"if you say yes to something you say no to something else."
are you saying yes to the right things?? or are you saying yes to things that will make you say no to the things you should have said yes to?
it's been raining the past 2 days and i love it! :)
March 12, 2010
March 10, 2010
1 Kings 19
I was reading in 1 Kings the other day (chpt. 18). Alot of us don't realize what that kind of ministry can do to a person. How did Elijah feel? Putting everything, everything on the line for God. Being alone (in the human sense) in that kind of ministry - he was standing for truth against 450 of Baals prophets but God was with him and is true and alive.
In the next chapter though it kind of expounds on Elijah and how he dealt with this... The queen wanted to kill him for ripping apart her idol.. (I think we all feel similar when we are exposed for having a modern day idol in our life...)
1 Kings 19:3-8
Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers." And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, "Arise and eat." And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you." And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
Elijah wanted to die and asked the Lord to take him but then the Lord provided for him in such powerful ways... When we are doing ministry in such intense ways sometimes your spirit just longs to rest and be with the Lord and be home, for we have no home here on earth, just reflections of our true home in heaven. Elijah longed for that....
Then it gets even cooler... the food that the Lord provided him lasted him 40 days. (Sounds like when Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness...) then God asked him even more to go out and stand on a mountain so he could stand in the presence of the Lord....
1 Kings 19:11-18
And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He said,"I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."
Elijah withstood a great wind, an earthquake and a fire before finally a gentle breeze brought God's presence. Do you feel sometimes that you are experiencing being hit by a strong wind, an earthquake, and fire.... Blowing everything you know away, shaking everything in your core and then burning it all up? Stay strong and keep your spirit listening for that is when God came, after all those things to speak to Elijah. God has not forgotten you. Even through the hurricanes, earthquakes and fires - He is there. When you feel you want to go home, He is there. And He will never put us through anything He will not give us the strength to give Him the glory for!!!!
To God be the glory forever and ever!
Joshua 21:45
Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was ful-filled.
In the next chapter though it kind of expounds on Elijah and how he dealt with this... The queen wanted to kill him for ripping apart her idol.. (I think we all feel similar when we are exposed for having a modern day idol in our life...)
1 Kings 19:3-8
Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers." And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, "Arise and eat." And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you." And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
Elijah wanted to die and asked the Lord to take him but then the Lord provided for him in such powerful ways... When we are doing ministry in such intense ways sometimes your spirit just longs to rest and be with the Lord and be home, for we have no home here on earth, just reflections of our true home in heaven. Elijah longed for that....
Then it gets even cooler... the food that the Lord provided him lasted him 40 days. (Sounds like when Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness...) then God asked him even more to go out and stand on a mountain so he could stand in the presence of the Lord....
1 Kings 19:11-18
And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He said,"I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."
Elijah withstood a great wind, an earthquake and a fire before finally a gentle breeze brought God's presence. Do you feel sometimes that you are experiencing being hit by a strong wind, an earthquake, and fire.... Blowing everything you know away, shaking everything in your core and then burning it all up? Stay strong and keep your spirit listening for that is when God came, after all those things to speak to Elijah. God has not forgotten you. Even through the hurricanes, earthquakes and fires - He is there. When you feel you want to go home, He is there. And He will never put us through anything He will not give us the strength to give Him the glory for!!!!
To God be the glory forever and ever!
Joshua 21:45
Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was ful-filled.
February 22, 2010
Wind
God is just like the wind... invisible to the human eye but oh do we feel Him - sometimes a little rustling or other times like a storm. It's hard to feel the little rustling unless you're very still though.. God is teaching me about being very still right now. I want to feel the tiniest rustles - not just the storms.
February 5, 2010
Rice. burnt rice.
i haven't shared this story on the blog yet - so I wanted to document it for all to hear. ((read))
i'm not known for my cooking. i can get by but that's about it. the other day however i purchased some really awesome healthy brown rice and was really excited about making it for my dinner. so having never made rice before i was completely guessing. after putting it on the stove i had no idea how FAST rice cooks... my brother comes downstairs and he and i kinda look at eachother and were like "something's burning!" so we start frantically looking everywhere. i had no clue it was the rice. so after calling a few people and not getting through to anybody and searching everywhere we called 911...
"911 what is your emerge
ncy?"
"ummmm.... something in my house is hot and burning..."
(what a gooober...)
somewhere between 5-7 firetrucks, police cars, volunteer firefighters came to figure out it was my rice.
cool. just anothe
r day in the world of sarah grace! i do love my life.. never a dull moment for sure!
(we did manage to salvage the pan with alot of soaking and scrubbing with bleach intense cleaning products!)
i'm not known for my cooking. i can get by but that's about it. the other day however i purchased some really awesome healthy brown rice and was really excited about making it for my dinner. so having never made rice before i was completely guessing. after putting it on the stove i had no idea how FAST rice cooks... my brother comes downstairs and he and i kinda look at eachother and were like "something's burning!" so we start frantically looking everywhere. i had no clue it was the rice. so after calling a few people and not getting through to anybody and searching everywhere we called 911...
"911 what is your emerge
ncy?""ummmm.... something in my house is hot and burning..."
(what a gooober...)
somewhere between 5-7 firetrucks, police cars, volunteer firefighters came to figure out it was my rice.
cool. just anothe
r day in the world of sarah grace! i do love my life.. never a dull moment for sure!(we did manage to salvage the pan with alot of soaking and scrubbing with bleach intense cleaning products!)
January 25, 2010
January 21, 2010
Haiti. the world and God's heart for it. He made it. He cares.
Haiti has been on my heart alot.
Everytime I eat lately, or sleep in my warm bed, or take a shower or drink anything my heart really breaks and feels guilty because I know there is so much suffering there right now. But shouldn't this always be so??? There is suffering around the world right now but Haiti is in the limelight so my heart particularly breaks for this country but there is that hurting everywhere. Hopelessness. People without hope in Jesus...
What does God break your heart for? Are you letting God share His heart with you by spending time with Him and allowing Him to show you His heart for situations? That is something I don't always spend enough time doing is letting God's truth penetrate my life... that just shows me where my heart is though - selfish. Lord help me never be selfish and not let you radically change my life with Your powerful love!!!!
Everytime I eat lately, or sleep in my warm bed, or take a shower or drink anything my heart really breaks and feels guilty because I know there is so much suffering there right now. But shouldn't this always be so??? There is suffering around the world right now but Haiti is in the limelight so my heart particularly breaks for this country but there is that hurting everywhere. Hopelessness. People without hope in Jesus...
What does God break your heart for? Are you letting God share His heart with you by spending time with Him and allowing Him to show you His heart for situations? That is something I don't always spend enough time doing is letting God's truth penetrate my life... that just shows me where my heart is though - selfish. Lord help me never be selfish and not let you radically change my life with Your powerful love!!!!
January 13, 2010
hope. always hope!
oh the depths Christ went to save us
from the pain and sin surrounding us
the most painful of all deaths and hell
3 days down...
oh the depths Christ went to save us.
oh the times i try on my own
to save myself or not remembering His love
or the depths Christ went to save me.
let me never minimize my Savior.
oh how often i do - and negate the cross
what a price He paid,
Lord bring me back to You
in every situation let my heart conform to Yours
remembering that You took this for me
let no bitterness or un-forgiveness be found
because at such a price you took those to hell.
let it all stay there and let me rejoice in your triumph!
what a day...
what joy and what love!
you my Healer and restorer
my place to learn of true Love and healing
and let me never hesitate to follow You
and show this glorious saving of my heart
let other's know of this Savior
we all need to be saved no matter how big or small
You are that Savior...
saved us one and all!
thank you Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!
January 5, 2010
excited.
because today i woke up WANTING Jesus.
wanting to worship Him and wanting Him to have alll of me.
i love waking up with Jesus so in my heart.
wanting to spend time with Him.
you know i pray for that - i want to love Him most.
having Him pulling my heart towards Him.
Him first...
you know but sometimes my heart gets distracted.
so i was excited...
excited to have a heart undivided!!!
pSalM 86:11-12
teach me to walk in Your ways, Lord
give me an undivided heart that i may fear Your name.
i will praise You, O Lord my God with all my heart
I will glorify Your name forever!
wanting to worship Him and wanting Him to have alll of me.
i love waking up with Jesus so in my heart.
wanting to spend time with Him.
you know i pray for that - i want to love Him most.
having Him pulling my heart towards Him.
Him first...
you know but sometimes my heart gets distracted.
so i was excited...
excited to have a heart undivided!!!
pSalM 86:11-12
teach me to walk in Your ways, Lord
give me an undivided heart that i may fear Your name.
i will praise You, O Lord my God with all my heart
I will glorify Your name forever!
January 3, 2010
Glorious Numbing of Noses and Toeses
- emily, me, ellen, alison and rachel - 
Pure joy... 
I feel so blessed and privileged to have such incredible sisters in my life. After ice-skating today we went to a coffee shop and had such encouraging conversations. These girls are absolute gems and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful sisters who have hearts focused on serving Jesus and living that out in every area of life. Encouragement to the soul...
Psalm 3:3
But You are a shield around me O Lord;
You bestow glory on me and lift up my head!
But You are a shield around me O Lord;
You bestow glory on me and lift up my head!
January 2, 2010
C.S. Lewis
(art by John Thacker)
"To Love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be certainly wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure to keep it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness; but in that casket-safe, dark, motionless; airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable and irredeemable." ~C.S. Lewis~
Lord - break my heart for what is breaking Yours. Let me never be calloused.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)