Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Anticipation




As I am typing these words, my heart is racing and I have this rush of overwhelming relief flowing through my body. This feeling is so powerful that I might just cry right now. What in the world am I so emotional about? My handsome husband is on his way home from Iraq and our family will be reunited. Can I just say, I LOVE MY MAN! Anticipation! I can hardly get a grip on the fact that we will be together again in a matter of weeks.

So, of course this got me thinking about looking forward towards the future. I am the type of girl who is always jumping ahead and enthusiastic about the next big project or event. When that time comes, I throw myself in feet first and never look back. Its just how I operate. Some people would say that I am too passionate or too "worked up" about what I get involved in. But, now that I think about it, this character trait is what makes me so overwhelmingly excited about my future in Heaven...with Jesus!

This world is not the end for those who make Christ their Lord and King. Does this scare you or thrill you? Don't hear me say that we are not to make the most of our time here on earth while loving and serving our LORD with all of our mind, soul and strength (Matthew 12:30) If the thought of "this earth is not the end" frightens you, I encourage you to search the scriptures and ask the LORD to show you a sliver of what HE has in store for you in the eternal.

I'm dreaming of the day when I will see my KING face to face. No doubt that my heart will be exploding and HIS glory will blow my mind.

Ephesians 3:20-21
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Oh, and did I mention that I LOVE MY MAN?! The fact that we will get to worship Jesus together in Heaven is just the most amazing thing!



















Monday, September 7, 2009

Fun Stuff and Old Stuff

{fun stuff}

Check out She Seeks this week for an AWESOME giveaway contest. Help us spread the word about She Seeks and be entered in for a chance to win some fun prizes!












{old stuff}


Here is an old blog post from a couple of years ago. I will be working on getting back to a better blogging schedule very soon!


I got a hold of some great scripture cards that encourage praying specific scriptures and have been trying to memorize and pray a new scripture daily.

Today's verse:
" Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD will hear when I call to Him." Psalm 4:3

This verse is rich with so much meaning and is worth taking the time to look at what some of the words mean in Hebrew. In doing this, I get a tid bit of extra insight into what the writer of the Psalm was meaning when using that particular word. Alot of Hebrew words have deeper definitions than our English translation allows us to read.

The Hebrew for "set apart" means to be distinguished, to deal differently, to make a distinction. This means to me that God made me distinct from others and especially made me different from non believers. He sets apart His own to live godly, holy lives while holding us to a higher standard than the rest of the world. Once we become a follower of Christ, we are still going to mess up, but with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can live that godly, holy life that is on par with God's standards. This should be our aim everyday...

But, also take note of the fact that the LORD sets apart the godly FOR HIMSELF. He doesn't just pick us out of the crowd, and then sluff us aside to be forgotten. The LORD saves us for HIMSELF,for His pleasure and delight. Boy do I want to live to delight the LORD!

But, how do I actually delight the LORD? This brings me back to the Hebrew meaning of the word, "godly." It means to be merciful, faithful, kind, benevolent, and gracious. This definition does not cover the whole meaning of the word but it gives us an idea of what the LORD is looking for in godliness. Christ lived this example out for us and we can turn to the New Testament for further instruction on godliness.

LIVE IT OUT application:
In the meantime, what are ways that I can be more merciful, kind or gracious to those around me? What are some things I can do today to delight the LORD with my faithfulness? How can I act as one SET APART?

LORD, you are worthy of our praise and worthy of our godly actions. Show me, through your Holy Sprit, how to live my life as one set apart. My goal is to delight you and to also delight and have joy in You.