How Easy..... And Yet How Hard...

Life takes many exciting turns. Sometimes it jumps with leaps and bounds, keeping us on the edge of our seat, and then other times, it meanders along, peacefully taking each gentle curve. One of my favorite set of paintings is called 'The Voyage of Life', by Thomas Cole. It's housed in the National Gallery of Art, in Washington D.C., and he does an amazing job of representing what life is like. You can view all four of them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voyage_of_Life

If you are like me, you have started the transition from the carefree life, portrayed in the "Youth" stage, to dealing with the trials of life, and actually working through everything, as portrayed in "Manhood." You have some of the worries of the second, but you still have that optimism from the first. Right about now is when we have the most dreams and ambitions for the future, and when most of those are usually crushed.

So what do we do about this? How do we maintain that optimism, that bright spirit, while still facing the real world? Is it even possible?

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like the world tells teens to not care. Live life for the eight years they are in high-school and college, and then after that, settle down to a job they will probably hate, a house with a mortgage, a wife we'll probably end up divorcing, and kids who will grow up, only counting the days until they turn 18. This is what the world wants to tell us about life, and how we are supposed to live it.

Fail. Epic fail.

So here's a thought: What if you had a job you actually looked forward too? Just to pick on one of those illusions of life. Some people say I'm weird, but I wake up in the morning, and I am happy to go to work! I truly enjoy my labors, and I look forward with great anticipation to being able to serve people! I see that as one way God has given me to use my talents and abilities, and I am able to glorify Him through the use of those said talents and abilities!

So here is just something to think about. Instead of dreading whatever you dread, whether it be school, or work, or exercising, or whatever! Instead of groaning, complaining, dreading, and postponing that said thing, look forward too it! Anticipate it with great joy! Think of that one thing as your way to glorify God! This is your purpose in life, to do ALL things as unto God, and He will bless you. In fact, He'll not only bless you, but He'll use those things you were dreading, and use them for His glory! How cool is that?

So now you have something a little bit more applicable... Now go do it!

~unclejoe

Accepting the Invite (A Post From Our Girl Overseas)

Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified Version)

You should know the drill.
Grab your Bible. Bring up a fresh tab on your computer.
Check the verse.

In your hands is something very special. No-I am not referring to the laptop or iphone ;) The verse- look at it like a coveted prize or reward. You normally don’t have to win a prize-it just randomly is dropped in your lap when you least expect it, or don’t dare hope you could have it, or can’t imagine deserving it. Its like that. Face it- you don’t deserve the contents of that verse. Neither do I.

So….we don’t deserve it, we don’t expect it, and you- be real here- you honestly can’t fathom it right now. This verse is an invite. And its Christ’s personalized invite to each of us-His Followers! You- yeah, you there! YOU: are so loved! You are a treasure trove of His gifting. You are chosen and set apart, and designed to glorify Christ through fulfilling your calling! Don’t allow the Enemy to bruise your talents with his lies. Don’t let him reap your reward-or sneak away that invite. ‘Cause-I’m telling ya: he sure will try. YOU are irreplaceable to Christ. Don’t underestimate yourself. And look at this invite He’s just laid in your lap!

Face up- Its time to get real. Try to soak that verse in: You are entitled to come FEARELESSLY, BOLDLY, CONFIDENTLY to the very THRONE of GOD and ask for mercy and grace. And your assured of receiving them in your exact time of need. That is something powerful. I don’t know about you: but that is hardcore-and should rock the rest of your day. I’m trying not to sound like some sales person-I am not selling this: I was just so thrilled when I took in the enormity of this verse: I had to share it with you.

So now I challenge you to do the same. Take it in. Accept the invite. Share with a friend who needs to take it in too. You’ll be glad you did. And then…again….run with it.

Run with that promise.
Others will see, and ask, and also take it in.
Don’t ignore the invite.
Don’t doubt it.
Its real.

Running with it too,
Blessings, (Jakarta, Indonesia)

~Bri

The Love of God: Chapter 5, What happens when you take your eyes off......

"I'm throwing myself at her! Doesn't she realize that I need help!!!???" I screamed into the air of the winter night. Frustrated, hurt, tired of being alone, and most of all, tired of pain. I had cried myself to sleep the night before, and was feeling far from secure in myself or my standing with God. My friends weren't helping either, no matter how loud my actions were, they seemingly weren't interested in helping me come up with a solution to my problem. My whole spirit seemed shut off. I could barely hear God, goodness, I could barely hear myself.

As I sat there on that cold balcony my spirits were at an all time low. Then, like a still small voice the answer I was seeking came to me. I had taken my eyes off love and put them on myself. With a little thought and help from the Holy Spirit, all the pieces fell into place. I had become snappish and angry, and unusually stressed. "Well DUH!!!" I wanted to shout. When you take your eyes off God, you also take your heart away from God too. Instead of living to please God, you live to fill your heart holes. What are heart holes? Spots in your heart that only God can fill. A lot of times we think people can fill these holes. So we grab them by the hair and attempt to stuff them into the mold. As you can imagine, all this results in is two tired people with broken hearts. And y'all I'm not just talking about dating relationships, or friendships with the opposite sex. I had and still have, several gal pals who I enjoy looking to as God. After all, they will listen to me, they're my friends. They will cry with me, give me advice and maybe even give me worship. Hey! They just might give me all I need. Catch the phrase that proves this equation false? "Maybe even give me worship."

In His word, the Lord says "worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." - Matthew 4:10. When we worship other people (aka giving them too much of our time, always trying to make them happy, thinking that their opinion is all that matters and they define us, etc.) we take from God what is rightfully His. He has done all the work here, He was the one who died on that cross, and more
importantly, HE CREATED US. Why do we spend so much time basking in the glow of the creature, instead of the creator? Here's another question to chew on. How many times do we fight for the spotlight?.................

I asked myself that question and was brought to the painful conclusion that I fought, a lot. But thankfully, along with that answer, came grace. God understands that I'm still learning, He's not expecting a perfect person. Just an apprentice, willing to learn. I needed to turn my eyes back on Love. Back on God. Back on the reason I became a Jesus Freak. I'll let you guys know what happens next. ;)

Having an eye adjustment,
Tess :)

P.S. Want to check out more about worship and what God says about it? Check out these verses. Pretty powerful.
http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=worship&qs_version=NIV

Peace out y'all! :)

The Power of Love

Lately, I've been doing a lot of what I, and anybody who does management, calls "big picture" thinking. Lately, I've been tending not to be so practical, but more overarching, with broad thoughts, and trying to get the spirit of whatever it is rather than what I need to do in the next few minutes or hours.

I think I'll continue in that tradition, with yet another broad "big picture" post. This time, it's about love. Love, kindness, giving, showing graciousness to people around you, and smiling.

The main idea is this: There are so many things that make us happy. But it seems like there are even more things that make us unhappy. we are constantly looking for things that are wrong, always wishing for things to be different, constantly striving for that "one thing" that will make us really happy.

But more than this, not only do we usually spend most of our lives unhappy, but we allow it to affect how we relate with other people. Think about it: How often have you assumed someone is just unhappy? Did you ever stop to think about what that person might be going through? Or do you just loath meeting or dealing with them? I know I very often forget to think about it, and allow my opinion of their general mood to determine how I interact with them.

The basic idea for today is this: With so many people unhappy, and so much hate in the world today, what if you just loved unconditionally? No matter what they do too you, if you just keep loving them, no matter what their attitude, their position in life, the type of car they drive, anything. Just put aside any judgement or characterization you might make of them, and just really appreciate and love them for who they are?

Just how much change could we affect? Just how powerful would it be if everyone thought positive thoughts?

I'll leave you with one final thought. Life is too short to spend unhappily. In the grand scheme of things, we are only here for a short while. Do we really want to leave behind a legacy of unhappiness and hate? Is that really how we want to be remembered?

So next time you're out and about, in your daily life, just try loving instead of hating. Try blessing instead of cursing. Life is short, so live it well. You only get one chance.

~unclejoe

The Love of God: Chapter 4, Encouragement

Ever have one of those days where you just want to die? Your exhausted with your fight against yourself, against the devil and against the world. Had one of those this week, :p God had been so good and gave me an incredible revelation that I hope to share with you soon! But Satan, with his usual (and annoying) swiftness, swooped in soon after and tried with all his might to steal my joy.

Here is part of an entry from my journal, "Well, a day of fight, joy. :p Yea, I'm really happy and so excited about his revelation, but there is still the fight against myself."

The devil had brought me pretty low, I'm sure you know how it feels. You feel sapped of joy. You know it should be there, but......it's not. At this point I picked up my Bible, sure that I was going to read some scripture about how I should be addressing my faults and stop being so, so, whatever. Now y'all don't get me wrong here, we are here on this earth to draw closer to God, and that means getting out junk out. But sometimes we misjudge God and think that all He is ever going to say it "You're wrong." That is what I was thinking at this point. To my UTTER surprise however, I turned to Psalms 27:6, which says, "And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy. I will sing, yea I will sing praised unto the Lord."

Needless to say, I was shocked, my jaw dropped and tears sprang to my eyes. God did care. He realized that I was trying hard to become like Him and He valued that. He loved me and understood my pain and frustration. Here is another verse He gave me that night that I would love to share with you, especially if you are feeling this way right now. It's Lamentations 3:22, I encourage you to look it up in your own Bible and read it with me. Let the power of God's love for you and the message of deep concern for you embedded in this verse seep into your every fiber. Let it flow through you. Believe it. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail." Wow, if Satan ever tells you that God doesn't care, throw this verse back in his face.

Y'all, you are powerful, and wonderful because of Jesus Christ, it's not a joke, it's the TRUTH. But it's only real, if you believe it. God can say it to you every day of your life, but if you don't believe it in your heart, it means nothing. It's just empty words on a page. But if you do believe it, if you do accept it, the love of Christ can be the most powerful weapon you could ever wield against the enemy. His hosts tremble at the very sight of it, and Satan himself will one day be eliminated by it. The love of Christ ladies and gentlemen, can change you lives forever. God loves you, really truly, loves you.

I'de thought I'de show the rest of the journal entry to let you know how my night ended. "God is there though, and He will 'lift my head above my enemies. Then I will offer up sacrifices of joy! I will sing; yea I will sing praises unto the Lord!' I pray God gives my strength to go through this winter. I know You (God) have a purpose for me here in winter."

You too my friend have a purpose here in the winter your going through. God is good! Believe it people! Don't ever doubt that He loves you and always has your best interest in mind. I hope you've been encouraged. :)

God loves you!!!!!! Always praying for you all, :)
Tess :)

Challenge for the week... Or month... Or year...

I don't know about y'all, but right about now, I usually start to get discouraged and depressed. The semester is starting to drag on... Work is fun, but you wish it would alter from it's predictability sometimes. Deadlines come, they go. All around us, nature is doing her work, and all the trees are losing their leaves, or are about too...

Everything just seems to slow down, and life seems to hang in the balance. As the year draws to a close, you gain a more objective view of life in general. You get to review everything you've done, the goals you set, victories, and accomplishments over the past 10 months.

Maybe it's me, but it seems like everyone usually ends up focusing on what they didn't do. Instead of a review of what you've accomplished, it becomes a rememberation of everything you still haven't done, that you need to do, or you wanted to do. If you are like me, you begin to think about everything that has gone wrong, everything that has separated you, everything that didn't go exactly as you planned. And in the end, you get really depressed. You become really sad.

Well, if you feel this way at all, I've got two verses for you:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

~Jeremiah 29:11

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

~Psalm 42:5

So, what will these two verses tell us? There are two main things we can learn:

1) We are completely and utterly out-of-control. In fact, David takes it as an assumption. He doesn't ask IF our soul is downcast, he asks why. He is assuming that we are depressed, and is basically saying, why???

2) For as much as we are out-of-control, God IS in control. For every doubt we have, for every misgiving we have, God knows exactly what is going on. Not only that, but He goes as far to ensure that the hairs on our head are numbered!

As teens living in the world, we are surrounded by examples of the very opposite emotions God expects us to have. Some of the biggest examples come from Hollywood. With movies like the Twilight series, and a culture obsessed with "emo," few people realize just how much they allow their emotions to control them. Not so much their emotions, but how they view their emotions, the attitudes they develop, and the choices they make. I'll admit, I've allowed myself to taken captive too.

So how do we (this includes me too) break free of the twisted emotion mindset that the world keeps trying to push on us? The answer is so simple, and yet so hard.

Just depend on God.

That's really all there is too it. It seems so easy, and yet it is so hard. By trusting in God, we can know that we don't have a care in the world. We really do have everything to gain, and nothing to lose! And when you are constantly thinking about what an awesome God we have, how can you not be happy? How can you not jump up and down for joy? How can you not rejoice in His amazing creation?

So now, instead of being depressed by the falling leaves around you, marvel at how God has created such an amazing system! Think about everything you have done this year, and all the goals you DID manage to get accomplished. But also start thinking about next year. Learn from your mistakes, try to move on, and most importantly, remember, God is in control!!

And if you are like me, and are easily amused, then go walk on some crunchy fall leaves. That always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside...

~unclejoe

The Names of God- Introduction Part 2

David wrote:

Some boast in chariots, and some in horses;
but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.
Psalm 20:7

In Old Testament days, chariots and horses were two means of protection and escape. Today our chariots and horses come with different labels, shapes, and forms. Even so, they are still a visible means of help, escape, or protection. Yet are these really a source of safety? No.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle:
but safety is of the LORD.
Proverbs 21:31

Why don't we turn to Him? Why do we hesitate to run into the arms of our all-sufficient God? Why is it that many collapse in the day of trouble and testing? Why are they immobilized rather than taking an aggressive stand in the face of fear?

I think it's because most of us don't really know our God. We don't understand His great power and might. We don't comprehend His fierce love and unspeakable tenderness. And because we don't know Him as we should, we can't boast in the name of our God.

What do I mean when I say, "Boast in the name of our God"? To boast in means to have confidence in, to trust in. To boast in God's name means to have confidence in His name. To know His name means to know Him. To boast in His name is to have a settled confidence in everything that He is!

In the day of trouble or need, we are to run to our God, to put the full weight of our trust in Him. That is why He says,

"Call upon me in the day of trouble:
I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."
Psalm 50:15

Is your heart troubled? Is fear lurking in the shadows of your consciousness? Do you feel insecure about anything at all? I believe that every problem in our lives can be traced back to an inadequate or incorrect knowledge of God, or a lack of faith and trust in His person and His ways. We know so little of this wonderful God who loves us! In the next few posts, as we explore His Word together, ask Him to show you one of His names that will meet your need.

Then, when He shows you (and He will), tell Him that you will boast in that name!

With that kind of boasting, God is well pleased.

~Anna