Anticipation

I love Christmas time! Decorating, baking cookies, wrapping gifts, writing cards, these are all things that are down my alley. You may like one or more parts of these things, but I wouldn’t blame you if you thought they were frivolous. I think they are in part.. sometimes it feels wonderful, other times it feels useless, and depending on your circumstances, stressful. To be honest, I love decorating because I’m a feeler; an artist. Aesthetics appeal to me, they make my heart feel happy. They don’t fulfill my hearts desires though.

Everyone celebrates Christmas differently, some more simply than others, some more extravagantly. Whatever the way, I think we can all agree that the most important focus of the season is our precious Lord Jesus, the baby Savior, who was and is still, the greatest gift of all. I can’t give enough gratitude for a Savior who has paid for my sins, which I am so aware of get the best of me. My heart is overwhelmed.

We had a Sunday School lesson this past week talking about the baby Jesus, and there was mention of Simeon, a devout servant of the Lord who held the hope in his heart for a Savior to come. He waited for most of his life for this sign of the consolation of Israel, in which he earnestly hoped, and when he finally saw the Christ child, he felt his work on earth was done.

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant[d] depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.””

— Luke 2:25-32

I don’t remember hearing much about this man in the bible, but it really impressed upon me. The Jews waited for centuries for their Messiah to come and some of those people didn’t see that fulfilled in their lifetime!

I think that often we, in our small scopes of eternity see the world as the start and finish of our own lives. We expect God to start and complete a story within our lifespans, however some of the greatest stories did not happen this way. For instance, the sending of a Savior. Could you imagine living “pre-Savior” / “pre-Holy Spirit,” making sacrifices at the temple, trying to fulfill the law on your own accord! Can you imagine holding onto a cultural belief that a prophesy would be fulfilled, though it hadn’t for centuries.

What would keep you going? There was definitely a supernatural hope there – something I am learning so much about this year, but there is something else I’d like to point out that made the gift so sweet – Anticipation.

The reason we “wrap presents” and don’t just set things in someones lap, is for anticipation! Admit it, you love it too as an adult! The gifts sit under the tree for a period and finally on Christmas morning you choose which one to open first, you shake it and then tear off the paper (and for some the saga continues…. taped boxes, disguises, tissue paper) then – the “Ah moment.” There it is!

It’s a holding breath kind of moment.

Was it everything you hoped for? Did the person giving, know you way better than you thought? Did it blow you out of the water? Maybe not? haha. These are the kinds of Gifts that God gives though.  

He does. For some the anticipation period is longer than others. I pray though, that the anticipation makes the gift that much greater. If you’re feeling sad this Christmas, I pray that the Lord ministers to you and reminds you that He is preparing a place in your heart for a beautiful gift.

“Yes, still today we serve a promise keeping God who fulfills everything He says He will do in His way and in His time. Though the Jews had waited for centuries for the Messiah to come, God kept that promise and sent a Deliverer to His people. We can count on Him to do for us what He has promised as well – to never leave us or forsake us, to save us, and to give us an eternal home with Him.”

— David C. Cook

I dragged my comforter and pillow downstairs to sleep under the tree light tonight. Yes, it's magical. :)

So go ahead, wrap those gifts, hang up that garland, light those candles – because anticipation is part of the beautiful process!

God is Good.

Merry Christmas from me to you!

Shepherd

The Lord is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Psalm 23

Friends, I felt like this would minister to us today. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

The Lord is My Shepherd | Yes... He is the Leader and he is looking out for me. He's got it all under control. He will protect me. He cares for me. He loves me.

I shall not want | Yes... I am like a sheep, I need help! I can rest in childlike trust that my Shepherd can take care of me. Like children we don't have to worry about tomorrow, or next week, or next year. Even if we're waiting on/ hoping for something we don't have to focus on it and let anxiety consume us.

“Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.”

— Oswald Chambers

If you're in an unknown time, or your not sure what the Lord is doing in your life I pray that you can rest and trust that God is working in you. Don't try to figure it all out. Rest in today. 

If he's been telling you to rest, continue resting. He is working inside of you; love is working.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.

Have You Given Jesus Full Reign Yet?

I met with a dear friend of mine for breakfast this morning. It had been awhile and I was so excited to see her! When I saw her, her face was glowing. She had this look about her that she was walking through the thicket, but working towards victory. Sue is a special woman, she is a fighter, a friend of God's. 

We talked and shared about where we are in our journey with the Lord and life, which for us is completely interconnected. Our woes, revelations, and hopes. We reminded each other of truth's that have been spoken over us, and walked away encouraged.

Something to Share
There is something about Sue that I can relate to and which I want to share with you today. It is something that I think God ultimately desires for each of His children, and it's one of the biggest decisions we can make in our lives, post salvation. 

Sue, has a life with a story if you know what I mean. She has faced challenges that she didn't choose. However when I met her, I found a girl who was the opposite of a victim. She had hurts that she needed to work though, hurdles she needed to cross, and she had chosen to enter in the race, instead of sitting injured on the sidelines of her own life. Somewhere along her journey she decided that God was trustworthy and she gave control to Him. She told Him - I trust you, work in me, even though it is uncomfortable, I'll do whatever it takes. 

When I was at Teen Mania (4 years after high school spent in a highly developmental spiritual atmosphere), I spent a lot time inspecting myself, my heart, and my character and asking the Lord to mold me. When you do that, the Lord will take you up on it, almost assuredly. Haha. Whether that be, addressing major issues you are plagued with, facing fears, or pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, these times can be very challenging, uncomfortable to say the least. There was a point in those 4 years - where I remember wondering/ asking the Lord if this period was almost over yet? Can we be done with the development now?

Thankfully the development has not been constant in my life since then, thank-you Jesus! However, I made a decision that has changed the rest of my life. Through that time, despite disliking sticky times, I realized that there's no place I'd rather be than right in the center of God's hand, and that He was worthy of my trust.

I told the Lord, that I would NEVER SAY NO to Him. 

That was a powerful moment for me, and I said it with near tears in my eyes, because I knew it would mean that I would probably face more challenges than if I chose to partially engage. I had just come through a time where something dear to me was taken away, and I was struggling with whether I really trusted the Lord or not. I was angry with Him, yet still inviting him into the conversation (By the way, Jesus allows this - it's amazing - feel free to question). I had a powerful revelation, and reinforced revelations since, that God was in fact, worthy of my trust, and more than that, He loved me more than I could ever imagine. I knew in that moment that God would lead me where I needed to go and I felt that there was no other way to do this thing than to give Him full rights in my life. That this was the nature of God, to have full rights, and if I was choosing to believe that and this was going to work, he deserved all. He deserved all, no matter what that brought me to, believing that He would protect me and had my absolute best in mind. 

As a woman and a human I often want to take things into my own hands. When I made this commitment though, I decided I would go to Jesus instead and ask Him what He wanted me to do. "Wait a little longer," "Find contentment in this season," "Wait to make the decision until tomorrow," "Let's work on the issue in your own heart," "Let me lead you through this season, let me prove to you that I am good," "Come to me, let me satisfy you." Ughhhhhh... there are definitely times when I've struggled obeying these quiet whispers, and times when I didn't - honestly though - I always wish I would've. There is nothing like the peace and satisfaction Jesus brings. He is ultimately asking us over and over to TRUST HIM, and I've committed to never saying no. 

I've seen my life change since then. I've experienced tragedies, (perhaps not in direct command from the Lord, but that decision is what allowed me to let God use them), made decisions that were against what I wanted, and trusted the Lord when things really didn't make sense (emotions not void however). 

Does that sound ridiculous? Any non-believers out there? I believe that it sounds outrageous. Giving full trust to someone, being completely vulnerable, laying yourself down. I know. I tell you what though, ask the Lord about this non-sense and invite the Spirit into your life- and see what He communicates to you. I'm serious, do that. (Then write me back your findings).

I don't mean to preach the gospel here, or maybe I do - But I felt I should share this. Maybe you're at this crossroads in your life - and you need me to tell you -(It's worth it)!! 

I've also experienced the most incredible intimacy with the Lord; joy and peace, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I think that the alternatives to giving all are perhaps, living a life devoid of pain and also joy, or living a life filled with pain (because of a fallen world) but without the peace and protection of the Lord. Or worse yet, leading a life much less than God's greatest calling and dream for your life. These circumstances can lead to bitterness and resentment.

What I'm telling the Lord, is not just "I will endure whatever you bring my way, BUT actually inviting Him to have His way in my life."  That is where the difference lies I believe. In this way you are not a victim, but a recipient of God's best will for your life. Not a pawn, but an active participator. Not a servant, but a lover, a partner. If we realize this we will experience life differently. We will see that God is for us not against us. That He truly is trustworthy even in tragedy. That He is there beside us, comforting us in our pain.  God does not inflict every hardship, but He will redeem it if we allow him, if we choose to trust Him and not check out. 

That's only something you can find out though if you choose to do it.

No doubt, it's a hard thing to do - and trust has to be a personal journey. I encourage you to ask the Lord to show his trustworthiness to you - I believe He will.

Give Jesus full reign in your life. He is worthy of your trust. I think you'll feel relieved at the bearing of control. The secret is- this is the key to your most fulfilling life - are you willing to take the risk? 

Trust is the ultimate act of intimacy with the Lord and it's something we continually invest in.  

Will you give God full reign in your Life? Better yet, will you commit to never saying no? 

He Loves You, more than you'll ever know,