Falling short of Gods blessings.

In Exodus God takes the children of Israel out of Egypt, showing them amazing miracles. God promises them a land flowing with milk and honey- modern day translation: I am going to take you to the most amazing gorgeous place where you will have everything you could ever want. On the way to this cool place Israel complains and loses their faith in God. They eventually give into idols and worship other gods. Modern day translation: God gives us promises, it takes longer than we want, so we say, “fine I will do my own thing.” We stop reading our bibles and going to church and start getting sucked into the world of materialism, entertainment and sin.

In Numbers God has given Israel favor and they have conquered many great nations. Today this would be God allowing us to move up in our jobs, move closer towards our dream house, becoming rich, at the same time as having our families grow.
All this background takes us to Exodus 32.

In verses 1-2 Reuben and Gad, two tribes of Israel, want to settle in a land just short of the promise land. It is like being promised an ocean front beach house but realizing that 7th street is looking pretty good and you feel comfortable there.

In verses 3-5 Reuben and Gad ask if they can stop at this place because they have a lot of livestock (cars, boats, and toys) and the land would be good for all of their stuff.

In verses 6-7 Moses asks them why they are being stupid and giving up short of what God promised.

In verses 8-15 Moses tells them why they should not quit short of what God promised them. Moses gives examples of people who had stopped short of what God promised and how God cursed these people.

In verse 16-19 Reuben and Gad do not listen to Moses’ warnings, they continue to convince him that they have fully thought this through, weighed the pros and cons, and have decided to accept less than what God has promised. Even worse they promise to help all of the other tribes make it to the Promised Land. This would be like saying we will pay for our portion of the gorgeous beach house, we will even help you build it and negotiate all of the contracts and then instead of staying we would rather go to 7th street. Crazy right??

This always blew me away, they had seen all of the miracles that God did bringing them out of Egypt and yet they stopped short of the gift that God promised them. I know we can feel this same way. Israel thought they were going to receive the promise land soon after God brought them out of Egypt. Instead, the eleven day journey turned into 40years. I would have been asking why God had not fulfilled everything that He said He was going to.

The Lord has been teaching me that we can come to Him with everything. This means our fears and disappointments. If only Reuben and Gad would have said, “God we know you are faithful you proved that to us when you showed us all of the miracles in Egypt. God we know you provide, you proved that to us when you sent manna down from heaven. God we know you are perfect and holy, you proved that to us when you purified our people and built the temple. God we know that you are taking us to a land flowing with milk and honey, but why is it taking so long? We are afraid you have forgotten about us.”

If Israel would have come to God, not with a complaining spirit, not with a spirit lacking faith, but with a humble and broken spirit, God would have comforted them and brought them peace. God would have spoke to them and showed them why it has taken so long and still given them the Promised Land.

God can handle the fact that we don’t know what He is doing, as long as we trust the Lord He will replace our spirit of worry with a spirit of peace. We may not always get a detailed list of why God is doing certain things in our lives but He does promise His peace.

27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. (John 14: 27-28)

xoxo
Ash B

How do you love God?

Imagine claiming that you love your sweatheart but you don't spend any time reading his/her letters to you or talking with him/her?

How do YOU love God?

Not only have we not given thought to this commandment, we have not obeyed it.

1 John 3:13 "Dear children, let us not love with words or tonge but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hears at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."

1 John 4: 12 "No on has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

I love this "Whoever lives in LOVE lives in God."

To love God means to want to be with Him, isn't that was Psalm 84 is about? A plea to live in the presence of God.

Take From Me My Life

I was listening to worship music this morning and Third Day came on, who I absolutely love, and it was this song. It's so simple, yet the words are powerfully written and such a challenge to actually live out. Love you all, have a great day. :)

love
xtina

God has a plan for me...right?

Do you ever just feel lost and overwhelmed in life? And is it just me or does it usually just come out of left field? Just this sudden panic and feeling of where is all this taking me? What is my plan? What is God's plan? He still has a plan right? I know in my heart that God always has a plan for me but sometimes the wiring between my brain and heart don't always connect and I start to see this timeline in my head of what I need to get accomplished by a certain time and what should be happening that is not and before I know it I'm spiraling down to a scary overwhelming place!

I had (aka am in the middle of) one of those weeks... The combination of seeing my sweet, hard working husband begging to work for free (and recognizing that discouragement in his face through his "it's all going to be OK smile"), having not enough money to cover rent 1/2 way through the summer, realizing my dream of being a mom is still years away, family frustrations, my health...it just seemed like everything hit me at once and I am sad to say I became so discouraged. I kept hearing the Romans 12 verse over and over in my head. "Never be lacking in Zeal but keep your spiritual fervor" That is tough to do sometimes! I was aware I was not trusting completely in God and being in His perfect timing but I kept with my overwhelmed attitude anyways.

That night I went to sleep with somewhat of a heavy heart but the Lord literally invaded my heart. Those of you who know me know that because of my Lupus medication I have CRAZY, scary, horrible, awful dreams every night. My sleep is anything but peaceful! That night I dreamed God telling me to build a house. I said God I don't know how to build, I don't have any supplies, I don't have a place to build. And I heard him say again, build a house. In my dream I heard Christina's words "immediate obedience" so I walked outside and a man was there with all the supplies to build a house and gave me a plot to build on. I walked over and just started building a house. In this dream God was giving me EXACT specifications, "make the walls X inches by X inches" .... and so on. This dream was long and the entire thing was God telling me detailed specifics of how he wanted this house built (possibly because I had just finished reading all about the Arc of the Covenant where God gave specific measurements, materials, and colors to use on it... ha ha) I woke up feeling like I had just spent the night with God! Not sure what the "house" represents in my life hahaha not a dream interpreter! But I don't even think the house itself was the main point of the dream. I think it was God telling me to listen to him and that he will give me specific direction in due time. If nothing else, he was just letting me know he is with me, even in my dreams!

As if I weren't convinced, the following night I dreamed my pastor and pastors wife sat down and prayed with me and David for hours about life. Again I woke up feeling like I had spent the night talking with God! (Instead of my usual...people chasing and trying to kill me, me drowning, being hit over and over and in literal physical pain during my dreams!) I am not like Ashley who has these amazing prophetic dreams and has a beautiful clarity from God! This was just an overwhelming sense of peace though! In fact I have not had a scary dream in 4 days now! Praise God! In my dreams I have been applying what I'm reading in scripture and I do not say that to give me praise, I am fully confident that is of the Lord! He is literally invading my heart and changing not only my life when I'm awake but when I'm asleep too! Thank you Lord for caring and loving me! Can't wait to see what my dream will be tonight! ha ha

Love Megs

God's Glory Through the Battle

(King) David is basically the man. And I love that he doesn't even think it. There is something so memorable about the people in the bible that did great things and never acted proud or took the credit for it. David takes the challenge to fight Goliath, when no one else would and was criticized for attempting. Yet David knew all along he would be victorious because God was with him. With a single stone, he knocks the giant down, walks over to him, and cuts off his head. And through all of the praise and popularity he got from it by the others, David never took the glory.

My thoughts are a little jumbled and all over the place, but I felt like I learned so much from David and Goliath's story:

God fights our battles for us. Even when it seems like an impossible situation, view it from God's point of view. Nothing is impossible with Him. Criticism didn't stop David, as it shouldn't stop us. Even if we are doing something God has asked of us, people may still try to discourage us with negative comments. There are always going to be those people who oppose something we do in life, but we need to continue to do what we know is right. By doing what is right, we are pleasing God, who's opinion is the only one that really matters.

David takes off the armor the Israelites give him before facing Goliath because he's not comfortable in it. He realizes he doesn't need it to protect him, which made me think about all of the things in my life that make me feel safe and protected. While the Lord should be at the top of that list, so often it's not. God is our sole protector, He is all we need to survive. And above all, we need to understand that and embrace that.

Before facing the giant, David cries out to him, "I come to you in the name of the LORD Almighty. Today the LORD will conquer you. The whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone will know that the LORD does not need weapons to rescue his people. It is His battle, not ours." David gives the glory all to God, never once saying HE would kill Goliath or that HE was the strong one. He simply acknowledged that God was the powerful One that would save the Israelites from the Philistines.

To review, David's story in 1 Samuel 17 has taught me this:

1. Look at impossible situations from God's perspective. Nothing is too great a problem, too hard a circumstance, for God to intervene and rescue us.

2. Continue to do what is right in God's eyes regardless of the criticism from others. God's opinion is the only one we should care about.

3. The Lord is your protector. When seeking a safe place, seek Him.

4. Give all glory to God, who first gives us the ability to accomplish everything we do.

St. Agnes Eve

Deep on the convent-roof the snows
Are sparkling to the moon:
My breath to heaven like vapor goes:
May my soul follow soon!
The shadow of the convent-towers
Slant down the snowy sward,
Still creeping with the creeping hours
That lead me to my Lord:

Make thou my spirit pure and clear
As are the frosty skies,
Or this first snowdrop of the year
That in my bosom lies

As these white robes are soil'd and dark,
To yonder shining ground;
As this pale taper's earthly spark,
To yonder argent round;
So shows my soul before the Lamb,
My spirit before Thee;
So in mine earthly house I am,
To that I hope to be.
Break up the heavens, O Lord! and far,
Thro' all yon starlight keen,
Draw me, thy bride, a glittering star,
In raiment white and clean.

He lifts me to the golden doors;
The flashes come and go;
All heaven bursts her starry floors,
And strows her lights below,
And deepens on and up the gates
Roll back and far within
For me the Heavenly Bridegroom waits,
To make me pure of sin.
The sabbaths of Eternity,
One sabbath deep and wide-
A light upon the shining sea-
The Bridegroom with his bride.

-Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-92)

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I am growing a garden. And I am really excited about it. It is so fun to watch it grow and have something to talk care of. God willing it will produce some fruit at the end of the the season, but either way, it is fun to do.

This morning when I got up I knew I needed to spend time in the word right away. But for some reason I felt like first I needed to go check on my garden. I dont know if I was being disobedient to God's calling right away or if He was leading me there but either way, God works for all good and it spurred a lot of thought and conviction in me.

My garden looks great! My plants are growing like crazy and you wouldnt believe how much they grow in a couple days. It blows me away. And they just know what to do, with a little water, they grow. But my biggest problem has been weeds. They grow like crazy all around my plants. And there is TONS of them. It looks like grass all over and around my plants. I dont wanna pull all out at all because its a LOT of work, but I know I should. I spent a little time doing it around my eggplant because something is eating it, ( I think snails) and it has destroyed one of the parts of the plant completely, it ate the whole thing in one night! And its a huge plant. The other one is getting eaten as well. I need to do something about it, I just dont know exactly what yet bc it is my first time with a garden.

I watered my plants, then went into my room and truthfully did not really feel like reading or praying this morning. But I started praying for the Lord to just speak to me, that I would wait on Him and I heard..How does your garden grow?

I realized, like I have heard many times throughout my Christian life, that my life is a garden and God is the gardener. That garden that I am growing is helping me better understand God and my life in Him. If you dont water your plants, or for us dont spend time being fed by the Holy Spirit and having truth poured into your life, you will die. We are called to bear fruit, the fruits of the Spirit and at that I was really convicted.

Galatians 5:22-26

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Let me be real honest and tell you that I dont think that my life is constantly producing the fruit of the Spirit. I dont even think I knew all the fruits of the Spirit, and so how was I supposed to know if my life is producing those things? I like verse 25, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." We are called to keep step with the Spirit, to live a life that shows that the Holy Spirit lives in us. Not sometimes, not when we see God's work in our lives and wanna celebrate, not when things are looking good and we feel good, but ALL the time. If the Holy Spirit truly lives in us, we should be bearing is fruit with our lives. It should be the essence of who we are. Girls, this is so convicting for me.

I feel like my life looks like my garden. The weeds all around it, so much that it overwhelms me to think of cleaning it up, but at the same time still growing. I know that I am growing, but my life is still engulfed with sin. And that eggplant that is destroyed completely in one night is like Satan who will take every opportunity, when we are least expecting it to tear us down and destroy.

John 15:2-8

¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]}so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.⁸This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Wow! Our Father really is our gardener! He takes the responsibility to prune our lives, to cut off the dead parts and allow us to keep growing in Him! BUT, if we dont remain in Him, we cannot grow, we cannot bear fruit, we cannot do anything. Our lives can only be fruitful if we remain in Him.

I was thinking about my plants and how much they have grown since I planted them. Its been about 18 days and they are drastically different. All it took was a little water and I have seen how much they have grown. I thought about my life, and how much I have grown in the past 18 days with the Lord. If we spend time with God, asking Him to grow us and nurture us through His Spirit and Word, shouldnt our lives look drastically different too? Shouldn't people always be able to see how much we are growing?

I cant say for my life that it is that different from 18 days ago. Due to my lack of doing my part really filling myself up with the Lord and bearing the fruit of the Spirit. But it should look different. If I remain in Him like He has asked and called, my life should look like those plants.

I read this verse and it blew me away. You all know I am obsessed with going to heaven lately and am struggling with feeling like life is even worth it at all here, but this was such a cool picture of what it will look like when we are whole, with our makers, bearing His fruit.

Revelation 22:1-5

¹Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ²down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Girls, if we wanna get to this place, this place of Holiness and Purity and Perfection where we see God's face we have to be set apart. We have to bear His fruit.

Mia had said to me last night, " I try to think about if someone looked at my life from the outside in and looked at my house, my bank accounts, my time, everything, would they know that I am a Christian? Would my life look set apart?" If they looked at your life, would they see fruit? Talk about conviction! Lets strive to be IN THE LORD, REMAINING IN HIM, so our lives will BEAR is fruit!

I love you girls! Now go bear some fruit!! :)

xoxo- Natalie

Casting our cares on Jesus

Spend time really casting your cares upon Him. He wants to carry all of our cares.

1 Peter 5:5-7

“God resists the proud. But gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all cares upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Hope in Suffering

I was reminded in church on Sunday of how much people are truly suffering. Whether it is money, health problems, relationship issues everyone is seeking hope. Peter talks about some different ways to help you while you are suffering. We don't need to sit here and memorize all 4 ways... but if you can hold on to just one of these ways it will emind you that there is a reason and there is something bigger than what is causing pain in your life.

Peter 1:3- Our main focus is HOPE, through God's resurrection

Peter 1:4- Our INHERITANCE that we will receive in Heaven that is sooo much bigger than what we have here!

Peter 1:5- God's POWER and the trials he places in our lives that we will have to go through, but soon we will be rejoicing

Peter 1:7- Our relationship with him must be GENUINE; which keeps coming up for me.

One of the coolest verses I have is Peter 1:8 "Though you have not see him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy."

The Bible always talks about people who have seen Jesus first hand, and here we have an example of what WE are actually living out. A man we have not seen, yet we love him with everything we have.

PS Christina after I wrote this, I went to write to you on your facebook, an I think you have the verse up, so weird!

Happy Birthday Ashley!!

Just want to say a happy birthday to our favorite person ever- Miss Ash Bear!! love you and am so fortunate and blessed to have you in my life. You are a light and an inspiration to me and I thank God for your kind and sweet heart. You deserve an amazing 24th year!

love,

christina

A True Sacrifice

1 Samuel begins with the story of Hannah, her husband Elkanah, and Elkanah's other wife, Penninah. Having children to carry on your family name was incredibly important in this day, and for Hannah, who couldn't get pregnant, I felt like I could just feel her distress. She went to the Tabernacle and faithfully prayed to God about it, promising to Him that she would dedicate her future son's life back to doing the Lord's work. Being the almighty, answering, miraculous God that He is, He gave her the ability to have a child. She named him Samuel, meaning "heard by God," because he heard and answered Hannah's prayer. This goes to show us the true power of prayer. Hannah then fulfills the vow she had made to God and brought Samuel back to the Tabernacle, to completely leave him to accomplish the work God would have for him. Imagine that... having the undying desire for a child and finally getting one, all to give it back to God. Truly what we have is really God's, so who are we to claim it as anything else?

For our own lives, when we give to God are we giving just a token of our life, or a true sacrifice? Are we giving him the last 15 minutes we are awake or are we consciously acknowledging His presence throughout the entire day? Are we giving God a measly portion of our income and then squandering the rest on clothes? Tithing our money, time, and energy isn't just a challenge for some, or else churches wouldn't be talking about it as frequently! Would you be willing to give up one thing in this world you love the most if God asked it of us? Personally, it is hard for me to say that I would. And if it came to that point, I'd have to refer back to the story of either Abraham and Issac or Hannah and Samuel and use their examples as my encouragement.

It would be far in the future, but little Samuel would become the last judge of Israel; a judge who finally would be obedient and willing to be guided by God. He would be the next prophet since Moses, and he would also one day anoint Saul and David as kings of Israel. A lot of what we may do for the Lord may not show immediate results. A lot of prayers may go unanswered for awhile. But what we do know is that everything we do for Him has a purpose, and it will generate a blessing, either in our lives or someone else's, that comes out of it. What is important is that we strive to be obedient, continue to give greater sacrifices, and above all, understand that everything God gives us is all really His to begin with. Praise the Lord for giving it to us in the first place.

update: I've noticed I have been sounding a little like a broken record with the idea of giving up time to God and making difficult sacrifices to Him. I guess it's been on my heart lately and God is probably trying to tell me something!! :)

This One's just for fun...

I was reading this on my sisters blog and thought I would share it with you! It's from a little bit ago, but still so sweet. It made me smile...enjoy! (below I copy and pasted from Laura's blog)

Heavenly Chatter

Taylor: "Is heaven inside or out?"

Mommy: "I think it's both."

Taylor: "Do we get there in a car or the stroller?

"Mommy: (PAUSE) "Hopefully neither."

There's nothing like a three year old processing the mysteries of the heavenly realm. Lately, I've found myself answering questions like, "What's salmation (salvation)?" And, "Is Jesus here in my bed RIGHT NOW?"

One night last week Taylor and I spent half an hour just talking about heaven. She asked me to read her the part in the Bible where it talked about heaven. Sounds sweet and simple enough but try translating Revelation to a three year old whose only bedtime objective is to keep the questions coming.Together we opened Revelation and with Taylor leading the way tackled the important issues:

"How sparkly are the streets of gold?"

"Can we touch the gates made out of pearl?"

"What is pearl?"

"Can I bring my glitter glue pen to put on the streets to make it even more shiny? Will Jesus let me?"

"Is there a playground?"

"And what kind of princess dress will I have?"

"Who else will be there?"

"Is God my daddy?.. Is His name Trevor?"

I did my best (praying the entire time for simple but TRUE answers) because I know my daughter and I know she does think about these things and will be processing our bedtime converstion for a while... or forever.

And as only a parent can do, I spent the night worrying about it. Because worrying about our three year old's salmation is what we do. All night, I was sweating it out hoping I gave a succinct, simple and yet profound enough answer to, "what is salmation?" to carry her through all of life's challenges, trials, and tribulations.

Of course, by the next morning that part of our sharing time seemed to be settled just fine in her mind. Instead, day in and day out, over and over and over again, the number one question for Jesus coming out of the Blackann household is,"Can I bring my glitter glue pen with me to heaven?"

Thank heaven for little girls!
* * * * *
"And he said, I tell you the truth, unless you repent and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:3

Silly and cute but such a sweet reminder of viewing God through a child's eyes! So innocent...

Love Megs

" 'The Buried Life,' the New Bucket List "

“The Buried Life” is an MTV reality television show about a handful of good-looking fellows who travel around the United States inspiring Americans to “live out their dreams.” Essentially, it is a young man’s version of the Jack Nicholson film, “The Bucket List.” The cast created a to-do list to finish before they kick the bucket or get buried six feet under. Their recent accomplishment? Shooting hoops with the President. Nice. Scratch that one off the list.

Watching these young men being interviewed really got me thinking. What is the point? What is the motive for doing all of this? Having a list of goals to accomplish during your lifetime like graduate school or owning a home is admirable. Having a list of nonsensical pursuits purely for the sake of saying,” I did that!” is kind of narcissistic. One hundred years ago, you never would have heard of such an endeavor. Case in point, several days ago I read about some of the major events in history from that week. I read about a nobody Grecian soldier who ran 25 miles from the city of Marathon to Athens to tell his fellow citizens,” We beat the Persians!” (one of the greatest empires in history). His wearisome journey became one of the greatest events in modern day athletics- the 26.2-mile marathon. I read about a Russian ambassador under Lincoln (1866) who after witnessing cruel and inhumane treatment to horses created an agency protecting animals (ASPCA) and later, mistreated children. I also read about the Confederate General Lee who humbly surrendered to Union General Grant. When resistance ensued from the North to the South, Grant graciously told his men,” The war is over. The rebels are our countrymen again.” Grant went on to become the 18^th President of the United States of America.

These men did not have “bucket lists.” They struggled just to get from one day to the next, to make sure their crops were harvested before the winter frost hit, to see that at least a few of their kids survived childhood and their wife, childbirth. These men were ordinary who when faced with insurmountable difficulty, rose to the occasion and became extraordinary. These men, these stories became defining moments in history.

So what I realized about the cast of “The Buried Life” is how empty their pursuits are. They think that if you jump out of an airplane, bike across the country or shoot hoops with the President you will have meaning in your otherwise mundane existence. But the truth is, life is not about what we accomplish. Life is about standing up for truth, seizing opportunity and loving the individuals we come in contact with. In Christian terms, life is about following God’s will and proclaiming the everlasting life that is in Christ Jesus. A nothing foot soldier, a forgot-about Ambassador, a General with an almost lost war, rose to greatness because of their greater purpose. They could have given into weakness or fear but instead, chose grit and determination.

So if you create a "bucket list" consider God’s will, love for they brethren and hope for a greater future when writing your "goals." Even if you never go down in the history books or play ball with Barack I can guarantee that if you live your life according to God's plan and purpose for humanity you will find fulfillment. No basketball skills required.

Yahweh Yireh

I have been studying the names of God the past 5 weeks and it is totally changing my understanding of God and my prayer life. I am reading a book called Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler. You should all read it. It will change your life.

This week I studied the name Yahweh Yireh, The Lord who will provide. (Pronounced yah-WEH yir-EH) The Hebrew name raah (RA-ah, from which yireh is derived) means "to see." In this case, it is translated as "provide." We serve a God who is able to see the past, present and future, who works outside of time, and so is able to provide everything we need. The English word "provision" is made up of two Latin words that mean "to see beforehand." When you pray to Yahweh Yireh you are praying to the God who sees the situation before hand and provides for your needs.

The key scripture for this name is in Genesis 22:13-14 when Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac as an offering before the Lord. Just as he was about to sacrifice Him the angel appeared and told Abraham that now the Lord knows that he fears Him. In response, God provided a ram who's horns were stuck in the thicket, to sacrifice as an offering instead of Isaac. Abraham called the place The LORD will Provide.

We are called to trust God in all areas of our lives, and sometimes that means giving and sacrificing the things we hold most precious. But shouldn't those be the things that we bring to God first? Don't you think that God deserves our very best, the best things we have to offer? If you do agree with that, and believe that is true, look at your life and see if you are sacrificing your best to the Lord. I know I am not. Most the time it is because of my lack of faith and me wanting control, but we serve Yahweh Yireh, the Lord who has already seen into our lives and knows the outcome, so He knows EXACTLY what to provide for us to make it easy and bless us the most. We worry so much about our lives, yet need to be praying more to Yahweh Yireh, because He knows how to satisfy.

I am going to quote my devotional from this Friday because it really hit home for me and I want you guys to read the exact words.

"Scripture is full of the promises of God, and when we respond to him faithfully, nothing can prevent their fulfillment. That holds true regardless of circumstances. Think for a moment about Abraham's circumstances. God had promised his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in he sky and the sand on the seashore. But how could that promise be fulfilled if the first star, the first grain of sand, Isaac himself, were destroyed? Ironically, the promise was fulfilled precisely because Abraham was willing to act in a way that seemed contrary to its fulfillment. Had Abraham refused to obey God, he might well have forfeited the incredible blessings that followed."

It was like a light bulb went off in my head after reading through that ( I encourage you to read it again if need be to really get it, I had to..) We are called to give our best, trust in Yahweh Yireh, and respond obediently, then we will be blessed. But WE have to be obedient. If we don't do our part in obeying God, we are not allowing God to provide, and to bless us like He desires.

Tonight, read these scriptures and let Yahweh Yireh, remind you that He has provided, is providing, and will provide for you IF you are obedient in trusting and sacrificing where He is calling you. I encourage you to use this name tonight as you pray, it is so powerful to call on God using His names, when asking for specific things for you life.

Deuteronomy 15:4-5, 1 Cor 10:12-13, Matt 6:28-34, 1 Tim 6:17-19

I love you girls. May we trust in Yahweh Yireh and learn how powerful it is to call on His name specifically to provide for our lives.

xoxo- Natalie

I am the LORD your God.

In chapters 18-26 of Leviticus there is a reoccurring theme. God instructing the Israelites to live a certain way, perform a certain sacrifice, have a certain feast, or abstain from a certain activity/food/sin.

And then the sentence following states, “I am the Lord/I am the LORD your God.” Skim through the passages of Leviticus especially chapters 18 and 19 and count how many times this phrase is repeated.

Obey my laws. I am the LORD your God.
Do not be sexually impure. I am the LORD your God.
Do not be defiled. I am the LORD your God.
Do not spread slander or endanger your neighbor. I am the LORD your God.
Do not curse the deaf or cause the blind to fall. I am the LORD
Do not give your children to other Gods. I am the LORD.
Follow me and do not live in your old lifestyle. I am the LORD your God.
Respect your parents and keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
Reverence MY sanctuary. I am the LORD
Do not worship idols or make gods. I am the LORD your God.
Be generous to the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.

Do not seek revenge. I am the Lord your God.
I will give you an inheritance. I am the Lord your God.
Be Holy. I am the LORD your God.

As I finished reading Leviticus this morning I started to meditate on this theme. Think about why God would instruct His people and then say “I am the Lord your God.” As I began to read over what God was saying to the Israelites I began to understand why the Lord followed each instruction with “I am the LORD your God.”

In comparison to gift of GOD being their LORD nothing is a sacrifice. I do not feel like I can adequately put this into words. But I pray the Holy Spirit reveals this to you as you read through Lev 18 and 19.

God is saying I am your God. Meditate on this. Sit alone and hear these words… (Insert your name) “I am the LORD your God.” Now think of what the Lord has called you to do and then follow with the words “I am the LORD your God.”

“I am taking you to a new city. I am the LORD your God.”
“Quit your job. I am the LORD your God.”
“Move to another country. I am the LORD your God.”
“Set yourself apart. I am the LORD your God.”
“Don’t cheat on your taxes. I am the LORD your God.”

After reading it over and over again I began to notice a pattern. God is Holy. So he is the expert on how to be holy, how to be like Him. He also is OUR God so he can tell us what to do. It is as if He is saying, “I am YOUR God, You can trust Me. I have the best intentions for your life.”

Really pray about what the LORD is saying in these passages and in your life. He is telling us do good, because He is our God and we are His people. We are the children of God, we should share His heart for our neighbors, the lost and the foreigners.

The fact that we belong to the LORD should cause us to worship differently, live differently and give of ourselves and our resources differently. Yes there are blessing that are promised for those who do these things, but the ultimate blessing is calling the creator of the heavens and the earth the LORD our God.

I pray that as we grow in our love and trust in God we will be able to say..

I will do what you say. You are the LORD my God.
I will go where you call me. You are the LORD my God.
I will give anything that you want. You are the LORD my God.
I will be Holy. You are the LORD my God.

To my girls, may you continue to live lives that are set apart!
Ash B

Hearts of Flesh

Ezekiel 36:26

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Ezekiel 11:19

"And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.

What image comes to your mind when you read this?

For me it's a compilation of images. One of the images I can see are my closest friends trying every day to remember to break their hearts for what breaks God's. Remembering that to have a heart of stone we are being anyone but Ruth ( thank you christina). Ruth left her father, mother, and homeland to come live with people that she did not know. She is revealing her heart in an uncomfortable foreign way to be a heart of flesh for pelple she did not even know. Why is it that we can't even do this with people we do know?

My whole life I have thought I had a heart of flesh, but God has really challenged me to show me how much more I can grow, and to not only have a heart of flesh with those I know, but with those I do not know as well.

To be real, genuine, and feel in your heart what others feel is an experience you cannot explain. To feel in our hearts the pain and suffering that God felt for us, is something we can' t even imagine.

I truly believe we have been give ONE new heart, and we are becoming like flesh exposing the dirty, shamful, guilty sides of ourselves. Not only can we touch each other with these new hearts, but touch people we don't even know.

Why is it? This is the way it is... Love; such power. A surge of ballistic energy that never ends. He is the God, Love. He is Love. He is.
1 John 4:8 "...God is love." "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His Son, His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him." (9)
Why does it have to be this way? Jesus... Why is this the way it is? How is that right?
Wrong question.
(11-12) Dear friends, since God loved us so much to send His Son to die [sacrifice], we, also, ought to love one another[action of love; an outpouring after the filling].


No one has ever seen God [faith]. but if we love one another, God lives in us [an indwelling of such a majestic God enjoying cleaning the home of our heart] and His love is made complete in us [Your love is incomplete without us?]
Your love is incomplete without us? Without me?i will remember this moment when you taught me about the life of living in the peaceful billows of Your constant love... especially for me.


And this is reality. I am not mistaken to live in a fanatical reality of mysticism, but in a foundational Truth of emotion bundled in experience with God, my love... Our love.

peaceandblessings to you girls as you are reminded of our time together. I hope this lil conversation whelms you into more conversation with our God, Savior and Guide.

Made Alive in Christ

Ephesians 2: 1-10 "Made Alive in Christ"

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. . Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -it is by grave you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

I love these verses because it starts out telling us how weak we are, "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts"...none of us are above falling into the temptations of sin and I think it is so important to be aware of that. We all have that innate desire to be selfish in sin, to be "objects of wrath" if you will. These verses end with such a sweet message of hope though! By GRACE we have been saved! Through faith, NOT our own works...it is a GIFT from God! WOW!!!

If only I were more appreciative of God's gifts and blessings He has given me, if only I viewed being "rich with mercy" as higher importance than rich with worldly things. God has given each of us a precious gift, he has saved us! We were dead in our transgressions before He chose us. Lets reflect on that and praise Him for that! He has blessed us by simply choosing us! We seem to think we are entitled to so much more in life. God why did you let this happen or why can't I live there or have that. When we focus on those things and throw pitty parties, we are missing God's beautiful gift of grace, mercy, love, saving! That is why we call him our savior, because He has saved us through his grace! Praise God! We are choosing to follow God and make daily choices to follow Him, but at the end of the day, God says it is not our acts that save us, it is simply HIM and his love and grace.

All of Ephesians is just beautiful and so powerful! I encourage each of you to read through it this week, I know we have all read it before but what a great reminder it is of God's grace and mercy to us! I was humbled through reading these verses that it is not through my works that I am saved but through God!

Lord may we strive to be "rich in mercy" with others and forgiving with grace. Thank you for being our Savior and making us Alive in Christ! We are sorry for not always accepting your gracious gift. Thank you for choosing us even though we are unworthy.

Megs

I Will Give You Rest.

Continuing on through the book of Judges is a constant reminder that the things we turn to other than God for help or fulfillment will never satisfy. It is a cycle of the same themes over and over again- sin, judgment, and repentance. It is only until the Israelites have reached the end of the rope, the deepest pit of despair, that they finally reach out to God and ask for rescue. I think it's insane just how many times God takes them back. We are so fortunate for His mercy and forgiveness that He does the same for us.

I learned something else though this week while I was in prayer. I was pleading to God with help and strength in an area that I am struggling in, realizing that I cannot do anything by my own power but only through the power of the Holy Spirit. I was telling God that I know I want to seem in control of my life and not let it reflect to others very often that I in fact don't have much control over things, and it was if God stopped me in my prayer and asked me, "Why do you feel the need to be in control?"

It was a powerful moment because I felt like I couldn't really come up with an answer. Why do I want to appear to others and to myself that I am in control of my life? Perhaps it is the reason that I am in fact, not in control of my life, now matter how hard I try. The only real thing in control is the Lord. However, if I am not giving Him the reins to my life- the biggest areas where I'm weak and the things I try to control the most- I find that my life starts to inevitably spin out of control. It was a simple realization on my part that the harder I try to control, the more I find myself broken down and unable to deal.

I am blessed with the fact that God is truly in control of our lives, whether we want Him to be or not. However the consequences for not putting Him as our guide and consulting Him for help with our biggest struggles prove to be more harmful than we can imagine. I feel like the weight on my shoulders was lifted after I spoke with God that night, but need to remember to be asking desperately for His help every single day. This freedom is only the beginning for me as is the peace I feel knowing that God loves me so much to take on my struggles, sins, worries and cares. What a good God we have, and what a shame it is that it took me so long to realize this.

Remember that God takes it all for us.

"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.'"
-Matthew 11:28-30

Not-quite-Monday's post- film review, "Bright Star"

Over the weekend I watched a very powerful movie, “Bright Star.” It was the kind of film that haunts you. It follows you through the night into the morning of the very next day repeating and replaying the powerful moments that caught your breath and caused your heart to cease beating for just a moment. The film is about a budding poet, the now famous, John Keats, and his fair love, Fanny Brawne. The young admirers fall deeply in love after Keats moves in next-door to Brawne. Later, they are separated by a tragic disease and eventually, parted indefinitely by even more tragic affliction- death. (Don’t worry I did not ruin the movie for you). The crux of the plot is their deep-abiding love. Love untainted by the world and other’s affections; love founded on emotional incitement not sexual attachment; love in its purest form.

I was moved by the plot of the movie and convicted by the underlying message, not by the director but by Keats himself. At the end of the film, Keats is advised to move to a warmer climate in an effort to cure his illness. Brawne and Keats spend the night before his departure together. She, basically, propositions herself to him. Keats replies,” I have a conscious.” (Wow, not sure I know a man alive that would do that today!). He then gently takes her by the hand, walks her to the bed, lays her head softly on a pillow next to his, wraps his arms around her thin waist and they begin to fantasize about their life after marriage, foreheads pressed firmly against one another. He tells her,” We will go to bed when the sun is still high and I will kiss your lips, your breasts, your waist.” She replies,” Everywhere.”

The film reminded me a great deal of the book of Solomon. Keats (and Solomon) were never shy in their description of love. They used elaborate language to describe their affections both emotional and sexual. Much of Keats’ relationship with Brawne was separated by distance so they were forced to write to one another. In fact, the film used actual love letters written by Keats to Brawne. His word usage was so magical that, honestly, it brought me to tears. Nowadays, couples fixate on chemistry, compatibility and other nonsense, instead, of focusing on the deep emotional connection that most often only comes through words and thoughts. Solomon knew that. That is why he wrote about his love in such elaborate detail:

“ How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin; not one of them is alone. Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. Your neck is like the tower of David, built with elegance; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. Your two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies. Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense. All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you.” – Song of Solomon, 4: 1-7

Keats and Brawne never consummated their relationship. He died before they were to wed. But she stayed in morning for six years after his passing. Six years! People who are married barely mourn a year before they find another hussy to shack up with. Keats and Brawne were but young, innocent lovers and yet they created a love that lasted a lifetime. Oh, how drastically different relationships would be if only we practiced the self-control, respect and emotional (not sexual) intimacy that Keats and Solomon both swore by. I bet many of us would find the great love that our hearts seek. Love like Keats,’ that despite all odds, would last a lifetime.

Who is it you are looking For?

When I woke up this morning, as always I turned off my alarm and checked my phone and just as I saw I had two texts from two of my lovely girls, I forced myself to get on my knees and pray, to thank our Savior for this joyous occasion that we can celebrate that even death has no power over our risen Lord, before I did one more thing. Like Ashley said there is something about starting your morning off with the Lord. Things change, you give access to the Lord to start working from the moment you open your eyes. Its powerful.

Although I was running late, I said to myself, I choose to be in your Word Lord, I choose to take time to read the scripture and celebrate your resurrection. I opened my bible to John 20. I started reading and got to the part in verse 10 where Mary and Mary Magdalene go to the tomb and discover that Christ's body is gone. It says..

10Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

I stopped right there.. That verse (15) hit me like a ton of bricks. Her SAVIOR, Her Son, was standing right in front of her and she couldnt recognize it right away. He asked, who is it you are looking for? ....I am right in front of you!

Going right along with being convicted of worshipping other things in our lives over God, which has been a theme for us, it just stood out to me. How many times do we think other things are going to be the source of our happiness, our peace, our joy, our strength, and they ALWAYS let us down. GOD is the only HOPE. The ONLY hope. We run away from Him time and time again and put other things before Him over and over, and the whole time God waits patiently and tugs on our hearts saying, I am right here, I am your Savior, who is it your are looking for? I am the one that satisfies.

I just felt like scales fell off my spiritual eyes today. I could picture Christ looking me in the eyes and saying, "How long and how far are you going to run from me when you know that I am the only way. Just rest in my promises"

We celebrate Easter every year knowing that it brings Hope. That because of the resurrection, we have life in Him. We celebrate the fact that His promises are true and that we will get to spend eternity with Him. Yet, after the day passes, I go back to my old selfish ways, not seeing my Savior daily, and not submitting to Him in everything I do FIRST! I wanna try it my way, then do it His way. But it always fails.

Another part of scripture stood out to me as I kept reading the story. John 21:15...

15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

I thought about that. here was Simon Peter who was a huge Christ follower, yet Christ still challenged Him if he even loved Him at all. Christ wanted to remind Him that you have to live a sold out, different life from the rest and he had responsibility to do so, if He wanted to truly follow Him.

As I read the scripture that usually is very uplifting and happy today, I felt very challenged and convicted. Of course I celebrated the Hope the Lord has given us through His resurrection, but felt very challenged by it as well.

I was reminded this week of a painting I did my freshman year of college. It was a picture of a girl and in the background it said "Christ's love has moved me to extremes. It has the first and last say in everything I do!" What a powerful statement! That girl was a representation of me. I remember painting it and feeling that way, but I cant say thats true for me today, although it is my goal.

God we praise you for the hope you have given us through your Son, and the grace and salvation that your love has freely given. We dont ever want to take that for granted. I pray that we would have the eyes to see you Lord, that we wouldnt be looking for you in all the places you arent, but would first seek you out where we know we can find you. You never change, you are always constant and we desire to follow you. To count everything else a loss, in comparison to what we have in you. You tell us if we truly love you that your love will move us to extremes. I pray that we could daily live that out and be reminded of your laws and ways of a life with you. We are yours Lord, all the glory is yours. Have your ways in our hearts and change us. Change the way we think, the way we live, the way we love, as a response to your love for us. Praise be to the God who has conquered the grave! Death has no power over you, and you are so Mighty and so Holy. We love you God and ask you would challenge us everyday to grow closer to you, and hand hold us through every step because without you it is impossible. In your precious name, Amen.

I know this wasnt a normal Easter message... Just wanna keep us stretching for more!

I LOVE YOU GIRLS! Happy Easter!! xoxo - Natalie

Just Give me Jesus...

Hey Ladies, we sang this song at our good Friday service last night and I was singing it my dream and woke up singing it. Thought I would share it with you! I logged on to share it and saw that Nat shared a song as well, the Lord is putting songs on our hearts! Love it! The lyrics are so simple but so precious. (I'm not sure if the link of him singing will pop up or not so I posted the words in case it doesn't....we all know I'm very technically challenged!) Love megs


In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise,
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, Gvie me Jesus
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus

When I am alone
Oh when I am alone
When I am alone
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

when I come to die
When I come to die
When I come to die
Give me Jesus

You’re taking my precious Lord…

“Then they lead Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning, But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should become defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.” John 18:28

They only lead Jesus so far, but would not go any further lest they should become defiled.

The Praetorium refers to the house of Pontius Pilate. Pilate was a Roman. These men, who were taking my Jesus, were Jewish. Entering a Roman place would have made them unclean. If they were unclean they would not have been able to EAT at the celebrate of the Passover.

Shame on them, in their hands was the Prince of Peace, their promised Messiah, the one who is our Savior, our Provider and Healer. And they were worried about being clean… so they could celebrate the Passover.

Oh how they had a missed opportunity with the Lord. If they would have recognized who was in their midst their lives would have been radically changed. We can all attest to how are lives have been changed since the Lord came into our lives. Instead they were selfishly thinking about a celebration to come, and a religious celebration at that.

Jesus could have told them exact details of the Passover, mysteries of Heaven, and the fact that they would see him shortly crucified and raised from the dead.

What greater celebration is there than that of the promised Messiah? And they were face to face with Him.

Yesterday we remember Jesus’ death on the cross. What is so sad to me is that the Praetorium is the place that Jesus was tried and sentenced to death. And He went in alone.

I do not know why, but my heart is heavy as I think of all the missed opportunities with my Lord. Whole periods of my life when I was so concerned with me and my plans and yet I had the Word in my hands, on my dresser or bookshelf. How could I say, um... not now Lord, I do not want to miss an opportunity to celebrate my selfish plans! All at the risk of missing the celebration that is to come in heaven.

God is holy, clean and pure. They would never again be in a more undefiled, clean, pure place then in the presence of the Lord.

At first glance it is ridiculous that they would not want to spend every second, go any distance, or enter any place, to spend more time with Jesus. And yet they missed it. And I feel so so so sad. Sad for them and sad for me, because I know that I miss Him all the time too.

The first part of the scripture really struck me, and it was early morning. I am not trying to be legalistic and say you have to read your bible in the morning as opposed to another time of the day. But friends, something happens when everyone is asleep and you are face down with the Lord. You and Him together, your whole day is changed. It is so easy to get caught up with life, and we have all touched on the struggle of prioritizing the Lord in our lives.

When our day starts in our word the Lord prepares us, His voice and Word stay with us throughout the day. We remain in a posture of worship. It is as if we realize this world is fleeting, it does not matter compared to Heaven and Eternity. When a promotion, an acceptance letter, or blessings happen we can praise God instead of ourselves because we are in a state of worship.

When trials and tribulations come, we are already in a state of worship. This does not mean life is perfect or that we do not suffer.

No…

Instead, when that person cuts us off, we can pray for them. When people around us get sick, we know God is our healer. When we do not know what were supposed to do, we know God will direct our path. When things seem impossible, we know God can do miracles. When our friends or family are hurt and broken, we can point them to the cross and say look to the cross my friends, your Lord did that for you. So he could be your healer, provider, light, miracle worker, covenant keeping God, the one who hears your cries, the one who is so so so faithful. Lean on him, trust in Him. He is our only answer.

The more time I spend growing in the Lord, the more I realize I have nothing to offer. I have nothing to give you. All I can do is point you to the Lord and He is PERFECT, He is all that you need.

So as we remember the cross this Easter season let us remember that God promised a Savior would come to restore our relationship with God. And 2000 years ago Jesus came and did just that. He also promised that He is coming again. Friends let’s get ready for His return! Heaven is our home and I am ready to go there.

God I do not want to be like these men, to hold heaven in my arms and for the sake of religiosity miss you or miss opportunities with you. Help us to remain in a state of seeking after You and Your Kingdom. God we thank you for your gift of eternal life. We praise you for being so faithful and perfect. We are Sorry for not abiding in your word, we are sorry for missed opportunities with you. Help us to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness.

xoxo Ash B

Sovereign Hands

Looks like we all are moved to post something today. Its a REALLY big day for God's children and man am I feeling it. I cant help but to be really moved today remembering the cross and all OUR SAVIOR did for us on this day thousands of years ago. Recently, I fell in love with this song. It is called Sovereign Hands, by Hillsong United. Today I listened to it about 100 times and still cant get enough. It is such a beautiful song and these words perfectly paint the beautiful love story of Gods sacrifice for US!

Listen to the words, soak it in, and may they be a reminder that God is SO big and SO perfect and that He gave his life for YOU!

I love you girls! Happy Good Friday.

PS, I also recommend you looking up the words and reading them while listening if you want. :)

xoxo- Natalie :)

Keep Our Eyes On The Cross

Mathew 17:5
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life wil lose it but whoever loses his life for me will find it."

trying to constantly remind myself to keep my eyes on the cross, this verse hit home! Megs

Good Friday: thank you Jesus for the Ultimate Sacrifice

"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God."

- Luke 23:46

x.

If faith is a gift, Merry Christmas, Becca!!

My faith in my Savior is coming alive in ways i longed for my whole life! I drove down that mountain (yes, i did take a wrong freeway and get lost... surprise! but i made it just in time) right into my Christian Surfer Girls monthly meeting. Those women (of which i am the youngest by 3 - 20 years) need Jesus to fix their lives in sooo many ways, like all of us do. That day i was energized to be facilitating a meeting where those needs could be met by God through the devotion we were going through. I had another woman facilitate the meeting, which allowed me to sit back and soak in the Spirit moving throughout the meeting. and it encouraged me to see her be challenged and grow from having to lead that meeting. i had faith in God to take care of everything, which is a challenge to me bc i like to get everything done myself. the Lord blessed me with faith and confidence in my surrender to His agenda.

the next weekend i had the opportunity to help lead about 40 lil girls from Bravehearts (lil girl's mentoring groups from Newport Mesa on wednesday nights) down to RawHide Ranch, a horse camp. i brought my guitar, which was just begging to be played around a bunch of energetic worshipful lil girls. so, i whipped out the G-Unit and they all gathered to learn
"Hallelujah"
It goes like this:
"Your love is amazing; steady and unchanging; Your love is a mountain firm beneath my feet. Your love is a mystery, how You gently lift me; when i am surrounded Your love carries me. Hallelujah! Your love makes me sing."
Those girls could sing forever.
the next day after dinner, one of the moms and i found ourselves talking about how we both felt lead to pray for one of the camp leaders, bc she was Unitarian, so we just decided to pray together about the situation right then and there. that prayer lead us into praying for the whole camp to be redeemed territory back to God, and that people could feel His presence there. well, that night, there was a campfire that would be lead by the camp leaders, which were not Christian. So, one lil girl asked if i could play outside. i ended up leading about 20 girls and 6 moms in worshiping God outside. we sang so loud that we overpowered the campfire leaders and their ridiculous chants. you know those seemingly innocent chants/cheers people know? well, i dont know what they were chanting, but at one point in time one of the leaders yelled out, "girls, say it louder, wake the dead!"
moms approached me later that night to tell me that there was a real difference in the overall mood of the group up at the campfire, and our group of girls that were worshiping. she said that God's presence was all over us, bringing peace and safety to where we were, but the campfire group had an spooky, anxious feeling.

Jesus was made famous that night!

there is so many more stories i could write about how i am hearing from God, being challenged, acting out and being blessed by that movement. i wish Kathleen could crawl into my brain, help sort through my thought cabinets, and write all my thoughts for me. K, youre so good at writing :)

but just know ladies that our beautiful, mighty, Savior Jesus, is madly in love with us with a love that is not romantical, but defines the very love He requires us to use in our romances. in our ministries, and all throughout our daily lives.
i am so encouraged by your insight! Christina, judges was a great challenge when i read through it too. i know what you mean, and you will learn a lot and be challenged and blessed. Nat, Jesus has never been more real to me since this year of celebrating Passover and becoming so so close to Him, to where i actually feel like i am seeing my best friend, my Ruler, and my King up on that cross, and now sitting victorious on God's right hand, preparing heaven for us. Kathleen, praise God for you!! you are being such a great mom!! don't let anything take you from those precious times with Benny-Boo reading God's word. Megs, i am inspired by your spunk to kick yourself in the butt. ha ha! that is what i need to hear!

i love love love you girls!!
peaceandblessings,
Becca