News That Turns You Upside Down… or Not

I started a new journey this past month.

A journey that would take an ordinary day with an ordinary girl and be used in an extraordinary way. Praise God.

If I have learned anything about his whole adventure so far, it is the fact that God must receive all the praise in all circumstances. On this Earth, we are called to glorify Him through our words, actions, and thoughts.

We are human.

We are selfish people.

It is the last thing within us to give glory to someone else, yet that is the very thing that we must humble ourselves to. “God’s purpose in this was that we should praise God and give glory to him for doing these mighty things for us, who were the first to trust in Christ.” Galatians 1:12 (TLB)

I did not know the outcome of the news I would hear this past month. I did not know whether the tumor would be benign or not (Praise God I did find out it was BENIGN), but I did know one thing… that I serve an amazing heavenly Father. He is comforting. He is peace. He is constant. He is always there for me and is always there for YOU. There is no reason to question, doubt, or even worry. He wants to hold on to all of that for you. You must allow him to do so. Why fill yourself with tomorrow’s worry? Why hold on to the negative when we are given so much more than that on this planet? There are far greater things to embrace. Choose to hold onto those.

This was a prayer that I continued to pray before I heard the great outcome… these words are still words I continue to try and live out daily.

“Lord, you know my heart. No matter what happens in all of this and the days to come, may you receive all the glory and praise through EVERYTHING. For even in the moments of difficulty, I pray that YOU may be lifted high. May others come to know you through all of this. May you be able to continue to whisper your desires for my heart so that I may be able to serve you more and more abundantly each day.”

Rise Up

Ephesians 5:2-14

New Living Translation (NLT)

² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us^[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

³ Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. ⁴ Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. ⁵ You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

⁶ Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. ⁷ Don’t participate in the things these people do. ⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! ⁹ For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

¹⁰ Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. ¹³ But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, ¹⁴ for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    rise up from the dead,
    and Christ will give you light.”

And we MUST rise up.

God has a way speaking to us in many different ways. Sometimes this may include being stopped at a red light and all of a sudden you are given this incredible idea! …But then can not find where you set that pen down to jot that idea down before your 30 seconds at the light is over. For me, this often occurs in two places that are not always the most practical.

1. I am just about to fall asleep and then BOOM, an idea comes to my head.

2. I am in the middle of an incredible sermon at church when KAPOW, the most detailed vision pops into my head.

Ironic? No. A gift? Yes.

In these moments, you can really see the Lord’s humor come out. You didn’t think God had humor? Well, think again. He totally does. I think often times we place ourselves into situations where God just stands back and chuckles. God speaks. He gives us visions. He places us in circumstances that are NOT ironic, but a gift.

“Awake, O sleeper,
    rise up from the dead,
    and Christ will give you light.”

Wake up, O sleeper! Wow! It is as if we are being awaken from a deep sleep with a hard (non-feather) pillow. We get startled and spring right out of bed. RISE UP!

¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

I think the Lord is always speaking to us. It is our choice on whether or not we are actually listening to what He has to say or if we are making plans from our own agenda. Sometimes He tells us to just sit and BE QUIET. Other times, He says RISE UP.

If you are persistent about your walk in Christ, you will come to a point where it will become more than a friendship. It will become a relationship.

Song of Solomon 3:2-5

New Living Translation (NLT)

² So I said to myself, “I will get up and roam the city,
    searching in all its streets and squares.
I will search for the one I love.”
    So I searched everywhere but did not find him.
³ The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds,
    and I asked, “Have you seen the one I love?”

It will be in those moments where you form that deep relationship with the Lord that He will become your lover and you will be His. That voice of RISING UP will be more than a stirring notion. It will be a fierce raging storm within your heart that will wake you from sleep… Do not allow your relationship with the Lord to just get passed as a friendship. Make it a relationship that goes deeper. Allow it to become the most trustworthy relationship you could ever have.

Knowing God’s Will

There is no black and white answer to this question that is asked by people all over the world: How do I know the will of God for my life? I can not provide you with an A, B, or C for you to follow and then you have it all together. First and foremost, you must be seeking God to even begin to get an insight into His will for your life. Once you are in full discipline with Him, there are three things you can seek through Him & His scripture that may guide your direction a little more clearly…

1. Know God’s precepts
What is a precept? A precept is a commandment or direction given as a rule of action; law
What are commandments given to us through scripture?
Keep in mind these are just a few that I personally pulled out to focus on…
Old Testament: Exodus 20:3-17

Exodus 20:3-17

New Living Translation (NLT)

³ “You must not have any other god but me.

⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵ You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶ But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those^[a] who love me and obey my commands.

⁷ “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

⁸ “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

¹² “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ “You must not murder.

¹⁴ “You must not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You must not steal.

¹⁶ “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”
New Testament: Mark 12:30-31

Mark 12:30-31

New Living Translation (NLT)

³⁰ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’^{[a] 31} The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b] No other commandment is greater than these.”
Is what you are seeking in your life or what you think God is leading to you follow along these precepts?

2. Know God’s principles
What are principles? A principle is an accepted or professed rule of action or conduct
Old Testament: Proverbs 4:24

Proverbs 4:23

New Living Translation (NLT)

²³ Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

New Testament: Colossians 3:23 & 1 Corinthians 10:31

Colossians 3:23

New Living Translation (NLT)

²³ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

1 Corinthians 10:31

New Living Translation (NLT)

³¹ So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

So what really is the difference between precepts & principles?
Principles are primary truths.
Precepts are commandments. (These are black & white concrete answers/results)

3. Gain God’s wisdom
What is wisdom? Wisdom is knowledge of what is right or true coupled with just judgement as to action
Old Testament: Proverbs 2:2-9
New Testament: Ephesians 1:15-18

Proverbs 2:2-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

² Tune your ears to wisdom,
    and concentrate on understanding.
³ Cry out for insight,
    and ask for understanding.
⁴ Search for them as you would for silver;
    seek them like hidden treasures.
⁵ Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
    and you will gain knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord grants wisdom!
    From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
    He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
⁸ He guards the paths of the just
    and protects those who are faithful to him.

⁹ Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
    and you will find the right way to go.

Ephesians 1:15-19

New Living Translation (NLT)

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

¹⁵ Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,^{[a] 16} I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, ¹⁷ asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom^[b] and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. ¹⁸ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.^[c]

¹⁹ I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power

God’s will for YOUR life will follow these guidelines. You must make sure though… you are walking down a path that can lead you to these before you even start to break down these concepts.

What is God’s Will for Your Life?!
(Bullet points: precept, principles, & wisdom are given credit to Pastor Himaya)

Content & Loving It!

Over the past few weeks, I have truly been inspired to write more, share more, & encourage more. My heart is bursting with joy for life! The Lord has given me a new rejuvenation of life and it makes me happier and blessed to call Him my Savior. A very good friend of mine recently asked me to be a guest on her and her friend’s blog. I said yes, and was so excited for what the Lord would lay on my heart.

Here’s to bless, share, & encourage you to grow!

1.10.13

When I was first asked to write on the blog, I felt completely honored that I would have the opportunity to share my heart. What I was going to share was the thing that would take me a minute to develop. I knew deep down in my heart it needed to be exactly what the Lord would want so I waited until He gave me an answer. I knew in my heart that I could have shared about the struggles faced while going through nursing school, or the lack of trust I had for the people who were once called church leaders. I could have talked about the friends who turned against me in high school, or even the excitement of the leadership/mentoring training I got at the end of my senior year of high school. God had spoken through the ups and the downs in my life, yet the one area I did not really want to share about He has laid on my heart… the area of contentment in being single.

“Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.” – 1 Corinthians 7:17

Wow. Continue to live? Just the way the Lord has called me to live? Without a partner?

“Yes, each of you should remain as you are when God called you.” – 1 Corinthians 7:20

I have heard this time and time again… the art of being single. Follow the great apostle Paul as he walked in a life of Singleness. How was I suppose to do this? From the time we are really young we are chasing the boys, trying not to get “cooties”, and attempting to be accepted and loved by the opposite sex. It’s human nature. We are built for relationship. Yet, the one thing I desired was the one thing I could not get a hold of… the desire to be in a relationship.

You see, I am that girl who has never been on a date, the girl who has never felt pursued, the girl who has all the friends whom are married, dating, and starting to have kids. The girl who has never had a boyfriend.

I was the girl with the selfish heart that was chasing her own desires, and not GOD’s desires.

I had recently read a book called “God Loves Ugly”, and it totally rocked my perspective and changed my heart for the better. At the beginning of the book, the author asks six questions…

What do you really believe about yourself
What words have been spoken to you or about you to help form your core list of beliefs
What feelings are produced that consume you
What are your go-to coping mechanisms
What are the wounded roots that you see deep down in your heart
What do you believe God is?

I reflected on these questions for quite awhile. I started to jot down in my journal my interpretation of these questions and how I myself would answer them. I took these questions and applied them to my single life. I knew God wanted my heart to change.

“God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.” – 1 Corinthians 7:23

I knew that if I ever wanted God to have total control over this area of my life and I had to set my internal issues down before Him, and make changes in my own heart. I had always been taught how to be content in the Lord and how to be ok with my singleness, but I had never really applied it to my life.

Towards the end of the book, I read this quote and replaced the author’s name with my name to make it apply more to my situation…

“Maloree, I believe you are worthy of love. I believe your heart is worthy of holding. I believe you don’t have to be so independent anymore out of fear. You want someone to take care of you, and I believe you’re worth taking care of. I believe you can do most things on your own, but you don’t have to do them on your own anymore. I believe you’re an attractive woman. I believe you’re not just the best friend. I believe you will be married someday to someone you want to be married to. I believe someone will love you – because, Maloree, you love yourself.”

We. as christian women, have to realize something. We are worth loving. We are worth the best. We are worth more than we could ever imagine. Contentment in Singleness? Hard? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

We must let go of some of our independent spirit, and be willing to let someone in. I know many people have been HURT and maybe even a little DESTROYED. Do not let this STOP you from receiving the best. You deserve it. It is ok to give up some of our independence to allow God to control who HE wants to bring into our lives to change us for the good. We must believe we are beautiful. Even though this has become such a cliche term, we must truly believe it. Yeah, we have resolutions to lose that extra five pounds or to run our PR in the half-marathon. “When you act beautiful, people see you as someone beautiful.” You have to believe that when you are walking into a room you can exceed with beauty and grace. You can light a room up with God’s beauty! I was challenged by this quote:

“You will attract what you believe you desire.”

What do you desire?

Do you desire trash?
Do you desire a man after God’s own heart?
Do you desire someone who will love you for you?

“I desire the kind of relationship where he chases you as a treasure, fights for you as protector, and is the love of your heart.”

Contentment in singleness is NOT easy. I could go on writing how it has become the icing on the cake and I have not had one struggle since I changed my perspective. But it happens. We have to face this battle on a daily basis. The thing you have to ask yourself is how will face this battle? I have chosen to face this battle head on and believe that I AM WORTH IT. I choose to believe that God has a plan and the plan for now is to continue living the life HE has called me to which for now includes singleness.

“I want you to be free from the concerns of this life… a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.” – 1 Corinthians 7:32-35

You choose.
It is YOUR choice to see who you will allow to control your life

Now, you married ladies out there. Do not discount yourself and this little note as not being applicable to you. Go back and re-read through those questions talked about earlier. How do they apply to your life right now and in what ways can you learn to respect your husbands. Because in all honesty, you are looking for the same thing us single ladies are looking for… you are looking to be loved just as the man you are with is looking to be respected.

I will challenge you with this… both the single, dating, & married ladies…

“If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look ‘little’ or ‘big.'” -Elisabeth Elliot

When Your Prayer Journal is Almost Full

I started to squeeze the last final lines from the pastor’s sermon onto the page of my prayer journal. I am trying to squeeze as much as I can into this faded green moleskine journal. Although I do not like to use the final line on the page, I will do it anyways this time just to savor the final pages of the journal. This journal was one that had been started back when I was starting my life out as a new college graduate. I had just passed the NCLEX. God was pulling me through the valley and onto the mountain. He was faithful then. He is faithful now. With only three pages left in the journal, I reflect back on what the Lord has taught me over the past year…
July 10, 2011
To abide in Christ, you must LOOK, LISTEN, LIVE, & LEARN -Alex Himaya

November 11, 2011
You need to pray with passion & urgency. We can pray with just words, but when you pray with passion, you become intimate with God. Be persistent in your prayers. God is always preparing. During the waiting time, God is getting us ready for something great. Tell God exactly what you need in detail. Be precise. Be reflective on these verses…

Luke 18:35-39 (NLT)

³⁵ As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. ³⁶ When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. ³⁷ They told him that Jesus the Nazarene^[a] was going by. ³⁸ So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

³⁹ “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

James 4:2 (NLT)

² You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.

With all of this… do not forget to be positive. You have to expect an answer to prayer. We have to ask in Faith. You have to know the promises in scripture and believe that God will fulfill your needs.

November 23, 2011
The main issue is healing and freedom from past experiences and living with complete trust in God who looks over every detail of our life with tender mercy and infinite wisdom. –John Thomas

God is so good. He is always faithful. Never changing. The person that changes is us. We must overcome the thoughts, actions, sins of the past and become a new creation in Him. For he created us to be new. He created us to live in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (NLT)

¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

I will savor these last three pages of this journal. Even thought it is filled with mixed feelings, I am excited to start a new one. I am excited to make the starting words of the new journal with impact and finish it up with confidence in the one who created me. His love is always and forever. He will continue to write my story…

…for when your prayer journal is almost full, you start a new one.

Define God

How the World has defined God. These are 10 random people from across the world that has given their input on how to define God. These were taken from: http://www.akatoo.com/question.html?question_id=322685#answer-323210

I asked this question on the website… Define God.

These are the answers I received. Posted April 26, 2008

1. God is an English word, usually associated to a religious belief held by human beings, used to describe a being that is understood as the key creator of all that exists in the universe and is seen as responsible the highest power known to those who believe.
2. God can be defined in many different ways from many different disciplines. The problem with definition (as many philosophers will state) is that it posits a concept of something that exists. The most common form of this ontology is St. Anselm’s definition, which is as follows: 

1. God is, by definition, a being greater than anything that can be imagined. 
2. Existence both in reality and in imagination is greater than existence solely in one’s imagination. 
3. Therefore, God must exist in reality; if He did not, God would not be a being greater than anything that can be imagined. This logical argument has many critics, however; the most influential of which is Emmanuel Kant. In “The Critique of Pure Reason”, Kant posits that Anselm’s ontology is flawed from its very start, viz., Anselm presupposes that existence is a “trait” to which an object can be identified with. Put another way, if we assume (as Kant loves to do…) that existence of the object is not necessary for the subject to come to an understanding of said object, then Anselm’s argument fails in (2). Furthermore, Kant states that this necessary existence (of which we assume is NOT a trait to which one necessarily must ascribe to) is also, according to Anselm’s ontology, apriority to God itself, viz., put positively, if existence IS a trait that the subject can understand about the object, then God’s existence must necessarily come after an existing world, such that the trait of existing can thus be applied. Therefore, Kant views Anselm’s ontology as flawed; for it positions the necessary existence of God, to which we attribute the creation of everything, AFTER THE CREATION OF AN EXISTING WORLD! This is essentially a logical fallacy… 

All in all, the debate over the definition of God is one that is never ending and truly lies within the realm of personal experience. No overzealous philosopher of system of ethics should ever define for your individual what God MEANS to you. For the entire system of ontological study is presented as God as an object of study and not an object of the individual. So…read the different philosophies, compare and contrast their differences and come to a logical decision on your own

(In my opinion, the very fact that we can come to our own decision on how to define God, is the very essence of God’s existence Isn’t the human consciousness amazing)
3. Depending on your belief. A common least disputable fact between all human today: God resides in believers and only believers brain, in a way that to the believers is the same god residing in each and everyone’s brain.
4. God: The beginning and the End, The First and the Last, 
God is: everywhere, mercy, grace, power, hope, comfort, judge, ruler, King of Kings and Lord of Lord, Savior, all-powerful, the answer to every question, friend that sticks closer than a brother, father to the fatherless, hope, joy, love, peace, give and taker of life, creator and the one who died for my soul and your soul.
5. I don’t believe you can define ‘God’. God holds different meaning to different people. In turn, no 2 people will ever have an identical view as the what/who/why God is. So how can you define something that everyone views differently? In philosophy, they try to answer that question. You’ll find some philosopher’s 
believe that God is a nameless entity, with infinite existence. Of course, we allot the name ‘God’ but only as a way to reference the idea. God cannot be Mike for instance. Giving God a name would make him finite, but God is infinite. The wisdom, being, goodness, etc. of God is greater than the sum of the wisdom, being, goodness, etc. of all else. God transcends time and space
6. I think the place to start if you are trying to define God is to study the many names for God found in the Bible. YHWH, Jehovah, Adonai, and the list go on and on. Each different name given for God describes his different attributes. There are many websites out there that give listings of these names.
7. Well, not completely. God is incomprehensible, and Christians believe that not until they’re raptured or not until they die and go to heaven will they ever truly and fully understand God. We do view God as merciful, loving, all-powerful, all knowing, omnipresent, and that’s just a few.
8. God is… a Spirit. He was, is, and always will be. His core attribute is love and everything he is and does comes out of that. He is just and true all the time. 

And no he can’t create a rock so big he cant lift it. Common how old are we and how little faith do we exercise to a God who proved himself through His son?
9. I think a simple way to “define” God is to say is the self-existent One. The First Cause. I Am that I Am. He exists in and of himself, the creator.
10. The question first needs to be put into a context. ‘God’ means a completely different thing for many different groups of people. Asking a Christian will give you a very different answer than if you ask a Hindu.

An additional post was added May 9, 2008

It read simply: Define God

1. God is that “something” that people believe in and rely on, because they feel weak and they feel that “God” is bigger, stronger, more powerful than them, and that gives them a sense of peace and the idea that “God” can have control over situations keeps them from realizing that they actually need to be in control of their own situations. Just like religion is weak people believing in something bigger so that they can keep their problems in perspective. Religion and God to me are just ways people cope. But to each his own.
2. “Define God.” isn’t technically a question, it’s an imperative (command), but I’m going to do my best to answer. For me, God is the ultimate, the infinite, and the entity that ordered the universe and triggered the big bang. I can’t get any more specific than that, because by my definition, God is infinite, and language and descriptors are finite. In other words, by adding descriptors to my definition, I’ll make it less and less accurate. In addition to this, having a very tight definition of God puts limits on God. Limiting God, and believing that you know all about God creates a dangerous situation. Believing that you know everything about God leads to believing that you know God’s will. This, by definition is fundamentalism, and fundamentalism is dangerous, no matter what religion it’s based on.
3. If anyone could completely and accurately do that, I’m pretty sure they’d *be* God. If we fully understood God, what would His purpose be? I guess what I’m saying is, God, by nature, must be *super*natural and, therefore, above the bounds of human imagination and comprehension.
4. No thanks.
5. The Almighty. YHWH.
6. God is the principal or sole deity in religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. The singular, capitalized God of monotheistic religions is commonly contrasted with the gods of polytheistic religions. God is most often conceived of as the creator and overseer of the universe. Theologians have ascribed a variety of attributes to the many different conceptions of God. The most common among these include omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, Omni benevolence (perfect goodness), divine simplicity, jealousy, and eternal and necessary existence. God has also been conceived as being incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the “greatest conceivable existent”. The early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers, including Augustine of Hippo, Al-Ghazali, and Maimonides, supported all these attributes to varying degrees. Many notable medieval philosophers developed arguments for the existence of God, attempting to wrestle with the apparent contradictions implied by many of these attributes.
7. I think the most beautiful thing about God is how it/he/she/them is/are UN-defined. God means something different to every single person out there, even every single member of a single organized religion, such as Christianity. God to me may be knowing that I always have someone who will listen to me and help me through difficult times, God to you may mean something much greater, or entirely different. Who is to say who is right or wrong? God just is, and it’s up to the individual to define what God means to them.
8. Love

Question was also asked to a group of college students from a Christian University. There responses were as follows:

1. I’ll through something out… God for one does not exist within human logic. We are able to comprehend God as well as an ant can comprehend a pancake. This is a good question. Hopefully sparks some good conversation. I’ll think more about this and maybe give a more theological response! Ha-ha
2. Whatever thought I have gets replaced with another one and then they all don’t seem enough or right. I don’t think I can.
3. Your Love, Oh Lord…” Most everyone has heard the song but think about it… it displays a very sad truth. All we have to even try to compare God to are things that He created, so obviously it will never measure up. It just proves how unable we are to define God. The song goes on though and it paints a perfect picture of how our relationship with God can be. “I’ll never have enough words to measure up to who God is, but still I will lift my voice and I can find Strength in Him if only in the shadow of his wings.
4. I think that if we try and define God we are going to define him in a way that pleases us. Well God would have to be this way on politics and this way on abortion, so on and so forth but I believe your right, we cant define God, you define him one way another way is going to contradict it. If I truly had to define him the best way would be LOVE, that best defines him in my opinion, but that cant fully define him, its only a part of it. There is so much to God that we cant comprehend
5. Here is my deepest… 🙂 The only way to comprehend (or define) God is to fully comprehend His Love. Which is impossible. So we as humans can only define God as far as our own personal love can. Which is obviously minuscule. We know so little of Him. So define him as your love and experiences can define Him and what His uncomprehending Love has done for your life.
6. I don’t think one person can define God because God is I AM. He is eternal and we, as people cannot grasp that concept. The only way we can even get a glimpse of who God is through what He has revealed to us through his word and his creation. And to try and understand the Lord and bring him to our level is reducing his power. I would rather not understand him if only to stand before him in complete awe and wonder.
7. I’d say He’s everything but evil.
8. I don’t think God is God if we can define him
9. God is where true love dwells and my only hope abides. He is intimate, so I think our definitions, or attempts at definitions, reflect the intimacy that He has with each of us. Only through Him can I know the beauty of true love and an abiding hope that I don’t deserve and can never earn.
10. I am only a man created in the image of G-d. G-d created the only definition and me for Him that I can give comes from that which He has created. Therefore, I can no less define Him than a painting can define its painter. I am totally under the constricts of G-d and how he created me. I cannot define Him because He defines me. He gives purpose to everything that exists and without Him there would be nothing in existence. In fact, there would be no existence at all because without G-d there is nothing. But there is existence and, in such, G-d reveals Himself to His creation through that which He created. Moreover, G-d the creator became the created out of His Love for the world in order to serve the people He Himself created resulting in the restoration of His image within man. So in serving one another we restore the human race back to the image of G-d, seeing Him in His people, and gain a glimpse of who He is through His love; thus providing us with our closest definition: G-d is Love
11. I saw this and had to pitch in. It’s a terrible question, in a sense, because impossible. But if we admit we can only give a partial definition, we should avoid the danger of being overly abstract. A few non-abstract features of a definition: Creator of heaven and earth, author of love, freedom and choice (Genesis 1-3), passionate Redeemer of his fallen creation (Genesis 3 and everything following), passionate Judge of evil, exists eternally three in one–Father, Son, and Spirit–revealed Himself by the law and prophets and his interactions with the people of Israel, but has most clearly revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, who was and is God in the flesh, lived among us and revealed God’s very nature to us (Hebrews 1:1-3). Ironically, this ultimate self-revelation required a self-emptying and a submission to suffering and death on our behalf Phil 2:1-11, showing us the true meaning of love. God is love. (1 John) That’s a beginning. But the cleverest answer (Heb. 1:3): See Jesus.
12. God is. God always has been and God always will be and I think honestly that every label we try to give God will fall short. At this time, we only know some characteristics of God; God is love, creator and sustainer. The cool thing is though, that one-day we will get to see God and begin to really understand God and finally be able to know what God is.

 

Question was also asked to a group of college students from a Christian University. There responses were as follows (1-28-09); Names were left out to protect privacy:

1. God is the indescribable, uncreated, self existent, eternal all knowing source of all reality and being.
2. God cannot be defined, He cannot be comprehended, God is more than we will ever know, he is everlasting…..even if there was a way to define him paper would run out before we got done trying to put a definition to his name
3. God
4. A great father, ever faithful, ever true, ever loving

Remember these answers were provided by people who come from all different walks of life. Some are Christians. Some have no belief. Some just wanted to voice his or her opinion.

How would you DEFINE GOD?

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” -Hebrews 13:8

I Asked a Group of Leaders…

I asked a group of leaders within the church body who have been a part of young adult ministries either in the past or currently the following…

 

I know this may not be the most ideal way to communicate (or maybe it is), but I wanted to gather wisdom from each of you on young adult ministry (particularly the ages right after college to about 30 years old). I know that most of you have been in ministry for a good length of time working with adults and youth. That is why I asked you for guidance and wisdom.

There is a gap in our society from the age right after you graduate college to the age you begin to establish family & commitment to a career & long term goals (now I am not saying that every 22-30 year old fits into this category as some may already have families, but you get the picture).

It is an age group where time is precious, commitment is hard, and life seems to be about adventure & growth. So how do we engage this age group in today’s church?

I am a part of a fairly large church in Oklahoma now where I live and have been involved for about 2 years there. Through the Lord’s great encouragement & faithfulness, I just recently had the opportunity to lead a community group (Bible study, small group, whatever you may call it). We have only been going for about 3 weeks, but the Lord really has been blessing the people who have been coming. With this I say, there are about 6 young adult aka young professional groups within our church that are focused just on people who have just finished up college, maybe getting their masters, starting careers, etc. However, in the larger picture there is a disconnect between the group as a whole and the few community groups within the church. What I mean by that is there are maybe 50 young adults who are a part of one of these community groups and yet there are probably 1000 young adults who are actually connected to the church some way or some how.

 

The Lord has laid these young adults on my heart and I know that there is a greater purpose for them and there live. A purpose to challenge them, deeper there faith in God, and build community with one another. I have been asked by one of the fellow leaders in the church to help be a part of what God is doing and they have asked me… How do we connect these young adults together…

So my question to you all (sorry for the long introduction)…

How do we engage or connect these young adults into an atmosphere that can bring them together in way that may establish community, accountability, and challenge there faith to grow?

What are things that you have done in ministry that may have connected you to a specific group of young adults?

How do you engage such a large group to come together in community?

Since time is such a precious commodity, how do you connect young professionals?

What type of advice can you share with me that can help encourage & provide wisdom into this area?

I highly respect and trust each of you and I hope that you may share a little jewel of your knowledge to help further the kingdom of God!

Thank you so much for reading this and taking the time to share your hearts! It truly is a blessing to me to have each of you in my life. I look up to you all as leaders in the church and knowledge givers of the faith!

As I have asked those whom I respect, I open this up to my fellow readers… How would you answer these questions? What are your thoughts on young adults/professionals/20-30s?

“Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.” -Hebrews 12:15b NLT

The Dash

There is a dash that we are all going to end up having. From the moment we are born to the moment we die, we are forming that dash. For some it is short lived, and for others it is filled with years of joy, sorrow, blessings, laughter, and struggle.

8/17/09 From the desk of Jeanne…

Dear Maloree,

Hello from Kansas! Its cloudy & cooler here this a.m. – The guys are working on our roof again this morning and should finish today. I’m glad its cooler for them to work.

We had good services yesterday…

We will pray with you for this mission trip. Trust all goes well. Oh, yes, thanks for the picture. Is it your class?

Praying for you,
Jeanne

I cherish letters from people. Those hand written notes that you receive un-expectantly from people you love and care for. I also love routine. I remember every Sunday morning while at home (in Lakin) walking up the aisles to give Jeanne a big hug. Even though she was small body framed, her hugs were some of the biggest in the world. I am thankful for the life she lived and for the lives she touched!

September 22, 2012 3:25am…

Jeanne passed away at 1:05am

She lived a full life! A blessed life! She lived a life that was completely focused on the Lord. She was full of wisdom, dignity, and respect. Thankful for who she was in my life and for the lives of others that surrounded her.

Praise Jesus that she gets to dance beside him now!

 

The Dash

By Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning…to the end.

 

He noted that first came the date of her birth

And spoke of the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years.

 

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth

And now only those who love her

Know what that little line is worth.

 

For it matters not, how much we own,

The cars…the house…the cash.

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

 

So think about this long and hard;

Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

That can still be rearranged.

 

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what’s true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

 

And be less quick to anger

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we never loved before.

 

If we treat each other with respect

And more often wear a smile…

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

#bestrong

I wanted to share a story with you and how awesome God is! He places words on your heart and he truly blesses the day of! I’m a nurse at a local hospital in town and had gotten to work as usual to care for my patient. This particular patient started having difficulty breathing and just would not give up on the fight within their body. I went into the patient’s room and asked what was wrong. The patient said that they were afraid. It made me immediately think of a Psalm that was shared in church that very same day (Psalm 91). The patient began to explain in their small weak voice how they were fearful of falling asleep for the fear of death. In that moment, I had the opportunity to be fearful myself and not do anything about it or #bestrong and allow the Lord to use me as a vessel for this weak soul. I took that opportunity to read to this patient Psalm 91, and afterwards pray with them. I do not know how to explain it but to say that the Lord was here. His presence was ever new and there was a peace that came upon my patient’s face. I even saw a glimpse of a smile come from them (a smile that probably has not been there in weeks). I told them…

You may be old and I may be young, but the Lord provides comfort for those who seek him. We do not have to be afraid when we (fear) follow God. He can give us strength. He can provide comfort.

God provides testimonies in ways that we may not always seek. He provides small miracles in our everyday lives if we would just be willing to seek them out. He asks us to fear Him and #bestrong.

What is your greatest fear?

How are you trying to overcome that fear?

I want to encourage you with this this week, and drink in the words that God provided to David in a time when he needed to lean on God to overcome his fears…

Psalm 91

¹ Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
³ For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
⁵ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
⁶ Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
⁸ Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.

⁹ If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
¹¹ For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
¹² They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
¹³ You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
¹⁶ I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

You could say it has been a few days since I have sat in the yellow chair… Ok, maybe it has been more than a few days, but still. I felt the need to jot down my thoughts since it has been a while.

I feel as though a lot has been going on near the 238 lately. Now that summer is out of swing, and fall is coming around (thank you Jesus for that cool weather), I can officially say that traveling has slowed down, and I have been able to enjoy my home and mundane life a little bit more. I love to travel, but I also love to just be at home. My best friend refers to it as being a homebody… I guess I never really thought of it in that kind of light, but I guess it is what it is.

Hi, my name is Maloree, and I am a homebody (on occasion).

Homebody in the term that I do enjoy just being in my home editing photos, listening to a good sermon, organizing cabinets (yes, I do that for the fun of it), and cooking good home cooked meals.

Do not get me wrong, I do enjoy being out and about with people, running errands, going to IIID, church, and spending life with others, but I do enjoy the slowness and stillness of the 238.

So what exactly has been going on around here amidst the simple life routine… glad you asked!

I just recently started up a small group through my church for “young professionals”. It is for those people who are just finishing up college and/or who have started a career and are not in full out family/marriage/children life mode. We have never really been given a good name for this age group, but I guess we can go with that for now. I was asked at the beginning of summer to think about leading a group, but I just was not quite ready. The concept of committing to lead a group of young adults was not there. If I was going to commit, I wanted to commit 100%, but I also wanted to do what the Lord would have me to do. I finally took that nudge the Lord was giving me and went forth with it.

Last week was the official official meeting time, and it went awesome! A group of us went over to the church and helped with an organization called Safe Harbor before heading over to my place for the Bible Study. The first few weeks of the community group we are having the opportunity to tell our stories to the group. I find that this is extremely vital to build community. In order to build trust and relationships with one another, you must know each other. Telling our stories gives this opportunity.

I am excited to see where the Lord leads this group. I know that the Lord has great plans in store and wants to do a mighty work in the lives of the young adults that are a part of it. He has called us for greater good and to be able to have the opportunity to be a part of the stories that are told is incredible!

I would ask that you all pray for this journey and that the Lord would continue to speak to those who feel as if they are suppose to be a part of this group! He has a greater purpose for each person!

Acts 2:41-43

The Believers Form a Community

⁴² All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper^[a]), and to prayer.

⁴³ A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.