For this slight momentary affliction

My mom is memorizing Scripture, and this was the passage God led her to memorize:

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

What an amazing passage. For us is being prepared the weight of glory. The things of this earth are so insignificant compared to the eternal glory that we will one day experience.

And that is something I am looking forward to.

Being Transformed by the Spirit

Our goal is Christians is to glorify Christ in everything we do, serving Him as obedient sons and daughters. This is something I believe we know. But do we remember that we need to become like Him as well.

I seem to forget that.

Not only am I supposed to obey Him, but I am to strive to become more Christ-like. I think that is something we as Christians know but don't articulate.

But I think we should.

And when we are aware of this calling, and we feel as though we are failing, we need to remember that we are being transformed. It's not up to us. It is something the Holy Spirit does in us.

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Big Brothers and Blogging

I initially started blogging because of my brother, Caleb. He is basically amazing, and I have always wanted to be just like him.

On his blog, Thorns, he recently posted his testimony. What he has to say is amazing. It gives me great insight to how he perceived our lives as children and helps me to understand some of the things he has done.

I am so blessed to have an amazing brother. We haven't always gotten along, but now more than ever, he is my earthy hero. I know that he would probably tell me that he does not deserve that kind of honor and that he is not all that great. But Caleb, from my end of the world, there is almost no one I admire more that you.

Just so you know. I love you, big brother.

Rejoicing In The Rain

It is finally fall, and I am sincerely happy for the dip in temperature and the rain.

I don't normally read the NIV translation of the Bible, but the other day, on my iGoogle page, the Bible verse of the day was Joel 2:23. It just hit me as a really neat way of expressing this.

"Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before."

Now I might be taking it a little bit more literally than when Joel wrote it, but I really think it's about being content and rejoicing even when it rains. And since I love rain, it is an encouragement to me.

So, be glad and rejoice in the rain.

Hope and Hot Air Balloons

Today on the way home from an afternoon in Stillwater, I saw a hot air balloon descending from the sky. For some reason, this gave me great hope. I believe that I tend to think of God being above us, thus my kindled passion for things of the air such as birds, and in this case, hot air balloons. I know it seems superficial and childish in a way, but this is how I think on occassion. And today was one such occassion.

"And again Isaiah says,

'The root of Jesse will come,

even he who rises to rule the

Gentiles;

in him will the Gentiles hope.'

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope" (Romans 15:12-13).

"Joyful Noise" video

"Angels surrounding His throne and
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
The whole earth is full of His glory
All nations bow to His name
His majesty fills the Heavens
Our hearts give thunderous praise
Declare the Lord is forever
Make a joyful noise in this place"

A New Title

Writing an autobiographical paper for a class the other day, I found myself using the word "perseverance" over and over. I wanted to make sure that I was using the word in the right context, so I whipped over to dictionary.com to make sure.

This is what I found:

per⋅se⋅ver⋅ance

  [pur-suh-veer-uhns]

–noun

1.	steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

2.	Theology. continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.

The definition astounded me. I was describing the life that I live, the one where I struggle through stuff to get to something better. How I changed schools mid-year only to be racked with health issues, including a kidney stone. How plenty of obstacles have been thrown in my way, and I have lived to tell the story.

How I attempt to rely on God's grace, day by day, to get me through. How I struggle to serve Him and obey Him with everything I have. How I am not very good at it, but I keep trying.

When I looked up this word, I found myself tearing up. If you know anything about me, you will know that words mean a whole lot to me. The fact that God allowed me to be impacted by this definition is evidence of His grace. And His grace will lead me to the end.

So persevere, my friend. Continue to strive after God because He gives us grace, and that grace will lead us to eternal salvation with Him.

"And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" (John 1:16).

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

"For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith" (Romans 3:23-25).

I have a new title for my blog. One that is defined as glorifying to my King. I will persevere through what the world flings at me.

Perseverance. A blog about not giving up.

To choose the right side

But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realise what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else--something it never entered your head to conceive--comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realised it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last for ever. We must take it or leave it. (Lewis. "Mere Christianity." 65-66.)