I love my family.
I love my new brother. God has used him to bless me in many many ways. I'm so thankful for His and my sister's relationship and marriage. It is such a beautiful picture to me with their hearts for the Lord and to love and serve others... Tom and his tender heart and his quickness to ask forgiveness or to be sensitive in any given situation. He is a man of God and I'm so thankful for who he is in my sister's life and in our whole family.
"Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely." - Robert Murray McCheyne
I read that ^^ quote earlier today and it really blessed me. Last week at dance my oldest group of girls and I were reading out a book called "The Vision and the Vow" and in that particular chapter it talked about stopping whatever you are doing and just taking time to be honest before the Lord and to truly answer the question do you Love Him most.
Honestly there are times I don't love Him most. I get distracted. I go to other things before I go to Him in the morning. I think of what I need to do, sleep in, get distracted by Emails.
All Jesus asks for is my heart.
Yet my heart is everything.
Jesus lives in my heart.
It was a good conversation about honestly coming before Jesus asking and begging Him to help us love Him first. Every day saying Jesus, help me love you first. And coming back to receiving His love. He has SO much He wants to share - there is never a time I have regretted being still before Him and coming to Him honestly. I regret many other ways I spend my time but never do I regret a moment in my Savior's presence.
There are days when I'm tired. So many people I love and care about are hurting. My heart hurts with them. Jesus how often you must hear and carry our broken hearts. So much sin, your creation groans. And we ask "How long, O Lord?"
And it also raises a battle cry within my heart... to not give up the fight. Life is not a game it's a war. And we are soldier's of the cross of Christ. He is carrying us and holding us up in the throne room - we can depend on Him to. He promises in His word.
We are not guaranteed tomorrow, only the present moment.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2)
I am officially headed back to China this summer as well... I will be back in the city of Kunming serving with Bring Me Hope camps under the Hedden's Family. This is the same city my two sister's live in, Cookie and Gracie so I am beyond thrilled to be spending a more extended time there. Please be praying for me and funding for this. Helping me to be wise and to come up with creative ways as well to raise funds. There are some people from Grand Rapids/Lansing area hoping to come volunteer as well depending on whether or not funds can be raised.
I was on a prayer/conference call the other night for the new movie that Bring Me Hope is putting out to raise awareness for orphans in China. God has already provided a huge amount of funding for this project but there is still a huge amount more needing to be funded. As I was praying I couldn't help but think, "Money to God is nothing... His storehouses are endless and money is not a heavenly kingdom thing, it's an earthly thing and God will always provide what we NEED!" It was a bit of a revelation thinking of money in that way.
Jesus, in all these things, with a full heart, let us fix our eyes on YOU!
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace"
Amen and amen!
P.S! I want to live outside right now in New Zeeland or Fiji and hike in mountains and sleep in hammocks under the stars and swim under water falls and go cliff jumping and surfing! also this blog post turned into something a lot longer than I anticipated.
I love my new brother. God has used him to bless me in many many ways. I'm so thankful for His and my sister's relationship and marriage. It is such a beautiful picture to me with their hearts for the Lord and to love and serve others... Tom and his tender heart and his quickness to ask forgiveness or to be sensitive in any given situation. He is a man of God and I'm so thankful for who he is in my sister's life and in our whole family.
"Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely." - Robert Murray McCheyne
I read that ^^ quote earlier today and it really blessed me. Last week at dance my oldest group of girls and I were reading out a book called "The Vision and the Vow" and in that particular chapter it talked about stopping whatever you are doing and just taking time to be honest before the Lord and to truly answer the question do you Love Him most.
Honestly there are times I don't love Him most. I get distracted. I go to other things before I go to Him in the morning. I think of what I need to do, sleep in, get distracted by Emails.
All Jesus asks for is my heart.
Yet my heart is everything.
Jesus lives in my heart.
It was a good conversation about honestly coming before Jesus asking and begging Him to help us love Him first. Every day saying Jesus, help me love you first. And coming back to receiving His love. He has SO much He wants to share - there is never a time I have regretted being still before Him and coming to Him honestly. I regret many other ways I spend my time but never do I regret a moment in my Savior's presence.
There are days when I'm tired. So many people I love and care about are hurting. My heart hurts with them. Jesus how often you must hear and carry our broken hearts. So much sin, your creation groans. And we ask "How long, O Lord?"
And it also raises a battle cry within my heart... to not give up the fight. Life is not a game it's a war. And we are soldier's of the cross of Christ. He is carrying us and holding us up in the throne room - we can depend on Him to. He promises in His word.
We are not guaranteed tomorrow, only the present moment.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2)
I am officially headed back to China this summer as well... I will be back in the city of Kunming serving with Bring Me Hope camps under the Hedden's Family. This is the same city my two sister's live in, Cookie and Gracie so I am beyond thrilled to be spending a more extended time there. Please be praying for me and funding for this. Helping me to be wise and to come up with creative ways as well to raise funds. There are some people from Grand Rapids/Lansing area hoping to come volunteer as well depending on whether or not funds can be raised.
I was on a prayer/conference call the other night for the new movie that Bring Me Hope is putting out to raise awareness for orphans in China. God has already provided a huge amount of funding for this project but there is still a huge amount more needing to be funded. As I was praying I couldn't help but think, "Money to God is nothing... His storehouses are endless and money is not a heavenly kingdom thing, it's an earthly thing and God will always provide what we NEED!" It was a bit of a revelation thinking of money in that way.
Jesus, in all these things, with a full heart, let us fix our eyes on YOU!
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace"
Amen and amen!
P.S! I want to live outside right now in New Zeeland or Fiji and hike in mountains and sleep in hammocks under the stars and swim under water falls and go cliff jumping and surfing! also this blog post turned into something a lot longer than I anticipated.
1 comment:
Love the pictures!!! :D Do you have more? ;)
Very thought-provoking post, too.. thanks for sharing.
Love
Elizabeth
Post a Comment