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

The Lord helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him."

it's me!!

http://vimeo.com/20898358

via brilliant photographer & cinematographer Sam D. Ramsey

sword piercings

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord then to trust in man." ~Psalm 118:8

No doubt the reader has been tempted to rely upon the things that are seen instead of resting alone upon the invisible God. Christians often look to man for help and advice, and so spoil the noble simplicity of their reliance upon God. Does this evening's passage meet the eye of a child to God who is filled with anxiety? Then let us reason with you. You trust in Jesus, and only in Jesus, for your salvation; then why are you troubled? "Because of my great care." Is it not written, "Cast your burden upon the Lord"? "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Can you trust God for your physical needs? "Ah! I wish I could." If you cannot trust God with the physical, how dare you trust Him with the spiritual? Can you trust Him for your soul's redemption, and yet not rely upon Him for a few lesser mercies? Is not God enough for your need, or is His all-sufficiency too narrow for your wants? Do you need another to watch for you when you have Him who sees every secret thing? Is His heart faint? Is His arm weary? If so, seek another God; but if He is infinite, omnipotent, faithful, true, and all-wise, why do you run around seeking another confidence? Why do you scour the earth to find another foundation when this is strong enough to bear all the weight that you can ever build on it? Christian, do not mix your wine with water; do not tarnish the gold of faith with the dross of human confidence. Wait only upon God, and let your expectation be from Him. Do not covet Jonah's gourd but rest in Jonah's God. Let the sandy, shaky foundations be the choice of fools; but you, like one who sees the approaching storm, build for yourself an abiding place upon the Rock of Ages.

"Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God." ~Acts 14:22

God's people have their trials. It was never God's plan, when He chose His people, that they should be untested. They were chosen in the furnace of affliction; they were never chosen for worldly peace and earthly joy. Freedom from sickness and the pains of mortality was never promised to them; but when their Lord drew up the charter of privileges, He included chastisements among the things to which they should inevitably be heirs. Trials are a part of our experience; they were predestinated for us in Christ's last legacy. As surely as the stars are fashioned by His hands, and their orbits fixed by Him, so surely are our trials allotted to us. He has ordained their season and their place, their intensity and the effect they shall have upon us. Good men must never expect to escape troubles; if they do, they will be disappointed, for none of their predecessors have been without them. Consider the patience of Job; remember Abraham, for he had his trials, and facing them with faith, he became the father of the faithful. Review the biographies of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and you will find that each of those whom God made vessels of mercy were made to pass through the fire of affliction. God has ordained that the cross of trouble should be engraved on every vessel of mercy, as the royal insignia distinguishing the King's vessels of honor. But even though tribulation is the path of God's children, they have the comfort of knowing that their Master has walked if before them. They have His presence and sympathy to cheer them, His grace to support them, and His example to teach them how to endure; and when they reach "the kingdom," it will more than make amends for the "many tribulations" through which they passed to enter it.

~Charles H. Spurgeon, "Morning and Evening"

March 7 evening, March 8 morning

(revised & updated version by Alistair Begg)

Amazing Websites!

Check these out if you get a chance! Lots of cool products that go towards great causes!

For the Silent: http://www.forthesilent.org/

-eradication of child sex trafficking



IJM

http://www.ijm.org/



Invisible Children

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/



Mumbai - pj pants -International Princess Project http://www.onthegoodroad.com/non-profit/international-princess-project

Thailand - jewelry making http://www.onthegoodroad.com/people/international-sanctuary

Uganda - beads, necklaces http://www.onthegoodroad.com/people/light-gives-heat

Canadian artists http://www.onthegoodroad.com/non-profit/canadian-artists-for-the-poor

Momentum http://www.onthegoodroad.com/people/its-just-fair



designer Abi Ferrin http://www.abiferrin.com/



call+response http://www.onthegoodroad.com/non-profit/call-response



greenola - Bolivia http://www.greenolastyle.com/default.aspx



resore NYC - bags from t-shirts http://www.restorenyc.org/

hello rewind http://hellorewind.com/



www.madebysurvivors.com



soaphope - Dallas http://store.soaphope.com/



Love 146 - http://love146.org/



Beloveds - http://www.beloveds.net/



both hands - http://bothhandsfoundation.org/

worship

God uses worship in so many ways in our lives. It can be a time of self-examination and heart conviction, a time for calling us to specific instructions, a sweet time of peaceful rest, or a joyful time of grateful praise and adoration!



"Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God." ~Job 37:14



God is simply amazing, isn't He?? Besides of course, creating the entire universe and perfectly designing our intricate lives and minds and orchestrating even the tiniest events and meetings, He fulfills His promises - ALL of them! He can, and He will, bring 100% restoration and healing!



"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit." ~Psalm 34:18



"I will restore to you the years

that the swarming locust has eaten,

the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,

my great army, which I sent among you.



You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

and praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has dealt wondrously with you." ~Joel 2:25-26



It's one thing to hear about God's saving redemptive miraculous grace and healing, it's quite another to experience it yourself! As Jesus said "I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:47) When we realize the depth of the depravity of our sin and how much we have been forgiven, we cannot help but be grateful! Praise God, praise His name! He has used this past year to discipline me, sanctify me, and draw me nearer and nearer to His heart! I never want to stop striving for Him or be distracted from Him ever again!



Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and All that is within me, Bless His holy name!



Thanks friends, for standing by me, and for encouraging me to seek only God for restoration and healing!

He is SO good to me!



<3

the perfect late afternoon walk.

a large smattering of speckled white clouds are splashed across a pure cerulean blue backdrop of sky that fades gently into wisps of amber.


the faint scent of cedar wafts by as I pass through the bits of cultivated wilderness that is my neighbor's front yard.


the cool chill of winter tinges my cheeks and arms in a way that is refreshing, not harsh.


the gentle strains of acoustic worship music sings in my ears.


I am overwhelmed by the peace and joy that washes over me as I witness the tiniest speck of God's beauty and glory.

what depths unimaginable the joy and beauty yet to be tasted of in the kingdom to come!


oh, to be nearer and dearer to Him who saves and renews me daily!

He satisfies my soul in a way that makes me hunger and long for more.


perfect peace.

joy complete.