Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Love and Approval

Posted on by under Relationships & Love

We seem to have formed this strategy of withholding love in order to change people. Giving it to them only when we approve. A sort of positive reinforcement.

But this is not how God loves. God never withholds love in order to teach us a lesson. And God’s love is the single most powerful change agent on the planet.

Despite what we may believe, it’s not our responsibility to change someone. It’s God’s. Our only job is to communicate love and approval. And if we really want someone to change, we ought to be showering them with both.

Wonder

Posted on by under Christian Spirituality

When I think about the Universe, how scientists haven’t found the edge of it, how nobody knows exactly where we are on the map…

planets-earth-girl-bubbles

I think how there are really only two human responses to such beautiful mystery- terror and awe.

God tells us that fear is the appropriate response, that it is the beginning of all wisdom. Yet, I think too much of our time is spent trying to dissect God, to understand Him (so that we no longer have to fear) and too little is spent allowing our hearts to simply feel awe.

It’s ironic; we deprive our hearts of wonder and yet, we need wonder. We need wonder to explain what is going to happen to us. We all know that death is coming and we need something mysterious to happen after it. We need to know that God has things figured out, even if we don’t. We need there to be Someone bigger than us who has it all under control.

Yes, I think this is our greatest worship- wonder.

The Danger of Overvaluing Independence

Posted on by under Christian Spirituality

Our culture puts too much value on independence. Reality is, to be truly independent is to be alone.

Some call this strength, but often it is laziness.

As humans, we’re designed to need each other. To believe that you can go at this world alone is like setting your soul down on a couch and never allowing it to exercise.

See, if you spend enough time alone, it soon becomes very hard to be around other people. You begin to think that the world belongs to you- that all space is your space and all time is your time.

You become so used to being able to daydream and keep yourself company, that other people are merely an intrusion. And this is terribly unhealthy.

God doesn’t want us floating through life alone, or sitting in front of our computers. He doesn’t want our lives to play out like an Independence film. He wants us interacting- laughing together, praying together, challenging each other…

If loving other people is a bit of heaven, then surely isolation is a bit of hell. While we’re on Earth, we get to decide in which state we would like to live.

Self Love Vs. God’s Love

Posted on by under Christian Spirituality

The problem is not lack of love for ourselves. The problem is lack of belief in God’s love for us.

God Doesn’t Have to Make Sense

Posted on by under Christian Spirituality

I think a lot of people aren’t Christians because they’re looking for something rational. And they believe that all things that are true are rational. But that’s not the case. Love, for example, is true but not rational. It can’t be scientifically proven, yet all of us have felt it. Same with beauty, and light… Plenty of things are true that don’t make sense. God doesn’t have to make sense to be true. God makes no more sense to me, then I would to an ant…And yet He is the only Truth I know for certain.

A Poem About How God Loves Me Through My Dog

Posted on by under Poetry

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So cute and cuddly
How I’m blessed by such a thing
A fuzzy ball of fur and joy
Who gives me cause to sing
A funny little love bug
Who stares at me for clues
Yet in his eyes, I see No Thing
‘Cause in his eyes, is You.

Posted on by under Quotes

Cover your sin and God will expose you. Expose your sin and God will cover it for you.

Conversation with God: Why do you do what you do?

Posted on by under Conversations with God

Silhouette of man and cross at sunset.

God said, “Let me ask you something. Why do you do what you do? For what?

To be someone? You are the Chosen Child of the Creator of the Universe. (1 Peter 2:9)

To be recognized? Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. (Jeremiah 1:5)

For approval? Praise? You have all of that in Me. (Zephaniah 3:17)

I am inviting you, Child, to rest in Me, where Time is Limitless, Grace is infinite, and my Love is greater still.”

Conversation with God on Time

Posted on by under Conversations with God

SlaveToTimeFinal2 Last night God asked me, “Why do you behave as though time is your master and you its slave? Worrying about when you will do this or finish that. Did I not create the sun to rise and the night to fall?

Indeed, I created time for you. Not the other way around. Time is precious if you use it wisely, but worthless if you let it use you. To know your days are numbered is wise, but to idolize your time is foolish.

So I ask of you, Child, as you go about your daily duties, will you remember me? Will you seek solace in my presence which transcends time? Better still, will you place your time in My Hands, so that My Good and Perfect Will may be done?”

 

An Amazing Story of Facebook and God Colliding

Posted on by under Personal Life Reflections

This past weekend, I received an amazing message from my 10th grade History teacher. I hadn’t spoken to him in almost ten years when he reached out to me on Facebook this past weekend. See his message below.

I remember years ago, being in his class and feeling called to write him a note of encouragement. I never heard from him about the note that year, so I assumed it didn’t mean much to him and frankly, as time went on, I forgot about it. Little did I know, God had plans for this note that were far greater than I could have hoped at the time.

This is an amazing testimony to why we must answer God’s calling at the moment we hear it, whether or not we can foresee any positive results. His timing is perfect!

facebook message

Here was my response…

facebook response