Philippines 3:14, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12: 1-2

Press on. 

Run the race.

Fight the good fight. 

We run for eternal life with Jesus. We run to be made righteous in the eyes of the Lord, as the Lord is righteous so we an bask in his presences and worship at his feet.

Jesus endured earth, the cross, because he saw the joy that awaited him as he sat at the right hand of God. He thought it all worth it. He ran the race. He ran hard.

fix my eyes on Jesus! 

I don't have to make it complicated or more than it is. Jesus asks me to follow Him. He asks me to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with Him.

Am I doing those things? Not am I in the right career, am I to be living here versus there or am I studying the right major. Am I acting justly, loving mercifully and walking humbly with God? I think the with is important. It's not am I doing those things on my own. It says act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God. I don't run the race on my own. I fix my eyes on Jesus and run with him. I try all the time to run the race alone. It's running the race in community and with the Lord that is important. (and hard for me)

Thank you Father for your eyes that are always upon us. Jesus you have provided a way. You fill a void that none other can fill. We don't have to just have faith that you exist. We can experience a true, forever relationship with the God of the universe. Thank you. Thank you Jesus for making a way.

I love you Lord. 

Everlasting Joy and Purpose

Philippines 2:17-18, 4:4   I Thessalonians 3:7-13

Lord God your word is alive.

There are so many questions I should ask myself as I read and study the living word.

Yet it is so easy to take it only at face value.

Pull me deeper into the word Spirit.

Help me to ask good questions to myself and to others.

Father thank you for seeing Christ when you see me. I truly am so far from holy without Christ. I don't like to think about it or admit it but it is so true. Thank you for not expecting perfection from me. Or rather for expecting it but realizing I can't achieve perfection. 

Thank you for making a way for me - for all of us! 

Jesus thank you for fulfilling God's plan to reconcile God's people for his glorious name's sake. 

Jesus I wouldn't have wanted to leave heaven. To leave the creator and Father of all, to be here on earth with us nasty sinners. We think this place is beautiful because we know nothing else. Heaven has nothing on Earth. 

Your creativity, thoroughness and precision astounds me Lord. You are so wise in all you do. You are the greatest planner of all time. You never cease to amaze me with what you have planned for me. 

Lord I want so badly to please you, to do everything perfect down to a T. I so easily let myself get engulfed in the minute details and am paralyzed to make a move out of fear it's not in line with your plan. 

The glorious thing I am reminded of by the Spirit is that you work with me and the decisions I make. You impart wisdom. Furthermore, you don't see me anyways!  You see Christ! 

Jesus this is so hard to fathom! But thank you thank you for following through with God's redemptive plan, dying for us so we could be seen as holy, when you so easily could have said no. 

Holy Spirit may my heart never become cold to what Christ did for us.

May Jesus' death never become old news.

May it always bring life to my soul, to my day and excite me to no end! 

Spirit continue to transform my mind and knowledge of the Gospel so it would sink down deep within me. 

Paul, in Philippines and 1 Thessalonians, lives in the daily excitement and recognition of Christ. l In 1 Thessalonians, Timothy and Paul give a wonderful example of how we can pray for those we are grooming in the faith. Furthermore, they show us that we truly live when we are leading others to Christ and the glory of God! Seeing others grow in their faith supplies Paul and Timothy with all the joy and reason to continue being persecuted and in prisoned for the faith. Nothing brought Timothy or Paul greater joy and purpose in life than seeing others transformed by the powerful death of Christ. How encouraging is that! That is what they lived for! When I look back at my college years, leading girls on campus, whether through bible study, being an RA, one-on-one discipleship, being intentional in conversation and creating community or just being someone they could walk through life with, was the most rewarding and life giving way to spend my four years. I loved it! 

I loved pouring into them and seeing them grow. Lord thank you for the opportunity to watch a group of girls enter college and grow for the last three years. My heart comes alive seeing them standing stronger and in worship of the Lord. That is what I live for. It has been the greatest source of purpose and joy. I had no idea this is what the Lord offers us. But is it not amazing what He does when we follow him? 

Lord no matter where I go, what I do, I pray I would never stop leading others to you through Christ. Provide ways, opportunities, courage, patience, prayer and people Spirit. 

Spirit help me to communicate this to those around me and mobilize them to invest in the lives of others. Speak to the hearts of the thousands of Christians who are satisfied with knowing you and only living for themselves. 

I pray for revival Spirit. 

Awaken out hearts. 

Show us the glory of the Lord. 

In Jesus name, 

Amen

back to blogging

Well I am back. It hit today during my time with the Lord that I love to write and share what I am learning with the Lord. So I am getting back to blogging. Why only blog when I am out of the country or doing some type of mission work? Everyday should be lived on mission. The Lord is constantly teaching me things whether I am sitting in international microeconomics, talking with friends or hearing a talk at Cru. I want to share those things. I want to encourage others that there is something greater worth living worth and it is worth chasing after. When I sit down in the Word I journal the passages of scripture I am reading with my reflections and prayers. a little plug - if you don't journal I would highly recommend it!

The blogs I will be posting will come directly from my prayer journal. I pray they encourage you and bring you into a deeper intimacy with our creator and Father.

Recently I have been going through Philippians. Today's post comes from Philippians 2:14-15, Matthew 5:14-16 and Ephesians 5:8-14.

Lord we are to be light in the darkness; a city on a hill. You have exposed me to the light and now I see. You have given us the ministry of reconciliation which means leading others into the light, exposing the darkness that covers their eyes. You have given me so many tools through Cru and life here in Arkansas and abroad to be a light shining for you but I haven't been taking full advantage of those tools. We, your children, shine like starts in the universe! I am feeling a little dull Lord. I want to shine brightly Father!

Paul reminds us in Ephesians to expose the fruitless deeds of the darkness. For me, that means speaking up more. I am quiet. Quietness can easily be taken as approval for those living in darkness. It's not that I should start being overly boisterous, condemning people or being rude in calling them out. There is a Christ loving way to do that. Me not saying anything does not show them love either. Holy Spirit awake the truths, convictions and emotions within me that reflect the Lord and His light. God you created us with emotions because  we are created in your image and you have emotions. Your heart aches for the lost. I pray Holy Spirit my heart wouldn't turn cold to the injustices, darkness and lust of this world. Set a fire within me all of my days Holy Spirit that would cause me to act, to expose the darkness in this world!

I pray I wouldn't sit back idol, tolerating or accepting the deeds of the lost but instead point them to Christ. I pray for boldness Spirit. Boldness to speak, to answer and talk about you when someone asks how I am, what I have been up to or says something I don't agree with. Spirit I pray I would do this all in an attitude reflective of Christ. I pray you would lead me through the conversation, giving me the worlds but more than anything the courage to speak, to act to expose the darkness. "We want something that is different, we have to do something that is different." - Christine Caine

Just like David with Goliath. David didn't wait for you to say "go kill Goliath and do it with 5 stones." No. David saw how Goliath and the other Philistines were acting and speaking out against you. David was stirred to move. He saw darkness and acted to expose it. He didn't wait for any green light. He acted, stepping out in faith,  knowing you would be with him. That is what I want Lord.
To move. To act.
Not to wait for signs and arrows. 
To see injustice. 
To see darkness and act on it. 
Spirit I am a new creation in Christ, with you living within me. May I walk in the light and power of the cross, the new creation I am and lead people to the light. In Christ's name,

Amen