01 6 / 2012

"I asked God for strength, that I might achieve – I was made weak, that I might learn to humbly obey. I asked God for help that I might do greater things – I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. II asked for riches, that I might be happy – I was given poverty, that I might be wise. I got nothing I asked for – but everything I had hoped for. Despite myself, my prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed."

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01 6 / 2012

"If you would test the character of anything, you only need to enquire whether that thing leads you to God or away from God."

Watchman Nee

29 5 / 2012

Quotes

“Welcome O Life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race.”

-James Joyce (From “The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”)

This has to be my favorite quote from any literature I’ve ever read for an english class.  I came across it randomly again as I was in a bookstore, and I just got really emotional for some reason. Memories…? of those days that I had all the time in the world to lose myself in a good book? 

Well those days are back. Yay for no classes during the spring/summer semester!

My reading list is going to at least get partially accomplished. 

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29 5 / 2012

Hey, God.

hislovesaves:

Can you continue to blow us away with your love, so that people will wonder why we’re always up in the air in joy, and come to know You deeply and intimately, too?

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25 5 / 2012

this looks…. wow. 

this looks…. wow. 

(Source: daydreamsspoken, via follytotheworld)

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24 5 / 2012

It’s time to stop comparing…

Ah, comparing, comparing, comparing.

Comparing myself to others in terms of abilities, personalities, and etc. I do it all the time, always have. I am pretty sure that this is one of the things that is deeply rooted in me. Ever since I was young, I would compare myself unhealthily to my younger brother. This created in my mind that feeling of always having to measure up, just to obtain some sort of approval, from teachers, from parents, from peers, you name it. 

This past week, I had a mini-mental-meltdown. So I’m on the publications team at my church. Funny thing is, the pubs team wasn’t even my first choice, I got placed there. But of course, the thing about a ministry team is that it’s not where you serve that’s important, it’s the heart behind the act of service. In an effort to find that in myself, I went along with it. And I was (and still am) really excited about this because I’m learning so much.

But this past week, I’ve just been assaulted by all these thoughts of how I can’t match up to these other people on the team; they’re either graphic designers or they have had previous visual art experience in some way (OR they really really really wanted to join the team, unlike me- I was more indifferent to the entire thing). I feel inadequate, kind of useless. Though I’m trying my best to learn to use photoshop/illustrator, and I’m striving to learn how to see things with a “design” eye, to view things with that pubs lens, I still feel like I’m not very artistically talented. 

And that’s when it becomes all about me. The truth is that it’s not about me, not about whether or not I can match up. Jesus died for me. He DIED for me, thus saying to me that the me he sees, the me that God formed and created, is enough. I am enough.

Funny thing is, though I know all these things with my head, when am I going to start living it out? When are my actions and even my thoughts going to reflect the truth I know as “head knowledge”?

—-

God, please help me. My fickle heart likes to invite lies in. These depressing thoughts of constantly needing to compare or match up to other people are not what you intended a daughter of yours to be assaulted by. Help me to start living out the truth. 

[5.24.2012]

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24 5 / 2012

jspark3000:

I started a sermon series last Sunday on enduring through hard times (you can check it here), and wanted to share some of those truths on trials.


1) A trial is a specific season of suffering that God allows for your good and His Glory. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 7:13-14

God has preordained…

I particularly like # 3. 

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23 5 / 2012

spiritualinspiration:

Bible Verses About RelationshipsDating, Friendship, Marriage, Families, and Fellow Christians

Our earthly relationships are important to the Lord. God the Father ordained the institution of marriage and designed for us to live within families. Whether we’re talking about friendships, dating relationships, marriages, families, or dealings between brothers and sisters in Christ, the Bible has a great deal to say about our relationships with one another. 

Dating Relationships
Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (NLT)

Song of Solomon 4:9
You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. (ESV)

Romans 12:1–2
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (NASB)

1 Corinthians 6:18
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. (NLT)

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” (ESV)

2 Corinthians 6:14–15
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? (NLT)

1 Timothy 5:1b-2
…Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. (NLT)

Husband and Wife Relationships

Genesis 2:18–25
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” … So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (ESV)

Proverbs 31:10–11
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. (NLT)

Matthew 19:5
…and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ … (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 7:1–40
…Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control … Read entire text. (NKJV)

Ephesians 5:23–33
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her … In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself … and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Read entire text. (ESV)

1 Peter 3:7
In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. (NLT)

Family Relationships
Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (NLT)

Leviticus 19:3
“Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.” (NIV)

Deuteronomy 5:16
“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (NIV)

Psalm 127:3
Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. (NLT)

Proverbs 31:28–31
Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. (NLT)

John 19:26–27
When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home. (NLT)

Ephesians 6:1–3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” (NKJV)

Friendships

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. (NKJV)

Proverbs 18:24
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. (NLT)

Proverbs 27:6
Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. (NLT)

Proverbs 27:9–10
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s. When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance. It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away. (NLT)

General Relationships and Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (NLT)

Matthew 5:38–42
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (ESV)

Matthew 6:14–15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (ESV)

Matthew 18:15–17
“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.” (NLT)

1 Corinthians 6:1–7
When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life.

If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers! Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? (NLT)

Galatians 5:13
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (ESV)

1 Timothy 5:1–3
Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. (NLT)

Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works … (NKJV)

1 John 3:1
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. (NLT)

spiritualinspiration:

Bible Verses About Relationships
Dating, Friendship, Marriage, Families, and Fellow Christians

Our earthly relationships are important to the Lord. God the Father ordained the institution of marriage and designed for us to live within families. Whether we’re talking about friendships, dating relationships, marriages, families, or dealings between brothers and sisters in Christ, the Bible has a great deal to say about our relationships with one another.


Dating Relationships

Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (NLT)

Song of Solomon 4:9
You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. (ESV)

Romans 12:1–2
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (NASB)

1 Corinthians 6:18
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. (NLT)

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” (ESV)

2 Corinthians 6:14–15
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? (NLT)

1 Timothy 5:1b-2
…Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. (NLT)

Husband and Wife Relationships

Genesis 2:18–25
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” … So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (ESV)

Proverbs 31:10–11
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. (NLT)

Matthew 19:5
…and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ … (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 7:1–40
…Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control … Read entire text. (NKJV)

Ephesians 5:23–33
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her … In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself … and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Read entire text. (ESV)

1 Peter 3:7
In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. (NLT)

Family Relationships

Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (NLT)

Leviticus 19:3
“Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.” (NIV)

Deuteronomy 5:16
“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (NIV)

Psalm 127:3
Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. (NLT)

Proverbs 31:28–31
Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. (NLT)

John 19:26–27
When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home. (NLT)

Ephesians 6:1–3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” (NKJV)

Friendships

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. (NKJV)

Proverbs 18:24
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. (NLT)

Proverbs 27:6
Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. (NLT)

Proverbs 27:9–10
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s. When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance. It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away. (NLT)

General Relationships and Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (NLT)

Matthew 5:38–42
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (ESV)

Matthew 6:14–15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (ESV)

Matthew 18:15–17
“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.” (NLT)

1 Corinthians 6:1–7
When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life.

If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers! Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? (NLT)

Galatians 5:13
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (ESV)

1 Timothy 5:1–3
Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. (NLT)

Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works … (NKJV)

1 John 3:1
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. (NLT)

Permalink 3,234 notes

19 5 / 2012

Gossip masked by the term “Girl Talk”

Alright, so I know I haven’t really written anything in here for a while, and that’s because I currently have tons of thoughts going through my head. But yeah, I’ve been thinking about the specific content of this post a lot recently in the past week. It goes something like this:

I’ve never been that good with girls; I grew up with a brother. So, I feel like it’s easier for me to relate to guys than it is for me to relate to girls. Back in high school, I was never really one to be privy to “girl-talk” or all that stuff…I was never the person that my girl-friends would go to if they wanted comfort or etc, because I just wasn’t that patient girl who could sit and listen for minutes upon minutes on end. 

To make a long story short, I really yearned for those kinds of relationships with my fellow sisters in Christ. And basically, God started growing those in my life like crazy this year. I finally felt like, HERE were girls that I could share God with! And just as an example, this whole year to the start of the spring/summer semester has already been filled with lots of girl time. 

BUT something that I started noticing a lot, is that girls sometimes don’t watch their words, myself included. It’s so easy to come together and talk about “struggles”/”where God fits into all of it,” especially struggles as it pertains to other girls or other people. But that, in turn, quickly becomes gossip. It is incredibly easy to mask gossip with the term “girl talk” - to fool yourself into thinking, “Oh, I’m sharing with a sister about my struggles, or what I see that’s wrong with this or that. It’s not really gossip.” 

I beg to differ. Ephesians 4:29 says: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” I continually read through this book all of last week, and I almost couldn’t believe that this verse didn’t stick out to me until the end of the week considering how much “girl talk” with the sisters I was present for. This verse makes me ask the questions, how many times have I gone to a sister with the initial intent of getting advice on some struggle, but then the topic turned into gossip, and how often has a sister come to me and done the same? Countless times.

This “girl talk” or sister-fellowship, or whatever you want to call it most of the time is really just gossip. I will agree that sometimes, it’s NOT gossip; it really does fall under building others up according to their needs. But a lot of the times, it turns into gossip because there’s a certain comfort we all get from talking and agreeing with each other on particular people or certain situations. I don’t want to try to pretend it’s not, but instead say it like it is. It’s unwholesome. It cuts down more than it builds up. So there we have it. Let’s stop talking about “that group” of girls who do “things that could be exclusive and hurtful to others,” or “that group” of guys who are immature or unedifying. In the end, we’re all sinners and in desperate need of a savior. 

And I’m sorry to all of you who I’ve participated in this with. I’ll be watching myself more closely from now on. 

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18 5 / 2012

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