Let your Light SHINE in!

Malachi 3:3
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

"A good refiner never leaves the crucible but, as the above verse indicates, 'will sit' down by it so the fire will not become even one degree too hot and possibly harm the metal. And as soon as he skims the last bit of dross from the surface and sees his face reflected in the pure metal, he extinguishes the fire."

-Streams in the Desert

What I find so interesting about this devotional is that it points out such an important fact;"...and sees his face reflected in the pure metal, he extinguishes the fire."

God pushes us in that way. We struggle and fight. Kick, scream, freak out and worry. God continues to throw situations our way. Circumstances unforeseen, things that push our limits, stretching every fiber in our being until we think we are going to break.

Then, like a HUGE sigh of relief, He blows out the fire; as He looks into us and "sees his face reflected."

It's remarkable that he knows our limits when we ourselves have the slightest. He knows how far to take it to crack us wide open for our light to shine like his.

Praise you Lord that you care so much!


(kinda cheesy, but you get the idea)
Matthew 5:16
2 Cor 4:6
Psalm 37:6
Daniel 12:3
Phil 2:15

Heart of the Wise

1 Corinthians 1 18-31

" For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe..."

"...For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness an redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

FOOLISHNESS trailer from SkateBible on Vimeo.

FOOLISHNESS trailer 2 from SkateBible on Vimeo.

Rain, Rain...Don't go away just yet!

I came across this picture awhile ago and I still can't get it out of my head. I love the freedom it depicts! Sometimes (well, all the time, honestly) I wish I could just stop things, go out in the rain and just sit. One of my favorite things to do in Seattle when I had time was to run Greenlake when it was raining. Or go running at night when no one was around. There something about the night or fresh rain that just seems to take me over and give me a sense of renewal. The smell of the air, peace and stillness of the night as the moon and city lights reflect off the water. If you ever can get yourself to slow down for even the slightest, it's absolutely astounding what you'll see; what you'll hear.

God is in the voice of the wind...

"And the word of the Lord came to him: 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'
He replied, "I have bee very zealous for the Lord God Almighty....

...The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.'

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not i teh wind. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave."

-I Kings 19:9-13

"Peace! Be Strong now; be strong!" Daniel 10:18

This is one of my new fav songs. It's been awhile since Ms. Hill has been around but this song is just an illustration of how wonderful God's grace is!

Come and Live!

Made to Love from Come&Live! on Vimeo.

Building Blocks

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things with which one may edify another...
-Romans 14:19

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen...
-Eph 4:29

We pass people everyday. We pass those who we love multiple times a day. How often do you think of them outside of what you need from them, what you want or expect from them or tomorrows plans with them?

I encourage and challenge you to take 1 step back away from yourself to build someone up, love someone extra and show genuine affection towards a person. Someone you can't live without; someone you don't even know. You'd be surprised the effect it will have on yours and that individual's life....

Love your God, love yourself, love your family and friends...

"The desert and parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of God.

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with a fearful heart "be strong, do not fear"; your God will come, he will come with a vengeance; with divine retribution. He will come to save you."

-Isaiah 35:1-4

How Precious!

What can wash away my sin
What can make me whole again
For my pardon this I see
For my cleansing this my plea

Oh, precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing, nothing, nothing but the blood of Jesus

Nothing can for sin atone
Not of good that I have done
This is all my hope and peace
This is all my righteousness

Oh, precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
And no other fount I know
Nothing, nothing, nothing but the blood of Jesus
Nothing, nothing, nothing but the blood of Jesus

Now by this I'll overcome
Now by this I'll reach my home
Glory, glory, this I see
All my praise for this I bring
All my praise for this I bring
All my praise for this I bring

Oh, precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing, nothing, nothing but the blood of Jesus
Nothing, nothing, nothing but the blood of Jesus
-Jars of Clay

Ironically I was in the shower when this song came spilling out of me. Lately I've been fighting this invisible battle within. No matter how happy or happy I WANT to be I still feel heavy and knocked down. "BUT by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect" (1Cor 15:10)...He has put a new song in my heart and a hope that just confuses, boggles, and AMAZES me all together. He's just been reminding me every moment of every day that he gets me, he's refining me (it hurts!) and that I'm am not going through this in vain. I believe in God. I believe he has a legitimate purpose for my life and that he knows what he's doing. Now,......if I can only let go....

when in doubt...PRAY!

Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce. Let your gentleness be evident to all...

Don't be anxious about ANYTHING; but by PRAYER & petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God...

The PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus.

Whatever is:
True
Noble
Right
Pure
Lovely
Admirable

THINK IT!

If anything is:
Excellent
Praiseworthy

THINK IT!

Phillipians 4:4-13

It's Simple!

Way too often we stress over the minor things everyday. Every moment. I figure if I do EVERYTHING I can to keep my mind on the task and DO as much as I can, it'll happen. Most of the time this can be our biggest mistake. We cloud our minds with thoughts and busy ourselves with action thinking that we are making our situation better when in actuality we damage any progress we have by putting unnecessary stress upon the matter. Does this make sense? Does this sound familiar?

This has been my battle cry. A poor one at that! It works just as well as sending Colonel Sanders into the battlefield instead of Napoleon. It just doesn't work.

Lately God has been bringing me back down to level 0. Simplify he says. It's been ringing in my ears for the last few days. We get so caught up sometimes we lose focus on where we're at and even the matter of the cause.

Simplifying doesn't mean to clear your schedule, sell your things, and move to a tree house (I just learned that...I've seriously considered it) to simplify means to stop piling your own thoughts and perceptions onto what something actually is. Stress=OVER emphasis on uncontrollable matters.

God is a simple God. He wants us to Love. Love him, others and those who we tell ourselves we can't love. He wants us to Focus. Focus on him, on his will, and on others. To enjoy. Enjoy blessings, daily life, his creation, and emotions. To trust, believe, & have faith. That he knows better, that he will never leave us, that he never backs out of a promise, and that he comes through EVERYTIME with perfect timing. Lastly, to simplify. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

"Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way..." (Psalm 107 4-7).

"true faith is a love language, not a tool to get what it is you desire". -captivating

so many times i find myself seeking the gift and not the giver. thank you, God for pursuing me even in my selfish state.

willkommen!

Hello Ladies!
May I first say, thank you so much for taking part in this experiment. I fully believe it was God sent and that this will be a great tool that he will use for His glory!

So here's how the story goes:

I have been looking and praying for a way to connect with people. Other believers and just a way to get plugged in again since I left Seattle. I've tried connecting through the church I attend (Mariners, great church!) but I can't seem to find quite that connection I'm looking for right now.

This is where you guys come in. I felt God speaking to me during the service on Good Friday. There's been a lot of stuff going on and even more God STUFF going on within. I feel that he's been breaking me down and bringing me back to that place where I first fell in love. Refocusing my priorities and just coming back down to ground zero to meet him with nothing attached; bare bones.

God brought each one of you to mind. I know that you have great wisdom, fear the Lord and love spills out of you! I want to be able to encourage each one person individually, collectively; and be encouraged by you.