Discovering a Love Beyond Compare

You hear it everywhere; you see it on television and in the movies; you read about it in books and magazines. Love. The world today is on a desperate search for it. However, so many people across the globe are left shattered, broken, and lonely because not only do they have a grave misunderstanding of the true meaning of love, they also search for it in all the wrong places.

Love, attention, and acceptance are things that we as humans cherish deeply; it’s how our Lord and Savior created us. We have a need and desire to have that special attention, to know someone loves and cares for us no matter what. These are not uncommon feelings, nor are they inherently ‘bad’. It is the misconception of where we will find this kind of love that leaves so many people in a state of confusion and frustration, and it creates baggage that is carried with us for life. Perfect love is not something we can find in another human being. Because of the fall, sin has entered the world and nothing and no one (save Christ) is perfect. However, perfect love has already been demonstrated to us. We have the opportunity to accept the perfect love of Someone who has truly given His all to us and for us. Ladies, do you want your knight in shining armor to come and rescue you? He has!! Do you want to feel that you are cherished deeply just the way you are? He does!! Do you want to know that someone is always thinking of you and will always be there for you? He will!! All we have to do is acknowledge and accept who He is and what He has done for us. Just let your mind dwell on that for a while and meditate on everything that our Savior willingly and joyfully sacrificed for us.

I have been reminded the past several weeks of just how much Jesus Christ has done and is continuing to do for me. Jesus didn’t ‘just’ come and die on the cross for our sins in order that we may receive salvation. Jesus Christ became a man; and is still a man today (in a glorified, risen body). He is God, and yet he took on flesh to become ‘one of us’. You want someone to understand whatever you’re going through? Jesus Christ understands because he went through it all!! He knows about pain, suffering, temptation, and He also knows about joy, happiness, and laughter. He not only died for us, He lived for us; and He continues to live for us.

Christ is, indeed, our all in all. But the beauty is that He knows and understands our human needs and desires for physical love, affection, and companionship, and He said “it is not good for man to be alone. I will make a help meet for him…and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” (Genesis 2:18 KJV) God created the sacred bond of marriage right from the start, and He created it not only to please ourselves, but to bring glory and honor to Him. The marriage union is a picture of the unity between Christ and His church. The love and commitment that is involved in the relationship between husband and wife is a picture of the love and commitment between Jesus Christ and those who have true faith in Him. What an awesome picture and testimony!

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the chruch, and gave himself for it" - Ephesians 5:25

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

"Let love be without dissimulation [hypocricy]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good" - Romans 12:9

New Beginnings

How Great Is Our God. This happens to be the title of the song I am listening to at the moment, and also the title of this past week's sermon. It is something that is altogether too easy to forget, take for granted, or simply not take the time to meditate upon. But if we just take a moment out of each day, close our eyes, and reflect on all that He is, all that He has done, and all that He will do, then perhaps our faith, trust, and love for Him will be strengthened more and more. He is bigger, greater, and more wonderful than our finite imaginations can ever dream, and because of His love for us - the people that He created in His image to fellowship with Him - He has given us the opportunity to see what forever feels like. What an amazing thought! When does eternal life begin? It starts now. It starts when we accept the free gift that Christ gave us when He died on the cross for our many transgressions, then rose the third day to sit on the right hand of God. He paid the price for us; He paid our ransom. And all He asks of us is to accept it. We cannot in any way earn our salvation; going to church, dressing in a certain manner, 'doing good things', does not make us a Christian, nor does it gain you a passage into forever. When we accept Christ as our Savior, our lifstyle will reflect our love for Him and our desire to be obedient to His perfect will. In Christ alone, we will find true joy, fulfillment, and peace in our lives. This doesn't mean that life is going to always be easy; we hit roadblocks, we stumble, and we make mistakes. But we find true love, forgiveness, and strength in the Savior who will always be there for us. What comfort!!
Life is full of new beginnings. Birth, school, jobs, marriage, and on and on it goes. This past year, 2010, has been a year full of new beginnings for my life. My sister's marriage and move to Indianapolis, my amazing relationship with Luke, church responsibilities, changes at work,etc. With each wave in my humble life, I have been learning to go with the tide; when the boat rocks and rolls, instead of allowing it to dump me overboard, I shift with the movement, feeling the surge of each tide, but keeping my feet grounded on the floorboards. The tide will soon grow calm, and smooth sailing will come again for a time before the next wave. Instead of shrinking from life's transitions, we need to face them boldly, confidently, and joyfully, knowing that they are ultimately good and for our growth and development. And what is life without growth?

One incredible Author - apparantly He's still writing my story....ending unknown.

It's been so long since I've allowed myself to get lost in a novel. To just sit back, forget the cares of the world for a moment, and simply feel the story come alive with all of its adventure, emotion, and happily-ever-afters. As I focus on each sentence, I slowly drift into another life, becoming the character that is so brilliantly described and illustrated. I am suddenly transported to a new place, a new time, a new adventure-filled life, and I allow my imagination to run wild and free. It is comforting, freeing, blissful.
This life that the Lord has granted us is a beautiful one, don't get me wrong. Sometimes, though, the weight of the world's sin and degradation can become quite a burden and cause worry lines to form on our foreheads. To be able to every now and then allow ourselves the opportunity to forget our current troubles and enjoy the skills of a brilliant author is good and healthy, I believe. Especially if we can do so with the greatest book ever written. Too often, we look at the Word as simply a 'rulebook', an 'historical textbook', etc., instead of seeing it as God's letter to each and every one of us, recounting His undying love, His provision, and His care and concern for His people. The comfort, freedom, and bliss that comes from accepting this truth is beyond our imagination.
Because of this reality in my life, I need not worry or fret over daily struggles or problems (though ashamedly, I do). I can trust that the Lord will not give me any more than I can handle with His strength. Sometimes I may think that He's pushing the limit, but He knows best and He proves his care and love for me with each passing moment. Even with the struggle I went through yesterday during my illness and seizures, the Lord was strengthening me and teaching me. I had to learn humility, to surrender my will to His, to trust that God was in control. There were a few brief terrifying moments in which I lost all control, physically, mentally, and emotionally. All I could think of was "Lord, is this it? Will I wake up? If I do, will I still be the same? Lord, what's going on?!". God is glorified in my weakness, for it proves His strength and mercy. I am only human, but He is my Lord, my ultimate Protecter and Provider. He will not leave me or forsake me. Never.

A New Chapter in Life

Life is such an amazing journey. God takes us through so many various landscapes each and every day, and I am continually in awe of His grace and love. We experience the height of mountains, the depth of valleys, the peace of a beautiful sunset, the lonliness of deserts, the awesome love of each sunrise, and the comfort of country cornfields. The Lord has so much in store for His children each and every day, and we need to embrace that concept, learn how to personally experience Him, and share that experience with others. At the moment, I feel as though I am on a mountain watching a gorgeous sunset, with cornfields in the distance. :) Because I surrendered to Him, gave up my will for His perfect will, and trusted that He will guide and direct me, I have had the joy to begin a courtship with a wonderful, Godly man named Luke Blakeslee. The Lord has blessed me in unimaginable ways through Luke and it is my prayer that as we spend more time together, the Lord will be glorified through us and that we may be a good testimony for Him.
The past couple weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster for me; my sister's beautiful wedding, her new life with Andrew, her physical absence in my everyday life, my new relationship with Luke, and now his physical absence in my everyday life due to college.
Whew, what a ride!!
But in thinking about all that has transpired over the past couple weeks, I am reminded of several verses. One being James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." I truly needed wisdom over the past five or six months at least, and it's been my constant prayer for wisdom and guidance. My faithful Lord provided that wisdom, and all I needed to do was have faith that He will lead me in the way I should go. The Lord has also taught further lessons on patience the past several months. We always want the desires of our hearts to be fulfilled instantly and we sacrifice so much joy and happiness when we set God's control aside and try to manage on our own. We need to recognize that God has great and wonderful plans for our lives if we just trust in Him. And I am eager to see what God has in store for my future. I will commit to focusing on becoming a woman worthy of a relationship with a man such as Luke.

Consider It All Joy, My Brethren

"I paused today and gave some thought,
To the many trials that life has brought.
The hardships, the cares, the memories I've had,
Made me blue and very sad.
I thought as to why, this all happened to me,
A good and fair person I've tried to be.
I was now at the point of selfish pride
That kept me from seeing the brighter side.

I looked to the Heavens, up in the sky,
Where I know God dwelled, up there on high.
I said to Him in a weakly voice,
I'm finished. I'm done. I have no choice.
I cannot go much further now.
The time has come, my head to bow.
The trail seems dark and it's a narrow way,
I've failed again, even by day.

Suddenly a dazzling light did appear,
And a small quiet voice came to my ear.
It said, my son, did you not know,
That I test all people down below.
If the peace of my Kingdom you wish to see,
Take my hand and follow me.
Lift up your head and don't be blue,
With your hand in mine I'll see you thru.

When the world seems cruel and life is hard,
Your burdens are heavy and you feel so tired.
Look up to Me and squeeze my hand,
I'll lift you up so you can stand.
And the trials of life will be so light,
That you can accept them in sheer delight.
Then your world will be full of cheer,
If you'll just remember, your God is near."

Written on 6/21/62
By Norris W. Wells, my great-grandfather

Clear the Decks!

I read an interesting article on boundless.org this evening. It was regarding our availablity and readiness to take an active role in the opportunities God throws our way. God desires for us to be prepared for whatever He may have in store for us in the future. Therefore, we cannot allow our life to become 'cluttered' with things or activities that may hinder our availability to be used by Him. I am a neat-freak, so my surroundings are rarely cluttered, but what about the activities, thoughts, and actions throughout my day? Do I allow my life to become cluttered with daily cares and concerns, thus overlooking many opportunities to further the gospel? The term 'clear the decks' is a naval term, used by sailors when they were to prepare for action or battle. When they heard their officers shout 'clear the decks!', they were to toss aside any chairs tables, and other items so that the deck was completely free of any obstacles. This is how we should be prepared for the opportunities that God brings into our lives. Hebrews 12 states "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." In order to ready ourselves to 'run' for God, we must toss aside anything that could hinder us in accomplishing the things Christ desires of us. And this includes the sin that so often clutters our lives. I wish to be ever ready to be used of Him, though I am entirely unworthy.

A Beautiful Evening

It was a gorgeous night tonight. The way the lightning bugs set the field ablaze with their golden sparkles, and the sounds of the soft popping and thundering of fireworks proved that it is, indeed, summer here in Indiana. The sun set softly and peacefully in the western sky, reminding me that a work week has gone by and it is now time to enjoy a small amount of leisure. The familiar smell of hay, leather, and horseflesh greeted me at the door of the barn as I strolled out to do the evening chores. Walking back up to the house, I decided to sit a while on our new swing and enjoy the beautiful summer evening air. I was able to see Wawasee's fireworks very clearly from where I sat, so I rocked slowly while taking in the splendor. Seeing splashes of color burst over the treeline is a thrilling scene, especially when set off by a nice big cornfield and country dirt road. Finally, the bugs forced me to go indoors for the finale, but it was still an amazing show. Aahhh, how I love summer nights in the country...