Happy Birthday Jacob Vreeland! Hope your day is great! Thanks for your willingness to share on here what God has been doing in your life. Youve been an encouragement! Keep learning and growing!
February 26, 2009
Birthday Boy...
Happy Birthday Jacob Vreeland! Hope your day is great! Thanks for your willingness to share on here what God has been doing in your life. Youve been an encouragement! Keep learning and growing!
February 23, 2009
The Power of the Cross
Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.
Chorus:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.
Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev’ry bitter thought,
Ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.
Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
“Finished!” the vict’ry cry.
Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.
Final Chorus:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God— slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.
(Stuart Townend)
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.
Chorus:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.
Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev’ry bitter thought,
Ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.
Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
“Finished!” the vict’ry cry.
Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.
Final Chorus:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God— slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.
(Stuart Townend)
February 22, 2009
Bringing a Birthday Greeting!
Happy 19th Birthday Erica! Thanks for being a part of the youth group. Youve been a blessing. May God richly bless you as you get to know Him even better in this next year of your life.
Happy Birthday wishes are in order....
Happy 19th Birthday Erin! We're so glad you guys have become a part of our youth group. Thanks for your sweet smile and fun-loving spirit. We'll continue to pray for you as you prepare for the future.
February 17, 2009
The struggle against ungodliness
Last Sunday night pastor spoke on the topic of ungodliness, and to be honest i thought "aah, i'm fine. i have my devotions and i pray and im not going to nightclubs and all that bad stuff i dont really need to hear this message". But Pastor gave a definition of ungodliness that i had never heard before, here is his definition, "ungodliness: Living one's everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God's will, or of God's glory, or of one's dependence on God". Once i heard that definition i said to myself "ouch!" because i was instantly convicted. In my personal life i have my devos and pray at every meal just like the typical christian. but if we don't even think about God other than that time we are being ungodly. To be painfully honest; other than devotions and praying at meals i don't even try to think about God, its not that i'm avoiding him it is just that i don't think about it. But we have a great God! He doesn't just 'wind up' the world and say "good luck!" he convicts us and is always showing us our short comings.
Erik
Erik
February 13, 2009
AMEN!!!!
Near, so near am I to God,
Nearer I cannot be;
For in the Person of His Son
I’m just as near as He.
Nearer I cannot be;
For in the Person of His Son
I’m just as near as He.
February 11, 2009
Dare to Run!
The assembly of the faithful, surrounding, yet unseen
Is gathered as a witness to the race
And on the track, awaiting, are the runners of today
The call has come, for each to take his place.
The road ahead is narrow, the way is sometimes steep
And only the committed claim the prize
But standing at the finish, with arms out-stretched to greet us
Is the One who has endured the race, and paid the final price
Dare to run with our eyes fixed on Jesus
Following the footsteps of the One who's gone before us
Dare to run in the power of His Spirit
Called to be victors in a race already won, Dare to Run!
We must have our Savior's vision, compassion for the lost
Courage for the future, love at any cost
Dare to run with our eyes fixed on Jesus
Following the footsteps of the One who's gone before us
Dare to run in the power of His Spirit
Called to be victors in a race already won, Dare to Run
Dare to run in the power, the power of the Lord.
Is gathered as a witness to the race
And on the track, awaiting, are the runners of today
The call has come, for each to take his place.
The road ahead is narrow, the way is sometimes steep
And only the committed claim the prize
But standing at the finish, with arms out-stretched to greet us
Is the One who has endured the race, and paid the final price
Dare to run with our eyes fixed on Jesus
Following the footsteps of the One who's gone before us
Dare to run in the power of His Spirit
Called to be victors in a race already won, Dare to Run!
We must have our Savior's vision, compassion for the lost
Courage for the future, love at any cost
Dare to run with our eyes fixed on Jesus
Following the footsteps of the One who's gone before us
Dare to run in the power of His Spirit
Called to be victors in a race already won, Dare to Run
Dare to run in the power, the power of the Lord.
February 5, 2009
Dealing with Drawers...
I tried tugging open the top drawer of my dresser this morning but it only opened an inch. I tugged some more. It cracked open another centimeter. I wasn't getting anywhere fast. I needed to put the laundry away and get my school underway. I yanked it again. A millimeter this time. "I really should clean this drawer out" I thought to myself. "Maybe I'll get to it later today." In reality I knew that wouldn't happen. At the moment though I really just wanted to get my laundry put away so I could get on with my day. I stuck my hand in and tried to jostle some of the clothes around that were causing the drawer to stubbornly stick, in hopes that it would miraculously open. When this failed I decided to go ahead and just roll my neatly folded clothes up and try to squeeze them into the drawer. Let me tell you something. Trying to cram more clothes into a drawer that you already can't open because it’s so full isn't exactly going to solve or help the problem. However, with much maneuvering I managed to get my clothes into the drawer. Now to try and close it all the way. I pushed it shut, only to find an overflowing sock was keeping it from shutting. I pushed on the sock and it went in further. I tried shutting the drawer again. It almost worked. I bent down to see what was stopping it this time, and discovered more sock was sticking out on the left side. With my finger I managed to push it in, then I lifted the drawer a little and by jiggling it slightly from left to right, it slowly went the rest of the way in. I sighed in relief. My mission was accomplished.
I don't think I'll ever get that drawer open again.
We all have those kinds of drawers in our lives. Whether it be the odds and ends drawer that we stick everything, that we don't know what to do with, in, or whether it be the drawer with all the papers you told yourself you’d like to look at later or the sock drawer with all the mismatched socks from the last 18 years of our life. None of us really want to look in the drawer. We'd rather just stuff things into it and then leave them there. Those drawers scare us. We're cowards. Truly we are.
So...you're probably wondering why I'm teling you about my stupid, sock drawer dilemma. I'll clear up your confusion....
Somehow that incident this morning reminded me of more than just the fact that I am being extremely slothful when it comes to taking care of that drawer. Habits that we act out in our daily lives also mimic the habits we can live out in our heart. Often times when God convicts me of something, instead of properly taking care of it, I’d rather just stick it in the miscellaneous drawer to deal with later. Every time I add something else to that “drawer” I find myself more and more miserable and every time it gets harder and harder to try and deal with the problem. The only way to solve the problem is to take the drawer the whole way out, dump everything over, expose and go through it, piece by piece, deciding what is worth keeping and what should be thrown. Only then can things be put back in an orderly fashion and only then will the drawer operate like it’s supposed to and close with ease. The problem is… going through the drawer takes time. It takes effort. It takes a willingness to get rid of things you really don’t need but that you’d like to hang on to anyways. So instead, we just keep cramming things into our “drawers” to deal with later and as long as we can get the drawer shut so that nobody sees the mess inside, we can go on about our day without anyone being the wiser. The problem is…eventually the drawer is going to have to be dealt with.
After all, I’m going to have some mighty cold feet tomorrow if I don’t figure out how to get my drawer open by then.
Chrystal
I don't think I'll ever get that drawer open again.
We all have those kinds of drawers in our lives. Whether it be the odds and ends drawer that we stick everything, that we don't know what to do with, in, or whether it be the drawer with all the papers you told yourself you’d like to look at later or the sock drawer with all the mismatched socks from the last 18 years of our life. None of us really want to look in the drawer. We'd rather just stuff things into it and then leave them there. Those drawers scare us. We're cowards. Truly we are.
So...you're probably wondering why I'm teling you about my stupid, sock drawer dilemma. I'll clear up your confusion....
Somehow that incident this morning reminded me of more than just the fact that I am being extremely slothful when it comes to taking care of that drawer. Habits that we act out in our daily lives also mimic the habits we can live out in our heart. Often times when God convicts me of something, instead of properly taking care of it, I’d rather just stick it in the miscellaneous drawer to deal with later. Every time I add something else to that “drawer” I find myself more and more miserable and every time it gets harder and harder to try and deal with the problem. The only way to solve the problem is to take the drawer the whole way out, dump everything over, expose and go through it, piece by piece, deciding what is worth keeping and what should be thrown. Only then can things be put back in an orderly fashion and only then will the drawer operate like it’s supposed to and close with ease. The problem is… going through the drawer takes time. It takes effort. It takes a willingness to get rid of things you really don’t need but that you’d like to hang on to anyways. So instead, we just keep cramming things into our “drawers” to deal with later and as long as we can get the drawer shut so that nobody sees the mess inside, we can go on about our day without anyone being the wiser. The problem is…eventually the drawer is going to have to be dealt with.
After all, I’m going to have some mighty cold feet tomorrow if I don’t figure out how to get my drawer open by then.
Chrystal
Getting out into the Sun
Change in Christlikeness is not something we do to ourselves. It happens supernaturally through the working of the Holy Spirit when we expose ourselves to Gods Word and He reveals to us His glory. A fair-skinned man who is not tanned as much as he would like can do only one thing- spend more time in the sun. In fact, if a dark tan is truly important to him, he will not be watching the clock to see whether his "fifteen minutes" of time in the sun is up; he will be watching his skin to see whether it is the color he wants. If he wants a darker tan than his time in the sun today, he will look at what he has to do tomorrow to see whether he can postpone or eliminate anything in order to spend more time in the sun.
In the same way, a believer who is not manifesting godliness in some area of is life can do only thing- spend more time in the Word asking God to illuminate his mind and heart. Believers who have very little "tan" are revealing their limited exposure to the glory of God. If we aren't spending time "walking in the light" our "untanned" (unchanged) lives will show that our walk has been mostly in darkness. If we truly want more change in our lives, we will look at what is on our agenda today to see whether anything can be postponed or eliminated so that we can spend more time being exposed to the glory of God. We won't be watching the clock; we will be watching for the effect of the glory of God in our lives.
(Jim Berg)
In the same way, a believer who is not manifesting godliness in some area of is life can do only thing- spend more time in the Word asking God to illuminate his mind and heart. Believers who have very little "tan" are revealing their limited exposure to the glory of God. If we aren't spending time "walking in the light" our "untanned" (unchanged) lives will show that our walk has been mostly in darkness. If we truly want more change in our lives, we will look at what is on our agenda today to see whether anything can be postponed or eliminated so that we can spend more time being exposed to the glory of God. We won't be watching the clock; we will be watching for the effect of the glory of God in our lives.
(Jim Berg)
February 3, 2009
Birthday Greetings!
Happy 18th Birthday Ryan Marrie! How does it feel to officially be an adult? ;) Thanks for being a part of the youth group. We'll be praying for you in the coming year as you graduate and seek to follow Gods leading for the future.
February 2, 2009
Handy Little Chart
God has a positive answer:
You say: "It's impossible" God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)
You say: "I'm too tired" God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: "Nobody really loves me" God says: I love you (John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )
You say: "I can't go on" God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: "I can't figure things out" God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5- 6)
You say: "I can't do it" God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)
You say: "I'm not able" God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: "It's not worth it" God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )
You say: "I can't forgive myself" God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: "I can't manage" God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)
You say: "I'm afraid" God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)
You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated" God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)
You say: "I'm not smart enough" God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: "I feel all alone" God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
You say: "It's impossible" God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)
You say: "I'm too tired" God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: "Nobody really loves me" God says: I love you (John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )
You say: "I can't go on" God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: "I can't figure things out" God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5- 6)
You say: "I can't do it" God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)
You say: "I'm not able" God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: "It's not worth it" God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )
You say: "I can't forgive myself" God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: "I can't manage" God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)
You say: "I'm afraid" God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)
You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated" God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)
You say: "I'm not smart enough" God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: "I feel all alone" God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
January 27, 2009
Reveling in the Greatness of my God
Isaiah 41:10, 13-14 - “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob,(I love how he puts us in our proper place ;) and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Did you notice how many times it mentions me doing something (other than telling me not to fear)? Not once does it say that Chrystal will do this or Chrystal will do that. All throughout these verses God says “I” will or ”I” am….God is the ONLY One who I can safely place my trust in. Not my friends, not my family and not even in myself. God has promised to uphold and strengthen me and it doesn’t depend one little bit on who I know or on the things that I do!
In the book of Nehemiah the people are reminded of all the things that God did for them. God saw their afflictions, He he heard their cry at the Red Sea, He showed signs to Pharoah, He divided the sea before the people, He threw their persecutors into the deeps of the waters, He led them by a cloudy pillar by day and a pillar of fire by night, He gave the ten commamndmens, He gave them bread when they were hungry and water when they were thirsty, and finally He kept His promise about giving them the land. (Ch. 9) And yet, you won't believe what the people did... They made a molten calf and verse 18 says that they actually said "This is thy god that brought thee up out of Egypt!" Are you kidding me?!?! If that had been me and they had tried to give the credit to a calf, that they themselves had made, after all I had done for them, they'd have been smoked! Yet Vrs. 19 shows Gods response. "Yet Thou in Thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show the light, and the way wherein they should go." God's mercy is absolutely mind-boggling. God is faithful to us even we aren't faithful to Him. What we do does not affect what God does! Praise the Lord! I would pretty much be beat into pulp by now if that weren't the case! ;)
However, I have often wondered why God continues to uphold and sustain me, when He knows that I will continue to fail Him? The answer comes in Nehemiah 6:16- "And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes; (They suddenly didn't see themselved as quite so strong and mighty)for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God!" and Isaiah 41:20 also gives us the answer...“That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.” God does it to bring glory to Himself. Because we know, and are continually shown, that we as humans have no strength to win spiritual battles, to save someone from hell, to have the peace we need when going through a rough time, etc., the only thing that we can conclude is that it is all God! So many times we like to think that we had something to do with winning a spiritual battle or bringing a soul to Christ etc., when in reality it was all God; demonstrating His greatness to us, as He allowed us to be a part of a very special plan. When we try to take the credit for what He has done, we are defeating the very purpose for which God has created us; to bring ALL the Glory to Him!
We serve an incredible God!
Chrystal
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer and higher and greater will be
Our wonder, our worship, when Jesus we see!
In the book of Nehemiah the people are reminded of all the things that God did for them. God saw their afflictions, He he heard their cry at the Red Sea, He showed signs to Pharoah, He divided the sea before the people, He threw their persecutors into the deeps of the waters, He led them by a cloudy pillar by day and a pillar of fire by night, He gave the ten commamndmens, He gave them bread when they were hungry and water when they were thirsty, and finally He kept His promise about giving them the land. (Ch. 9) And yet, you won't believe what the people did... They made a molten calf and verse 18 says that they actually said "This is thy god that brought thee up out of Egypt!" Are you kidding me?!?! If that had been me and they had tried to give the credit to a calf, that they themselves had made, after all I had done for them, they'd have been smoked! Yet Vrs. 19 shows Gods response. "Yet Thou in Thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show the light, and the way wherein they should go." God's mercy is absolutely mind-boggling. God is faithful to us even we aren't faithful to Him. What we do does not affect what God does! Praise the Lord! I would pretty much be beat into pulp by now if that weren't the case! ;)
However, I have often wondered why God continues to uphold and sustain me, when He knows that I will continue to fail Him? The answer comes in Nehemiah 6:16- "And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes; (They suddenly didn't see themselved as quite so strong and mighty)for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God!" and Isaiah 41:20 also gives us the answer...“That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.” God does it to bring glory to Himself. Because we know, and are continually shown, that we as humans have no strength to win spiritual battles, to save someone from hell, to have the peace we need when going through a rough time, etc., the only thing that we can conclude is that it is all God! So many times we like to think that we had something to do with winning a spiritual battle or bringing a soul to Christ etc., when in reality it was all God; demonstrating His greatness to us, as He allowed us to be a part of a very special plan. When we try to take the credit for what He has done, we are defeating the very purpose for which God has created us; to bring ALL the Glory to Him!
We serve an incredible God!
Chrystal
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer and higher and greater will be
Our wonder, our worship, when Jesus we see!
January 26, 2009
Be Still My Soul
1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.
4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.
4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
January 21, 2009
far far away....
Hey, i was looking at all the posts you guys have put on the blog and there are ALOT of them, and then i started looking for the last thing i posted, so i found one and i posted it like....a year ago.it's just been so tough, trying to get up and have my time with God, and i feel so far away from Him.i think quizzing will help me get back on track with God and if you guys could just pray for me, and pray that i would have my time EVERY DAY with God.
YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST YOUTH GROUP EVER!!!!!!! and our youth leaders aren't that bad either haha just kidding youth leaders! =)
Zach R.
YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST YOUTH GROUP EVER!!!!!!! and our youth leaders aren't that bad either haha just kidding youth leaders! =)
Zach R.
Are you Man's, Man?
Galations 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Do you want to be man's man or Christ's servant, obviously Paul chose to be God's servant, and look what happened to his life!
An obvious comparison is David and Saul. Saul was Man's favorite guy, good looking, tall, strong, and ended up being a known as a bad king. David was Christ's servant, tho not perfect but, known as a man after God's own heart!
Jordan
Do you want to be man's man or Christ's servant, obviously Paul chose to be God's servant, and look what happened to his life!
An obvious comparison is David and Saul. Saul was Man's favorite guy, good looking, tall, strong, and ended up being a known as a bad king. David was Christ's servant, tho not perfect but, known as a man after God's own heart!
Jordan
Are you Man's, Man?
Galations 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Do you want to be man's man or Christ's servant, obviously Paul chose to be God's servant, and look what happened to his life!
An obvious comparison is David and Saul. Saul was Man's favorite guy, good looking, tall, strong, and ended up being a known as a bad king. David was Christ's servant, tho not perfect but, known as a man after God's own heart!
Jordan
Do you want to be man's man or Christ's servant, obviously Paul chose to be God's servant, and look what happened to his life!
An obvious comparison is David and Saul. Saul was Man's favorite guy, good looking, tall, strong, and ended up being a known as a bad king. David was Christ's servant, tho not perfect but, known as a man after God's own heart!
Jordan
January 18, 2009
Hey so I was listening to some music today. And I came across this song that really spoke to my heart. And also was really a song that really show my stand point on music. this is the part that really stood out to me "I'm gonna raise my voice like thunder and leave the world in wonder of the change. The change in side of me and I will never stop believing that You are the reason for this change. the change inside of me. So there it is that's why I do what I do.
Jacob V
Jacob V
January 16, 2009
My study on Ruth....
I have been doing a study on the book of Ruth for the past few days.... I have done it before, but never in depth with commentaries or anything. I am finding it very interesting, and very rewarding! And even though I'm sure both genders can get something out of the book of Ruth, this post is def. from a girls prospective (mine..lol...), so you girls will probably find it more interesting! ;)
The thing that stuck out probably the most, was that in chapter 3 verse 11, Boaz tells Ruth that "all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman". I mean she was a new comer, and she did nothing to draw attention to herself, and yet because of her attitude on life and her kind spirit, all the city knew that she was a great Godly woman! What a testimony!!! When Ruth and Naomi first came back, Naomi wanted to be called Mara (bitterness..) That was her testimony, and Ruth had lost her Husband as well, but she was not bitter. Another thing that i found kinda interesting is that even though Naomi said she was bitter, she still believed that it was God that allowed those things to happen in her life... she said "the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me" She was still acknowledging the sovereignty of God in her life, and she knew she must deal with it. These past few days I've been asking myself, am i the kind of woman that people look at and say "wow there is a virtuous woman"? Or, am I just like the rest? Another reason why this has been on my mind is because I've been reading a book by Elizabeth George called "Beautiful in God's eyes". the book was saying that God's standard of beauty is not our standard of beauty.. God is in a category by himself and so is his standard of beauty! But it also said don't ever be discouraged or feel overwhelmed by God's standard for beauty because He gives us, day by day, a lifetime to reach it! The Proverbs 31 woman was virtuous as well, and her price is far above rubies... Elizabeth George was saying that just as gems increase in value as time passes, we who are God's beautiful woman-his jewels-should too!!!! So what an encouragement to know that God does not expect me to be the perfect kind of woman as soon as i get saved, but He expects us to work at it, and over time, we will become the woman that he wants us to be! One of the neatest things was that King Lemuel's Mother fully expected him to find this kind of woman, we know that to be this kind of woman is attainable.. some people have this view of the Proverbs 31 woman as a fantasy, of a goal that could never be reached, but Ruth obtained it! And we can too!!!! Also, remember that "you are what you get". So if you want to get a good Godly guy someday, remember that you must be the right kind of girl! ( if there are any guys still reading at this point i think you can change things around and make your own applications.. ;) Anyways, I'll be praying for all of you out there to become the right kinda of woman/man that God wants you to be! Never lose sight of the goal!
Love in Christ,
Rachel
The thing that stuck out probably the most, was that in chapter 3 verse 11, Boaz tells Ruth that "all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman". I mean she was a new comer, and she did nothing to draw attention to herself, and yet because of her attitude on life and her kind spirit, all the city knew that she was a great Godly woman! What a testimony!!! When Ruth and Naomi first came back, Naomi wanted to be called Mara (bitterness..) That was her testimony, and Ruth had lost her Husband as well, but she was not bitter. Another thing that i found kinda interesting is that even though Naomi said she was bitter, she still believed that it was God that allowed those things to happen in her life... she said "the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me" She was still acknowledging the sovereignty of God in her life, and she knew she must deal with it. These past few days I've been asking myself, am i the kind of woman that people look at and say "wow there is a virtuous woman"? Or, am I just like the rest? Another reason why this has been on my mind is because I've been reading a book by Elizabeth George called "Beautiful in God's eyes". the book was saying that God's standard of beauty is not our standard of beauty.. God is in a category by himself and so is his standard of beauty! But it also said don't ever be discouraged or feel overwhelmed by God's standard for beauty because He gives us, day by day, a lifetime to reach it! The Proverbs 31 woman was virtuous as well, and her price is far above rubies... Elizabeth George was saying that just as gems increase in value as time passes, we who are God's beautiful woman-his jewels-should too!!!! So what an encouragement to know that God does not expect me to be the perfect kind of woman as soon as i get saved, but He expects us to work at it, and over time, we will become the woman that he wants us to be! One of the neatest things was that King Lemuel's Mother fully expected him to find this kind of woman, we know that to be this kind of woman is attainable.. some people have this view of the Proverbs 31 woman as a fantasy, of a goal that could never be reached, but Ruth obtained it! And we can too!!!! Also, remember that "you are what you get". So if you want to get a good Godly guy someday, remember that you must be the right kind of girl! ( if there are any guys still reading at this point i think you can change things around and make your own applications.. ;) Anyways, I'll be praying for all of you out there to become the right kinda of woman/man that God wants you to be! Never lose sight of the goal!
Love in Christ,
Rachel
January 12, 2009
then the things of earth grow strangely dim
The last few weeks have been hard for my family. My big brother Matt is going though a very tough time. His wife filed papers for divorce. As things keep happening to the
people around me I am once again reminded of the fact that none of us are in control
of our lives. I have been reading and thinking through the way that God is never changing and the way we praying does not move God to help us but rather puts us in a place to receive the blessing that He is already giving to us. This is mind blowing to me. and I am again reminded of the greatness of the God who saved me. That is just a small part of what God was sent my way since i last posted. So please pray for my brother and his wife, for no care is too deep for the hand of God to make whole.
I am so glad God has given me friends that care about me. I will try to post again sometime in the not too far future.
Jacob V
people around me I am once again reminded of the fact that none of us are in control
of our lives. I have been reading and thinking through the way that God is never changing and the way we praying does not move God to help us but rather puts us in a place to receive the blessing that He is already giving to us. This is mind blowing to me. and I am again reminded of the greatness of the God who saved me. That is just a small part of what God was sent my way since i last posted. So please pray for my brother and his wife, for no care is too deep for the hand of God to make whole.
I am so glad God has given me friends that care about me. I will try to post again sometime in the not too far future.
Jacob V
