Take My Life

Taking away our focus/trust in ourselves and in our own thoughts and putting that focus/trust in God.
(Inspired by Luke 18:9-14.)

I have to say, I love the lyrics to hymns. These hymnal writers were so inspired by God and His love that they penned such heartfelt lyrics of praises to God, of sacrifice, and of self-denunciation. Some hymns that I have sung many times before take on a deeper meaning when I simply pay attention to the lyrics.

Not only do I appreciate hymns for their substance, but also for these writers who used their talents to bring honor to God and allowed God to use them to reach others.

We may say to ourselves, “Well of course they used their talents for God. Why wouldn’t they? Don’t all Christians want to do that?”

But it is so easy to be satisfied with ourselves and our talents and skills that we forget to use them for God. We take our eyes off of Him and only begin to focus on how far we can get in this life (how much money we can make, how many subscribers or followers we can get, how we can advance in our careers, etc).

So even though we may say we want to use our talents for God, many of us find ourselves not doing that.

The world is filled with people putting the focus on themselves and wanting everything to go their way all the time.

And it gets so annoying.

Selfishness is so easy to get wrapped up in.

A lot of us find it so easy to think we are better than anyone and everyone else. Or that our needs take priority over others’ needs. Or that our talents are better than theirs.

A lot of us spend so much time focusing on ourselves and our own gains in life.

And this may actually happen quite a bit, maybe even more than many of us would like to admit.

But not one of us is better than anyone else.

And there is so much more to focus on than just ourselves.

There is only one true Being who can be called good, and He came down from heaven to help us and save us and guide us and love us.

Wow. And we have the nerve to make everything about ourselves?

I get tired of seeing selfishness in myself. I get tired of seeing selfishness in others.

But boy, when we think about Jesus and turn our eyes upon Him, the less we feel like exalting ourselves and the more we truly want to use all of our talents to bring others to Him.

Now on to the next part of this post: Trusting God with every aspect of our lives.

Lately the topic of trusting God (or feeling like there’s a lack of trust in God) has been brought up in some of my discussion circles. People are afraid. And because they are afraid, they let fear control their decisions, their actions, and their words.

And because they are afraid and are controlled by that fear, they feel they are not fully trusting in God.

Someone in one of these discussion groups mentioned how important it is to take certain risks in order to grow spiritually.

This made me think of how many of us may have been (or are) holding back something from God because we were (or are) too afraid of taking these necessary risks.

We are too afraid of external circumstances, or the “what ifs.”

What would happen if we just trusted God? Not in a presumptuous way, but in a truly faithful and consecrated way. In a “God, I really want to grow in my walk with You. I want to be used by You to show others Your love. I want to trust You through every season in my life,” kind of way.

What would happen if we took those risks, or stopped holding back, or stopped worrying or being afraid all of the time?

I love the lyrics to this hymn by Frances Ridley Havergal:

1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

Let us be willing to say, “Lord, take my life. In whatever way that may be, take it. Take our lives, our hands, our talents, and let them be for You.”

Stay blessed and until next,

Come all ye faithful

Being faithful to God because He is faithful to us

Reading through Acts 16, I noticed how it is full to the brim with examples of faith.

How faithful Paul was to heed God’s call to go to Macedonia. How faithful Paul and Silas were in going out to pray on the Sabbath, where they met a woman who later became baptized. How faithful they were when they were imprisoned for doing God’s work, still singing praises to God and praying. How faithful they were when they did not escape from prison and helped save yet another soul (the jailor) and brought him (and his household) to Christ.

And God was faithful to them by releasing them from prison and reuniting them with their brethren.

Such incredible faith!

And how faithful God is to His people! Even through incredibly trying hours for Noah, Lot, Joseph, Elijah, Daniel, Paul and Silas… God helped them through it all. They were faithful to Him amidst their turmoils, and He was faithful to them.

How important then is it for us to remember to be faithful to God because He made a promise to always be faithful to us.

And what does that mean, being faithful?

Is there a role we have to play, a side we have to take?

There are so many beliefs, false teachings, erroneous thoughts on who God is and what He expects of and from us…

With all of that, it becomes difficult to stand up and take a side.

But we must remember to hold onto what His words says, and be faithful to it, be faithful to Him.

Let us remember to ask for the Holy Spirit, our Helper and Comforter, to show us the way. He will be faithful and lead us to all truth (John 16:13).

Christ gave us the ultimate example of faith. He gave us the ultimate example of honor and obedience. He IS the Truth (John 14:6).

Let us remember who God is, and what God’s word says.

And let us also be faithful.

In Sight of Sin

Sometimes I forget.

I forget the type of person I used to be.

But other times, I remember. I remember it well.

And for those moments when I do remember, those moments when things I’ve done or used to do replay before me, I cringe. I cringe in horror. I shudder in shame. I shrink back in disgust.

That person…was me?

Sometimes when we let ourselves be consumed by whatever we feel at the moment or let ourselves be molded by what surrounds us, we become something we never thought we would ever become.

By beholding, I became.

Sometimes I feel that person still inside me. My sins spread out before me like fresh blood on a white rug. They are all there. Thankfully they aren’t displayed for everyone else to see.

But I want to say this: Something I have to consistently remember is even though I may have done those things or were part of a certain lifestyle in the past, choosing to follow Christ is what helps me keep those doors closed.

I have chosen to leave it behind.

It’s all a choice.

Anyone who chooses to follow Christ is a new creation; old things have passed away; all things have become new ( 2 Corinthians 5:17).

New.

If I were the same person I used to be, I wouldn’t be transformed. Dare I say, I wouldn’t even be a Christian. What would be the point?

Once we make a commitment to Christ, we are called to put off the old man and be renewed (Ephesians 4: 22-23), to be light bearers in a darkened world. To show there’s hope amidst what seems hopeless.

Christians hear and say this all the time, that God has an unconditional and inconceivable love for us. And He does. That love is there no matter where we are in our lives. He doesn’t love me any more or any less than he loves you.

We experience that love when we let Him into our lives. It must be an individual experience. I can sit here all day writing about God’s love and how He has changed my life. Though that can be helpful, only you can understand it fully when you experience it yourself.

Some more wonderful news is that God works in us to do good things, to change us the way we need and want to be changed.

The repercussions of my past actions are scars on my heart.

But I surrendered that part of me. And I have changed and will continue to change.

That’s the power of God.

People can say that the only reason I am different now is that I was driven to be different, and therefore can attribute those changes to the power I have within myself.

Oh boy, I can write another post about how false that is.

I don’t have that kind of power.

I do know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I can overcome my propensities, practices, and habits that I know are dragging me down.

Every habit or practice that leads into sin and brings dishonor upon Christ must be put away, whatever the sacrifice.” -Acts of the Apostles, 312

When I made the decision to follow God (because I was so unhappy, broken, and miserable even though I was living with total “freedom”), there were some things I knew I needed to change. There were heartbreaking sacrfices I made. I questioned if the sacrifices were worth it and if it was even the right thing to do.

Was it worth it? I don’t even think I have to answer that. But I will. Yes.

So when I am burdened and stand in sight of my sins, I remember how faithful God is. I find hope in the promise that Christ will perfect our faith, perfect our characters. If we choose to serve God and let Him lead us, He will not lead us astray.

Triumph.

Until next,

Yes, I have loved you

How is everyone doing on this fine night? Well, it’s nighttime where I live in sunny SoCal. Maybe it’s morning where you are, or maybe it’s afternoon. Either way, thanks for being here.

So I’ve been thinking about how sometimes I get really caught up in being perfect in my walk with God that I skim over what drew me to Him in the first place.

Love.

I don’t say that lightly or even as a cliché Christian catchphrase. It really was and is and will always be His love.

I’ve realized that maybe one reason people don’t like the idea of God, or any single infinite being, is that they think about some tyrant in the sky who has no other interest other than making people afraid, condemning people to death, and watching them suffer on earth.

Because that’s what they hear, isn’t it?

Or they hear that all is love, love, love, love that the term starts sounding like an overplayed tune. Or how I like to say it, a flavorless and over-chewed piece of gum.

Except here’s the thing. When I reflect on texts like Jeremiah 31:3 and Hosea 11:4, I can’t help but feel peace about the choice I’ve made in believing in and following God.

It was love that drew me to Him. Not the promise of immortality or someday walking on streets of gold, but love. The love He has for everyone. Everyone. Not just Christians, not just me, but everyone.

And it’s only when I started to listen to His call on my heart that I began to see and accept His love for me.

You know, if I had to condense my conversion in one paragraph, it would be this:

I was doing everything and anything I wanted to do in my life. I lived purely for pleasure. And it felt good…for the moment. Deep down I was miserable. I needed something more, and I knew it. It was only by choosing to attend Bible studies and choosing to let God into my life that I started to feel meaning and purpose. I started to feel less and less empty.

And I want to share that joy with others, with you.

I can’t tell you how your experience will be. I can’t guess what your experience has been. But I do know that becoming a Christian does not happen overnight. It’s a process of learning, of growing, of accepting.

It starts with one choice.

Even though the struggle of temptations is very real, I could never go back to my old life. Never.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love…with lovingkindness I have drawn you…”

It is that lovingkindness, that deep tenderness and consideration, that keeps me tied to God.

It’s what keeps me tied to my choices. Even when they go against the popular scientific belief of the non-existence of God. Even when I chose to follow something I know is right when everyone else tells me I’m wrong.

And I pray that it is that love that always will keep me tied to Him. For me, for you, for all of us.

Remember, it starts with a choice.

Until next,

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Troubled Hearts

How to find peace when our hearts are at war

Howdy day everyone! Boy, it feels good to be back on the blog! It’s felt like an eternity, though really it’s only been a few weeks.

Anyway, today I want to talk about these two P’s I keep stumbling upon in the Bible (bear with me non-believers.)

Persecution and peace.

As Christ’s followers, His disciples, we are to expect persecution. Namely, being hated, ridiculed, even killed for our faith and for standing up for truth. But why is it that no one in Christian circles really talks about that? John 14, John 16, James, 1 Peter are just a few places where persecution is mentioned. Those living now are not exempt from that. We in America may not deal with being killed for our faith just yet, but one thing is for certain: if we are living the way a Christian is supposed to live, we will experience persecution in some form.

So what is Christian living?

And as people who believe in the second coming of Christ, why does it seem like we really don’t believe He’s coming soon? If we did, wouldn’t our lives be different? Wouldn’t we be concerned with witnessing, with getting rid of sin in our lives, of making changes we need to make, of finding out truth from error?

There are so many bonkers beliefs out there amongst Christians. That’s why there are so many churches. So how do we know what’s true?

“Give me the Bible, holy message shining, Thy light shall guide me in the narrow way.”

That’s how we discover truth. By studying the book we believe is inspired by God. That is the only way to find true peace. I’ve really been struggling with certain teachings that are out there, and it took so long for me to realize I need to study God’s word for myself and not just take what people say as truth or hold onto any preconceived notions.

Knowledge is power, right?

So even amidst persecution, there is hope! That hope is found throughout the Bible. John 14 is a beautiful chapter on hope and promise. So even though we are to expect persecution, Jesus tells us not to be afraid, to not let our hearts be troubled.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 NKJV

How easy is it for me to let my heart be troubled! I feel like I’m troubled all the time. And I’m especially troubled whenever I hear or read about persecution. I get scared, discouraged, and even angry.

With all that trouble in my heart and countenance, what kind of example am I setting for others, for you?

How do I find peace amidst all the confusion and internal struggles?

Here’s something I found especially meaningful from a book called In Heavenly Places.

The Saviour’s life on this earth, though lived in the midst of conflict, was a life of peace…. No storm of satanic wrath could disturb the calm of that perfect communion with God. And He says to us, “My peace I give unto you.”

He left [the disciples] the peace which had been His during His life on the earth, which had been with Him amid poverty, buffeting, and persecution…Those who take Christ at His word and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest. The Lord says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).

It is the love of self that destroys our peace. While self is alive we stand ready continually to guard it from mortification and insult; but when self is dead, and our life hid with Christ in God, we shall not take neglects or slights to heart….

When we receive Christ into the soul as an abiding guest, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, will keep our hearts and minds. There is no other ground of peace than this. The grace of Christ, received into the heart, subdues enmity; it allays strife and fills the soul with love. He who is at peace with God and his fellow men cannot be made miserable…. The heart that is in harmony with God is a partaker of the peace of heaven and will diffuse its blessed influence all around. In Heavenly Places, 249

There are so many things unanswered, so much confusion to sift through. There are also so many truths to discover in God’s Word, truths that are waiting to be discovered if we only took the time to study and remove any preconceived ideas and misguided traditions of men. But as we delve into discovering those truths, we can rest assured that peace is given to us.

Seven Days of Blessings: Days 5, 6, and 7

Day 5: Employment

All I can say about this one is thank God I am not sitting at a desk in an office somewhere right now. Kuddos and mad props to all you out there who are doing that, but that kind of job is just not for me. And at this point in my life I have come to accept that THAT IS OKAY. I may be but a nanny, but a nanny I’ll be if that’s what God wants for me. And I love it. It gives me a job, a purpose, a motive, a drive. I gain knowledge and experience and above all, happiness.

Day 6: Generosity

I looked around at all our household items in our place and realized nearly everything was given to us either as a gift or just by fine generosity. I can’t believe how blessed we are. My prayer and goal is for me to be this generous to others, no matter what.

Day 7: Like Minds

Having a group of people as friends and fellow believers is something money can’t buy. I love having conversations with people who just GET IT. No filtering, no explaining, just real and open conversations. It truly is a breath of fresh air.

Seven Days of Blessings: Day 4

Day 4: Encouragement

I listened to a podcast this afternoon that talked about that nasty old thing called rejection, and how to deal with said rejection. It was encouraging to hear that I’m not the only one dealing with these bitter feelings, not the only one bothered at always being that last choice for dodgeball. Okay I don’t play dodgeball, but you get the point.

One of the things the podcaster also mentioned was how God never leaves anyone out, how He is always there.

There are so many biblical texts with God’s promises of encouragement that all I have to do is look them up in a concordance. I’m grateful that those texts are there, that God really is there for me. But even more than just looking them up, I actually have to believe and apply them to my life.

What do these texts mean to me? How can they apply to x, y, z situations?

Something else the podcaster mentioned: Dealing with social rejection might lead to developing new friendships, and friendship is another blessing I want to talk about.

In the last few months, I have really connected with a few young women in ways I haven’t connected with any other females in a long while. I can be myself with them, I am comfortable with them, I am encouraged by them. I am open and honest and I genuinely love their company. I can be 100% me, and I love that.

God has truly blessed me with His promises and with these young women.

Seven Days of Blessings: Day 3

Day 3: Transformation

Today I am grateful for quite a number of things: The honey bee my little charge (the child I nanny) and I examined on our walk today, the fact I can use all of my limbs to exercise, the breakfast and dinner I ate, the health and safety of my husband.

But even deeper than that, I’m grateful for who I am and where I am in my life so far.

Specifically, where God has brought me. I know I have yet to share my full testimony, but it is only through God that I am where I am today.

If I lived my life the way I had been in my teen and early twenty years, I’d probably be in a deep mess right now.

It is only through and with God I am overcoming my struggles.

Struggles I’d give in to if it weren’t for His transforming power in my life.

All I can say is, thank you Lord, thank you.

Seven Days of Blessings

Hello friends!

Last year a friend of mine gave me a little journal in which I write the highlight of each day for the next three years. I absolutely love this journal, and can’t believe I’m already reading entries from last year. Appropriate timing, because two days ago I challenged my students to write down seven things God has blessed them with and write one on each day of this week. They are to share whatever blessing they wrote on that particular day with another person. I decided to take on that challenge as well, sharing with my blogging community.

With that being said, I’ll be posting every day this week. Today I will share two blessings: Sunday and Monday, since I didn’t post anything Sunday.

Sunday’s blessing: The rain

I don’t even need to say how glad I am for this. California has been plagued by drought and wildfires. And the thunder is just so awesome to hear, despite the fact that it was so loud it woke me up :p Nature is incredible!

And even as something as simple as the leaves falling around me and my mom as we walked together is something that highlights my day.

Monday’s blessing: Rain and my mother

Another day of rain. Again, I am awe struck by the sound of thunder.

My mom recently moved from Texas to California and has been staying with me and my husband. She has been so helpful with everything (literally, everything) I can’t even express all my love and gratitude. God has truly blessed me with wonderful parents and wonderful in-laws. I can only thank Him for that.

If What I Have Is Everything, Why Do I Want More?

I used to listen to a certain album a lot back in 2008, and one particular song’s lyrics reminds me of the emotions and internal struggles I felt back then.

The lyrics to the song are: If what I have is everything, why do I want more?

I remember posting those lyrics as a Facebook status one day. Someone asked me what it meant.

Oh it’s just from a song, I replied.

But to everyone who read it, it probably screamed of deep-rooted unhappiness they felt I was hiding.

And boy, I was hiding it. Though I didn’t really accept it at the time.

Who really wants to admit they’re not happy living their life of pleasure?

But I was unhappy. Of course, at the time I’m thinking, “Heck yeah I’m happy. I’m doing what I want and living the life I want.”

I was a little reckless. I did what felt good in the moment. The spark of rebellion was lit at fifteen, and I thought I’d never want to turn away from that partying life I chose. (Cue the “Pleasure Island” song from Geppetto lol).

But then the unhappiness hit. I’d cry. I’d doubt. I’d sit in my room after some thrilling thing I did and think (but never express out loud) “What’s wrong with me? I have everything, and I’m doing everything I want. Yet I feel like something is missing. Like I’m incomplete.”

That cycle continued until I was about 21 years old. It was then when I knew what I was missing. I didn’t have God in my life. And He was tugging at my heartstrings. (Thank God for my praying sister and mother!) That’s when I knew I had to start listening to that tug.

So I started receiving Bible studies. I started attending church. I made changes. I stopped hanging out with certain people, stopped doing certain things.

But my journey was a rollercoaster, of course. I was faced with all kinds of temptations, going back and forth between my old life and my new life.

I had to ask myself: What am I doing? If I am going to commit to God, I need to stop with this back-and-forth nonsense.

And friends, God is good. He has called me out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. He filled that void I had in my heart and in my life. He helps me get through struggles when I’m tempted and fills me with hope when I’m hopeless.

I didn’t have that before.

And I could never go back to my old lifestyle again.

Never!! Because if I did, I’d be choosing gross fast food over a gourmet four-course meal!

I didn’t have everything I wanted before because I didn’t have Him. And I wanted more out of life. But nothing this world as to offer will ever be good enough.

Nothing.

We miss so much of what God has to offer because we think He is cruel/doesn’t exist/is for stupid, uneducated people.

I can’t convince you. It’s not my job to convince you. But it is my job to share Christ and to share His love and light, to share what He has done for me.

Look up and trust, friends.

Until next,