2 Corinthians 2:7-10

So my brother and his wife came home from their honeymoon last night. They are definitely two of the most amazing people I have ever known.

I was reading through my Bible the other day, and I fell upon this passage, 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10:

"So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messanger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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."

Christ makes His strength perfect in my weakness. Such a statement. I don't have to be perfect to be a Christian. I should strive towards Christ in everything I do, not settling for my failures, but in those places that I do fall short, His strength is made perfect. Wow. What an amazing God. Even when I screw up, people will see Christ in me. Even though I'm this little girl who isn't always satisfied to look to Christ to fill my voids, He uses me. His power is made perfect in weakness, and His grace is sufficient for me.

The being content part is hard for me to grasp too. I need to be content in Christ when things aren't going the way I think they should. "For when I am weak, then I am strong." Darn that's hard. What a prayer to pray, "Make me weak, so that Your strength will be made perfect." Something to ponder.

Weekend Findings

Some things I learned this weekend:

1. Making up elaborate stories about feedworms and convincing four year olds that they are real is extremely funny.

2. Family is awesome, even mine. I've been really blessed.

3. Friends are stinking amazing. Especially ones that ride with you for four hours to take your newlywed brother and sister-in-law to their hotel. :-)

4. God is good all the time. He grant the desires of the hearts of those who fervently seek after Him. Psalm 37

The One Where the Sheep Actually Becomes a Sheep

I know my title is long, but that is what has been happening in my life lately. I know that I claim to be a sheep, but honestly, I've been one of those sheep that follows one day and runs away the next. I was a sheep with thorns and stickers (you know those sharp things in the weeds that you can never get off things?) always stuck in my wool, and I just didn't want my Shepherd to get them out. I fought Him, and I fought Him.

Last night, this sheep with all the thorns and issues was finally sheared. The sickness of those thorns finally caught up with me, but now I am new again. My wool and my heart are clean, and I intend keeping it that way. Yeah, I know I am a sheep that will fall a lot for I am fairly clumsy, but I want to always been in reach of my Shepherd. I never want to stray from Him again.

I am One Clean and Delighted Sheep. I am in the presence of my Shepherd and Savior.

Faithful God Taking Care of Pesky Boys...

I know that God is faithful in words. I always have. But now as I come home from school, I really see His faithfulness at work in my life.

There have been prayers of mine that have been repeated over and over. There was a young man that caught my fancy and was the only young man that I really liked for about three years. I knew that it would never work in my favor, so I often prayed that God would take those feelings from me. And He did. I was walking across campus one day, thinking about this young man, and I knew at that moment that I was done with him. He could still be my friend but not the only man I placed my affections on.

There was another young man that actually indulged my affections and dated me, and proceeded to hurt me terribly. I was bitter for a very long time. It was hard to talk to him and see him with my other friends. But God is faithful, and He has healed my heart.

What a great God He is! Thank the Lord for His faithfulness!

The Theology of Delight by Scott Cairns

Imagine a world, this ridiculous,
tentative bud blooming
in your hand. There in your hand, a world
opening up, stretching, after the image
of your hand. Imagine
a field of sheep grazing, or a single sheep
grazing and wandering in delight
of grass, of wildflowers
lifting themselves, after their fashion,
to be flowers. Or a woman, lifting her hand
to touch her brow, and the intricacy
of the motion that frees her
to set the flat part of her hand carelessly
to her brow. Once, while walking, I happened
across a woman whose walking had brought her
to a shaded spot near a field. Enjoying
that cool place together, we sat watching sheep
and the wind moving the wildflowers in the field.
As we rose to set out again, our movement
startled the flock into running; they ran
only a little way before settling again
to their blank consideration of the grass.
But one of them continued, its prancing
taking it far into the field where,
free of the others, it leapt for no clear reason,
and set out walking through a gathering
of flowers, parting that grip of flowers with its face.

The Stairs of Rememberance

I fell down the stairs this morning. Wet, rubber shoes do not have very good traction on plastic floors. The stairs bit into my hip and stretched out my left shoulder. It was not a fun moment. At least there was only one person with me, and I know her pretty well.

I was sitting in class after this happened, thinking about the pain that was running through my body. As I was reveling in self-pity and over-diagnosis, I remembered that there are people around the world that are suffering much more than I am. Falling down the stairs is just ridiculous compared to the torture people are enduring for the sake of Christ. It's really interesting to remember those people and to pray for them. This put my pain in perspective.

Thank you, God, for the reminders you give your people!

Hebrews 10:36

There are some days that I don't handle difficulties well. I end up being selfish and not wanting to be hurt in the situation, or something to that extent. Or I get mad because I feel like people are being stupid, even though I would probably react in some of the same ways.

I was struggling with stuff like this today when the ARD for Hartill pushed the verse for this week under the door.

Hebrews 10:36:
"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."

I hope that I will be able to apply this verse to my life. I think it was exactly what I needed to hear as I cursed down the hallway. Reading it convicted me. Praise be to the Lord Almighty who was, and is, and is to come!! He is faithful, even when we are not and are stuck in our mud puddles.