Lamentations 3:25-26

"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

~ Lamentations 3:25-26

Faith…Finding Enduring Boldness in Times of Suffering

By Kyrsten N. and Rebekah T. 

“And now, compelled by the spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.”

~ Acts 20:22-24

Paul's situation was inevitable – prison and hardships had faced him before, and he knew the pain of suffering (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-29). But instead of shrinking from this trial, Paul charged into it with faith and complete sacrifice of his own will. How can we display this same confidence that is from the Holy Spirit? Romans 8:17 says,

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

If there is a time of suffering, then there is always going to be a time of renewal – when everything is new again and the glory of Christ rewards us for our endurance. If we hold onto our faith in the midst of the struggle, then we will come out with an even stronger, bolder faith.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8

So this faith must not be a faith in ourselves, but in God, for we can do nothing without his strength.

In the seasons of good times, we must also build each other up and be strengthened by the Word. This takes commitment.

“Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My father will honor the one who serves me.” ~ John 12:25-26

Service is important. When a trial comes and you feel flustered and bogged down by the weight of the world, try serving others. It will take the focus off of you and put it on God, which is the only way we can endure through the struggles we face. (See John 13:14-17.)

“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in great conflict, full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” 

~ Hebrews 10:32-35

“Love eases pain, and when one loves God, one suffers for Him with joy and with courage...My pains and sufferings would be a paradise to me if I suffered them with God, and the greatest pleasures would be a hell if I enjoyed them without him. All my solace is to suffer something for him.” ~ Brother Lawrence

Thank you for sharing, Kyrsten and Rebekah! Blessings, Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

Splashes

On my way to work one morning, I pulled to a stop at a stop sign and turned on my blinker, preparing to turn left. Something caught my eye. On the side of the road, there was a huge puddle of water. In that puddle were fifty or more birds. They looked like sparrows. And they loved the water. Splashing their little wings they bounced up and down, in and out, enjoying the puddle.

For a moment, I waited at the sign, mesmerized by their joy. These little animals enjoyed the gift of this deep puddle, delighting in the water. I wished I could have stayed longer, but I knew I couldn't just sit there at the stop sign, so I turned and continued on my way to work.

I want to be like those sparrows. I want to splash in the joys of my life. If the birds hadn't been flitting in and out of the water, I wouldn't have noticed the puddle. But they noticed it. The puddle was their joy.

Splashing,
Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

Psalm 96:1-6

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary."

~ Psalm 96:1-6

Summer Update!

Summer is right around the corner! It's hard to believe! Time is flying by! 

This Summer I have the amazing opportunity to be a camp counselor at a Christian camp here in Michigan! I am so excited about the ministry opportunities the Lord has in store! In the upcoming Summer newsletter (coming soon!), I'll share more about how God has provided for this new ministry endeavor. When I get back, I can't wait to share all of my adventures with you! 

My verses for this Summer are Isaiah 26:3-4 and Isaiah 41:10. 

"You keep him in perfect peace

whose mind is stayed on you,

because he trusts in you. 

Trust in the Lord forever,

for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."
~ Isaiah 26:3-4

"Fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

~ Isaiah 41:10

In the meantime, I have scheduled some Summer posts for the blog and will be sending out the Summer newsletter soon. 

If you are ever interested in sharing about how the Lord has been working in your life for a Heart-to-Heart or a blog post, please let me know! I always enjoy featuring your thoughts and giving you the opportunity to encourage each other with what the Lord is teaching you! 

I hope you have an amazing Summer, full of fun, growth, ministry, and sunshine! 

Blessings to you all,

Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory! 

Photo Credit: Leanna B.

Isaiah 12:2

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the Lord God is my strength and my song,

    and he has become my salvation.

~ Isaiah 12:2 ~

He's Alive! And He's Perfect!

"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay." 

~ Matthew 28:6

Jesus is alive! He died and rose again, conquering sin and death forever and ever! We don't have to live in sin or in fear or in bondage. We can have victory through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord! Jesus died on the cross and rose again, cleansing us from sin and clothing us with His perfect righteousness forever.

During our Good Friday service, we took communion and had a time of reflection. As I prayed, it stuck me to the heart that, "He was perfect so that I don't have to be. He was perfect because He could be and I couldn't be."

I spend so much time trying to be perfect. I want to be a perfect daughter, perfect employee, perfect friend, perfect sister, and ultimately, a perfect Christian. But that's not what God wants me to focus on. He wants me to focus more on who He is and how perfect He is than on how perfect I am trying to be. Perfection is unattainable outside of Christ.

In Christ, I am made perfect. I am crucified to myself and I live in Him: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). My identity isn't wrapped up in my efforts of striving for perfection, but in His perfectly glorious holiness.

Because of His gift of life, I am going to put on the Lord Jesus (Romans 13:14), clothing myself in His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) instead dressing up in my dirty rags of trying to be good (Isaiah 64:6). I don't claim to know exactly what this will look like in my daily life, but I do know that turning my focus away from myself and trying to be perfect and instead fixing my eyes on Jesus and His perfection will change the way that I live. For when I am in Christ, His love controls me and I'm not living for myself, but for Him.

"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." 

~ 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Jesus is alive and Jesus is perfect! He died on the cross and rose again, conquering sin, conquering death, and giving us abundant life. His perfection is perfection. And He is alive, perfectly reigning forever and ever. Amen. 

Rejoicing,
Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory

Psalm 16:5-6

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

~ Psalm 16:5-6

Let Me Feel What You Feel, Lord

Emotions can be like a roller coaster. Sometimes we're happy, sometimes we're sad, sometimes we're worried, sometimes we're excited, and sometimes we're just "blah". While some of us are more emotional than others, we all have feelings.

I'm the kind of person who tends to deeply feel my emotions as well the emotions of others. As I thought about my tendancy to ride the roller coasters of my own and other people's emotions, I started to wonder, "Do I also feel what God feels?"

It's good to be aware of our own emotions and understand why we feel the way we do. It is also a good thing to be in tune to the emotions of others because it helps us to be sensitive to their needs. At the same time, how often are our feelings swayed by God instead of the feelings of others? How often are we caught up with how God feels about something rather than letting our own feelings lead us?

Our God is a God with vast, strong emotions. He feels love (John 11:36), He feels anger (Deuteronomy 4:21), He feels joy (Zephaniah 3:17), He feels jealousy (Exodus 34:14), He feels sorrow (Isaiah 53:3), He feels peace (Romans 15:33), and so much more! God's emotions are absolutely perfect in every way.

If we focus on His feelings, we are able to feel deeply ourselves and for others in healthy ways. As I've prayed that God would allow me to be in tune to how He feels more than I'm in tune to the emotions of other people or myself, I have realized that there I have many opportunities to put this into practice.

When I see a friend in a deep conversation with someone else and I want to talk with her, I can easily feel jealous or selfish. But instead of letting my emotions dictate how I feel, I can think about how God feels. My friend is investing in the life of another person and this is pleasing to God. Like Him, I want to feel pleased instead of jealous or selfish.

When things don't happen the way we want them to, feelings of frustration often arise. It is easy to become impatient, as some friends of mine did when we were stuck behind a train on the way to a concert. Instead of letting their frustration frustrate me, I decided to be thankful. I knew God would be pleased by us having more time to cultivate our relationships with each other, so I felt His joy, and sought to share it with my friends.

When I'm stressed because school deadlines are pressing (but not this week, since I'm on Spring Break! YAY!), I can quickly give in to those anxious feelings that knot up my stomach. But I don't have to, and instead I can think about how God takes pleasure in my hard work and in me surrending my time to Him, so I can feel pleasure in His grace.

When I'm making a decision, I don't have to base it on how I feel about the situation or how other people feel about the decision, but rather on how God feels. I can discern His feelings about my decision by the truth of His Word, seeking Him in prayer, and listening to the wisdom of people who will share the truth with me - not just their feelings.

When someone is excited about something, I can rejoice in their joy, as God rejoices with them and when a someone is sad about something, I can sorrow with them, as God sorrows with them. If my emotions are in tune to God's emotions, I can care for others with the care of Jesus Christ. The care of Christina can only go so far without running out, but God's care and concern will never run out.

What opportunities in your life do you have to focus on the emotions of God more than you focus on the emotions of other people or the emotions of your own heart? His feelings are perfect, because all His ways are perfect.

"This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God?— the God who equipped me with strength

and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer

and set me secure on the heights."

~ Psalm 18:30-33

When our feelings are based on His feelings, which are an overflow of His character, we have a rock solid foundation from which to feel our own emotions and to be sensitive to the feelings of others. 

Lord, help us to be like you. Give us your peace. Show us how to love with your love. Grant us your graciousness. Let us help those who are hurting with your help. Put your song into your hearts. Teach us to be angry at what angers you. Fill our lives with your joy. Guide us to feel what you feel. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Seeking to feel what He feels,
Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

1 John 4:19

"We love because he first loved us."

~ 1 John 4:19

Psalm 40:16

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

~ Psalm 40:16

Photo Credit: D.Book

He Thinks of Me

Standing on the choir risers, I tossed back my curls and opened my choir book, looking out over the sanctuary. As the music started, I took a breath and began to sing. We sang a medley that I was familiar with, so I was able to sing my heart out, praising the Lord to the words of "Above All" and the hymn "My Savior's Love". When we reached the end of the arrangement, we sang the words, "You took the fall, and thought of me, above all." Instantly, I remembered something I had read in my devotions the day before.

I had been reading Psalm 40 and when I reached the end, I came to this incredible verse: As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! (Psalm 40:11). When I read that yesterday, I was amazed. God thinks of me!

Isn't it incredible that we are on God's mind? As I realize what an amazing gift it is to be thought of by God, I am especially in awe that He thinks of someone like me, who is poor and needy, like the verse says. I am poor. He's rich. I am weak. He's strong. I am needy. He has everything. I am empty. He is full.

Despite my littleness, He takes thought for me. This knowledge makes me worship Him more. My awesome God reaches down into my life and cares about little me. I don't deserve His care or His thoughts. But He thinks of me. 

King David felt the same way! In Psalm 8, He wrote, O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! He continued in the following verses to praise God for His mighty works. Then he said, "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" Who are we that the Lord should be mindful of us? Who are we that the God of the universe should think of us?

We are His children (1 John 3:1), so He thinks of us as a good father thinks of his children. We are His bride (Isaiah 54:5), so He thinks of us as a good husband thinks of his bride. We are His sheep (Psalm 100:3), so He thinks of us as a good shepherd thinks of his sheep.

In His love, God takes thought for us. He is mindful of us. That's pretty amazing. We are loved and thought of by our awesome God. He is so good to us. 

Blessings,

Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

Revelation 21:5b

“Behold, I am making all things new.”

Revelation 21:5b

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, y'all! I hope today is full of love and laughter, food and presents, family and friends, lights and music, and the presence of the Lord. Our lives are so wonderful because of Jesus!

He's the reason we have love in our hearts and can laugh!
He's the reason we have food on the table and gifts to give.
He's the reason we have family and friends to share our lives with.
He's the reason we have lights (to remind us of His light) and music (to praise Him).
He's the reason that God is always with us!

Every good and perfect gift is from Him. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." ~ James 1:17

But you know what's even more amazing? The most good and perfect gift was Christ Himself. "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." ~ 1 John 4:9-10

Let's delight in this Christmas because of our amazing Lord Jesus Christ! 

Christmas Blessings,

Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

Believe!

Believe. It's a word we often see around us throughout the Christmas season. I have to admit, I get a little excited when I see it. After all, Christmas is all about believing in Christ, our great Savior, right? So, I'm thinking, "Yay! They believe in the reason for Christmas! They believe in Jesus!" But is that what people mean when they use the word "believe" at Christmastime? Maybe. Maybe not.

When some people talk about "believing" at Christmastime, they may be thinking about Santa. One of my coworkers told me that believing in Santa was such a magical part of Christmas for her as a child. So many parents try hard keep their kids believing in the jolly, fat man in the red suit as long as they can.

Others believe in people. They believe in family and friends, hoping people who won't let them down at Christmastime. It's during this time of year that people try to come together and put aside the conflict. They seek to make memories together.

Still others believe in "the spirit of Christmas", which makes everyone "say hello to friends you know, and anyone you meet". It's the time when people are extra nice and often happy. People give gifts and tell each other "Merry Christmas".

Yet these things sure are weak for believing in. They aren't trustworthy, because Santa isn't real, people aren't perfect, and the "spirit of Christmas" is often merely an emotion. True belief at Christmastime (and all year round) is in something so much more secure. So much more promising. So much more real. True belief is in Jesus! He came as a baby, sent by God, to save a people who were utterly lost. He grew up and died on a cross, then rose again, and ascended to heaven. That's what we can believe in.

But you know what the best part is? This hope and belief doesn't end when December 25th goes by! It lasts throughout the whole year. 2015 has been an incredible year for me. God has been so faithful and in Him, there is so much hope.

There were times this year when I was exhausted and crying. God was there. There were times when I was thoroughly enjoying the exciting things God had brought into my life, from people, to school projects, to music. He was there. There were times when I wondered if I would be able to complete the tasks before me. God was always right there. There were times I was laughing so hard that my ribs hurt. God was still with me. 

Whatever this year held for you, I hope it was full of belief and faith in our incredible God. Because He was there with you through the good times and bad.

Believe! But don't just "believe". Believe in Jesus Christ. He is God. This Christmas, and always, my friend, believe. Believe in our wonderful Lord Jesus. He is incredible. He is our hope and our belief. He is absolutely awesome!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

~ Isaiah 9:6

Believing,
Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

Lamentations 3:22-24

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; 

his mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning; 

great is your faithfulness. 

'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,

 'therefore I will hope in him.'"

~ Lamentations 3:22-24 ~

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! I pray that your day is blessed as you enjoy the many gifts of God in your life. Whatever today holds for you, I hope that you will be able to take a moment to thank Him for His gifts and praise Him for His goodness in your life.

There is so much I have to be thankful for today, but I am especially thankful for the wonderful presence of God in my life. I am also thankful for you, my readers, who are serving the Lord and loving Him along with me!

Let's enjoy today, a day full of food, people, love and more! And let's give thanks to the Lord with all our hearts. He is so good to us!

"I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, 

and I will glorify your name forever." ~ Psalm 86:12

Blessings, 

Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

Transformation

It felt like an instant transformation. I went to bed last night with the world outside looking like a typical Fall night. But this morning it was another story. Waking up, I saw a sign taped to my bookshelf, put there by my youngest sister. It said, "Happy Snow Day!" When I got out of bed, I opened the blinds and peered out the window. Everything was covered with snow. It was beautiful.

Later in the morning my siblings were out playing in the snow. I couldn't help but want to join them, so I put on my coat and gloves and boots and tread out into the beautiful snow, sneaking up behind my brother and chucking snowballs at him. Missing him many times, since my aim isn't very good, it was a few minutes before he realized I was trying to hit him with a snowball. When he turned around and saw me, a friendly battle ensued. It wasn't long before I got cold, so after trying to sled a bit, I made my way back inside.

All day today, I have enjoyed thinking about the snow outside. I love the feeling of being enclosed by the snow that surrounds our house. And when I walk past a window, I can't help but think how beautiful the world looks all covered with the glorious, pure, soft whiteness of the snow.

Snow transforms the world. And Christ transforms our lives. Do you ever think about how amazing it is that when we are saved, we are covered with the righteousness of Christ? I've been studying righteousness in one of my classes this semester and was so encouraged by thinking about how I am clothed with Christ's purity. When God looks at me, He sees the righteousness of Christ on my behalf. My sin is covered by the blood! Look at these marvelous words from the book of Romans:

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—
though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, 
much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, 
much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 
More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
through whom we have now received reconciliation."
 ~ Romans 5:6-11

Because I am saved, I am covered. Jesus' blood satisfied God's requirement for my sin. So I am transformed. My life is not my own. It is Christ's. When I think of how the snow transforms the world, I think about how God transforms my life. He is so good to me. I did nothing to gain His love and covering. But He called me out. I am forever His.

Are you transformed? Does Jesus' righteousness and cover you like the snow covers the world outside? May we together be forever grateful for this miraculous transformation of God in our lives!  

Transformed in Him,
Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

Ephesians 1:2

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

~ Ephesians 1:2

Peace Isn't An Emotion, But It Is

I don't know about you, but I often think of peace as an emotion; a feeling of restfulness and quietness of heart. But you know what? Peace is not an emotion. I think we get way too caught up with wanting to feel peaceful that we forget what peace really is.

Peace is knowing that God is in control of our lives no matter what (Romans 8:28). Peace is trusting that God is with us always (Isaiah 41:10). Peace is laying down our concerns at the feet of Jesus (Matthew 11:28). Peace is believing that we are forever secured in our salvation (John 10:29). Peace is resting in God's promises, knowing that He will keep His Word (Psalm 18:30). Peace is found in the Prince of Peace: Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6).

When we are truly resting in the peace of God, the emotions of rest and quietness will often follow. So in a sense, peace is an emotion. We can feel at peace. But there will be times when we don't feel at peace, but are still at peace in God.

Things in our lives will not be always peaceful and our emotions at times will be up and down. But in the midst of it all, we can find peace, if we seek it. Turning our focus back to what is important in those moments, we can rest in the truth about God. We need to turn our eyes back to Christ. Peace is a choice, by God's grace, to focus on the Lord, not an emotion based on what's going on in our lives. But the emotion of peacefulness often follows our focus on true peace, the peace of God.

When we stop trying to feel peaceful, and rather, focus on the things of peace that I mentioned above from God's Word, feelings of peacefulness will often result. While, on the other hand, if we try to feel peaceful by just trying to feel peaceful, there isn't really anywhere to go with that. If anything, we will only have a fleeting, unreal, fluffy peace that is dependant wholly on what's going on in our lives. But in Christ, our peace is secure, even in the most turbulent of times because it isn't built on an emotion. It is built on Him. This peace is real, steadfast, and strong. We can cling to Jesus Christ. He is our Peace.

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. 

The Lord be with all of you." ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:16

In His Peace,

Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!