Eternity and Beyond . . .

Eternity....forever....no time......endless.....infinity.....things my human mind cannot comprehend and yet the thought of eternity has been on my mind and heart lately. I don't think we think about eternity enough honestly. I feel like we go through life, day to day and just do our thing without the bigger picture in mind. Along with the thought of eternity has been the return of Christ....many people have many different viewpoints on Christ's return but one thing I can guarantee you is this: He is coming. He is the One who was and is and is to come. Many people believe He is the One who was and many poeple believe He is the One who is, but I don't feel like many people really believe that He is the One to come and if we do, we don't act like it. We think of Jesus' return as something in the very distant future or nice part of a story we tell, but what if it wasn't? What if it was much nearer than we all think? I am well aware no one knows the time nor the hour, but Jesus did leave us with words warning us of the season and what the events and things going on in the world would be like. If you read His words in Matthew 24 many of the things Jesus speaks of are going on in the world now. 

So if eternity is so near, why are we so little moved? I feel one of the biggest things that hinders us today is procrastination, the thought that we have more time. Its one of the devils best game plans. We put things off, thinking to ouselves "Oh I have a little longer." I'm guilty of this, but lately I've been assaulted with the thought, "What if we don't have a little longer?" I'm not trying to scare anyone with this, but its just a sobering thought. Regardless of your view on Christ's return, we aren't guarenteed tomorrow, let alone our next breath. One day, we will stand before a righteous and holy God and have to answer for our lives. Did we choose Christ? Did we have an intimate relationship with the Lord or just play the part of the Christian? Did we allow the Spirit to lead us and guide us into all that God had planned for us to do? God has a specific plan for each and every person, but most of us are too busy following our own agendas and our own plans and dreams to bother asking Him what His plan is or we just simply decide we don't want His plan. We are too busy chasing after the world instead of chasing after God. Again, I'm guilty of this too. There have been times in my life where I haven't been concerned with God or His plan for my life. But you see, you will never be truly fulfilled until you tap into His plan for your life...its what you were made to do. Its who you were made to be. I am figuring this out a little more each day. We were made to be a reflection of the image of God and to carry out His purposes on earth. To bring His kingdom to earth. We were made to glorify the One True God. PERIOD. I don't want to stand before Jesus one day at the end of my life, knowing I didn't complete all he set out for me to do because I was too busy with my own agenda. My agenda (whether "good" or "bad") doesn't matter a lick in the light of enternity, only His does. Its not about me and the more I search myself, the more I realize I have far too much of me still inside of me. I don't need more of me and my agenda. I need more of Jesus. He's the only one who can bring true change. He's the only one who can bring true healing. JESUS in me not just me. I have to allow the Holy Spirit to be the driving force in all I do. I have to allow Jesus to work through me.

Honestly, I feel like we would live compeltely different lives if we were truly eternity minded people. We would be more purposeful in how we spent our time and who we spent our time on. We wouldn't think twice about sharing the gospel with someone believing their eternity hung in the balance. We wouldn't hesitate to be the hands and feet of Jesus and care for those less fortunate who needed to be taken care of instead of leaving it for someone else to do. We would tell the people important to us we loved them every chance we got. We wouldn't focus so much on the negative because in the light of eternity so many things are just so unimportant.

Eternity is coming...are you ready? Have you trusted your life to Christ, because without Him eternity is a scary thought? If you have, are you truly living a life worthy of the call of Christ? No one said it would be easy, and if anyone ever told you following Jesus would be easy then  they lied! Its a fight. A daily battle between the flesh and the spirit, whichever you feed more wins. If you feed your flesh more of the world then you look more like the world and become ineffective for the kingdom. If you feed your spirit more then you become more like Christ and are set apart from the world and are able to walk in the plans and purposes God has for you. Its a daily surrender, a bowing of the heart, saying to God, I am nothing without you. You are the King of my life and I need you today in this moment. Lead me, guide me, correct me. Show me your plan for me today. I've often thought of the bigger plan God has for my life but I once heard someone say that God doesn't just have a big plan he has a daily plan. He has every single day of my life planned out and its up to me to seek Him in order to ask what His will is for that day. How many opportunities do I miss to be the hands and feet of Jesus just by becoming wrapped up in my plans for the day instead of following and leaning on the Holy Spirit's promptings. 

I have by no means figured it all out and I am constantly realizing how inadequate and hopeless I am without Jesus. These are just things that have been heavy on my heart lately. Things I feel we should all be more aware of and think about more often. The good news is that when we surrender all, He is faithful to lead and guide us. Keep seeking Him with all your heart. Seek first His kingdom and all else will be added. Stay focused. Don't give up. There is hope in Jesus. He is our hope! I pray we all become more eternity minded and we allow the light of eternity to toally wreck us and change us in order to become more like Christ.

God's Love

 I've been struggling a lot lately with God's love for me. I know he loves me but sometimes its just so hard for me to believe because, honestly, sometimes I don't love me. His love seems too good to be true. I've been reading 1 Samuel and I came across something this morning that kinda hit me hard.

The back story is this....Samuel is a prophet and he had set up his sons to be judges over Israel and kind of run things. The people were not happy with this so they came to Samuel and demanded a king. They wanted to be like all the other nations around them. They wanted a king to judge them and lead them into battle. Up until this point, God had done this for them. He had brought the Israelites out of Egypt and rescued them from the Egyptians and all the other nations that were oppressing them, but this was no longer enough for them. When Samuel went to speak to the Lord about this the Lord told Samuel that they weren't rejecting him but that they were rejecting God and that they didn't want God as their king any longer. So God told Samuel to warn the people ahead of time about what a king would do once he had rule over them, but the people were so fixated on having a king and being like the other nations they didn't care. They wanted a king and that was that. So God gave them a king..Saul...he is a whole nother story all together...but God said this to Samuel when he was telling him of Saul's arrival..."He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry." (1Samuel 8-10)

Don't you think this broke God's heart? The Israelites were his chosen people; his special possession but they didn't want him any more. His rule as king wasn't enough. So how do you think God would respond? I know how I might respond...I might be hurt and angry and draw away emotionally and physically, but that's not what God did. God heard the cry of his people and looked on them in mercy....MERCY, not anger, or contempt or resentment. Heck, he's God, creator of all the universe, he would have been completely justified to wipe these people off the face of the planet for rejecting him...but that's not who God his....God loves us unconditionally...no matter what. He gave the people what they wanted. He heard their cry. Even though they rejected him, he still loved them and saw them through the eyes of mercy and heard their cry. How amazing is that!
This is true of God even today...I can assure you that I am not perfect and I have failed God in many ways and still do, I have rejected him and wanted things of this world as my king and not him, but he loves me anyway not matter what I have done or will do. Which brings me to this...God sent Jesus, who was completely rejected and hung on a cross even though he never committed a crime or sin of any kind. Jesus loved all of us enough to die a brutally painful death and God allowed this to happen. He gave up his ONE and ONLY SON, so that we could be made right with him and so that we could have fellowship and relationship with God again. If all God ever did for anyone was to save them in this way, it was enough for all eternity. God owes us nothing, but we owe him EVERYTHING! He loves us at our highest highs and lowest lows. He loves us when we are absolutely unlovable; when we are dirty and covered in sin and rejection of him. Now that is a love that I would call unbelievable...but the amazing part is that its not too good to be true.. IT'S REAL! And even though I struggle with it sometimes, I know and believe it to be true. God loves you and wants relationship with you...you'll never find another love like on earth. No human love can compare to God's perfect love.

<3 Lauren

Confession Time

Ok, it's confession time...the honest to goodness truth...over the last few months I have not been very good at all. I have been having a really hard time battleing with fear and anxiety over the past several months. It has been a really big issue for me bc it has been interfering with my every day life...nothing seemed to matter bc the future seemed so bleak that I just didn't care about anything. My relationships were affected and so was my worship to God...but allow me to let you in on a little secret. . . . GOD IS SO AMAZING!!!! Over the past month he has COMPLETELY restored me and my heart. It so amazing how He can just bring complete peace and restoration.

I know I'm not super consistent with my blog but I share when I feel moved to do so...right now there are a few things on my heart at the moment that I feel compelled to share. So here it goes...I hope you enjoy but most of all I hope you feel God tugging on your heart as you read and maybe this will be of help to someone out there right now....

I've been reading over the past couple days about the story of Joseph in Genesis. His story has always been a favorite of mine b/c of all the turmoil he goes through and how God was with him and brought him out of it a prosperous man - far greater than he could ever have imagined. Throughout Joseph's story, this line is repeated "the Lord was with Joseph"...not matter what happened to Joseph, God was with him...in Potiphar's house, in prision and when he was made second in command to Pharaoh over all of Egypt. He caused things to prosper because he was with Jospeh. God set it all up for a purpose..His purpose. Joseph's brothers, who sold him into slavery, end up coming to him for food becuse a horrible famine had struck the land. Then we get to Genesis 45:5, after Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and is telling them to not be upset for selling him to the Egyptians. He says, "It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives." Isn't it cool how God had planned everything so perfectly and had a solution for Jospeh's family's suffering before they ever knew a famine was coming? It's the same in our lives...God has a plan and even if I can't see it or understand it doesn't mean there isn't one. Focus on God in ALL circumstances NO MATTER WHAT...seek him in prayer ALWAYS and ask for guidance. For him to show you HIS WAY not your way. (Romans 12:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Also in the story the Pharaoh hears that Joseph's brothers are here and decides he is going to give them everything they need to return and get their family. He is going to set them up with the finest land in all of Egypt. He tells them in v. 20, "Don't worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours." When I read this today it made me think of God and his promises to us as heirs with Christ. Don't hold on to the things of this world (our "belongings" so to speak). God has so much more in store for you and me. All the treasures and beauty of heaven await those who seek after God with their whole hearts and lives - so leave the world behind- LET IT GO!! The most beautiful things on earth are only a shadow - a faint shadow - of the beauty that awaits us in Heaven. The more you let go of this world, the closer you can get to Him...so fall into His arms. He's waiting with them wide open...give him your life - ALL OF IT - He can do far more with it than you ever could.

Its been a long time....

So it has been a little over a year since I last wrote...lots has been going on in my life...I completed my first year of teaching (exciting!)...I moved into a new apartment...and God has been doing some amazing things...

The start of a new school year is tomorrow...wow! ... TOMORROW!...I can hardly believe it. I am so excited to be able to start fresh...I am praying God will use me to show love and kindness to my stuents and to the faculty and staff I wok with. God has really taken care of me as far as school is concerned. He gave me an AMAZING partner teacher who is a christian...which is really exciting because I have now come to the conclusion that our friendship is a God thing...He knew what I would need and he gave it to me. She has been such an amzing source of strength, love and support...I don't know what I'd do without her.

God is just SO GOOD! There is so much more I could write but I won't...just know if God is working in my life he can work in yours...

Hopefully I will take better care of keeping up with this blog this time around...we shall see...

~Lauren

The Words We Speak..30 day Challenge!!!

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak" (Mt 12:36)

I was listening to the radio today and they were challenging listeners to try not saying one negative thing for 30 days. The scripture they read really got me thinking.... I will give an account to God for every word that is uttered from my lips. How often do I speak negatively? How often do I complain or say unkind things...even jokingly? How often am I using my words to lift someone up? How often do I use my words to tear someone down? EVERY WORD...man! That's a lot to think about. Can I go 30 days without saying ONE negative thing? So I have decided to give this challenge a try. Over the next 30 days, I will do my best to filter what goes through my head and out of my mouth.I will use my words to edify and encourage, to build up and not tear down. I will do my best not to complain about anything and stick to the old saying my mother used to tell me "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." Because seriously, what does negativity really get us? Negativity breads negativity. I would rather bring someone up than pull them down. I would rather use my words for good and not evil. What are you using your words for? It's something to think about ya know. <3

Excuses Excuses...SO WHAT!

I've just begun reading the book of Exodus and I'm reading about when God called Moses to set the people of Israel free. Moses clearly tries to give excuses to God as to why he cannot fulfill God's call. God counters every excuse Moses makes and in the process reveals a lot about who He is.

I've been thinking a lot about the call of God lately. We are all called to do something. Some may know what that is and are currently doing it. Some are not sure yet of what God is calling them to do. Then there are those who know exactly what God has called them to do, but sit around and make excuse as to why they can't do it or why they are not good enough or worthy enough to do it.

God's answers to Moses' excuses show us some important things about God that apply to all of us today who are called by God, especially for those who make excuses as to why they cannot do what God has called them to do.

1)Moses told God he was not worthy of this great task God was calling him to do. God answered Moses saying "I will be with you." (Ex. 3:11-12) Our worthiness means nothing. We are all unworthy. Our worthiness becomes of little to no significance when God's pressence is with us. When we have the Holy Spirit inside of us working it is Him doing the work anyway not us.

2)Moses told God that he did not have the propper knowledge. He did not know God's name. God again answers Moses' question and His answer tells us something about Himself and His character. God first told Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." I read that this could also mean, "I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE." Also in the study notes in my Bible it said this "God is self-sufficient, self-existing, all encompassing, and without limitations. He is the one being in the universe that isn't dependent on something else for his existence." God cannot be confined to one name. You can't put God in a box. God has many names.
Then God told Moses to tell the people that "Yahweh, the God of your ancestors - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you." This reminded the people of God's faithfulness in the past to the people of Israel's ancestors. It didn't matter that Moses didn't know it all or have all the answers. God provided him with the answers He needed. The same goes for us. You don't have to know it all, God will give you the asnwer you need when you need them.

3)Moses' next excuse was that he lacked power. God answered Moses by giving him threes signs to perfom in order to demonstrate God's power. (Ex. 4:1-9) We may feel powerless, but when God calls us, He will provide the power we need. It may be the power of influence or maybe something else but whatever power we need, God will give it to us in order to accomplish what He wants us to do.

4)In a last attempt at excuses, Moses tells God that he is not a very good speaker so he cannot be the one to talk to Pharoh. At this point God begins to get angry with Moses.(Ex. 4:10-12) Moses didn't understand that the outcome did not depend on his ability , but upon his willingness to let God's power operate through him. God specifically crafted every part of our bodies. He has given us particular abilities and He is able to use what He has made to fulfill His plan. We are God's tools. Don't tell God how to opperate His own tools. He created us with specific purposes and uses. If anyone knows best what we are to do and how we are to be used, I am sure it is God.

When Moses saw his excuses were getting him nowhere with God, he finally gave up and just begged God to send someone else. (Ex. 4:13)

I was like Moses, I knew God was calling me to do something and I made excuses and procrastinated and in the end at one point I just begged God to send someone else. I look back and am ashamed that I felt that way. God has given us so much, He gave us his son. How dare I not give Him everything I have. As christians we should stand up and say "PICK ME GOD!!! OOH OOH PICK ME!!!" The only reason we are here in the first place is to glorify God's name, further His kingdom, and work for His purposes.

My Pastor last night said this and it really stuck with me,

"My life is not my own."

Hmmm....My life is not my own....well then who's life is it?

My life belongs to God. I am His. He created me for His purposes. My life is God's, therefore, I will allow Him to use me in any way He sees fit and I will daily crucify my flesh so that I am better attuned to His Holy Spirit so that I am able to do what He has called me to do.

The Results Are In

Today will be short and sweet.

I got my Praxis results in today. I passed by 4 pts!! I praise God for this because this grade was not possible without Him. My parents were more nervouse this morning than I was. I didn't know at the time whether I had passed or not but I was at peace knowing that my Father in Heaven's will would be done. After I found out I jumped around my house singing and praising God for my victory over this trial in my life; a victory that would not have come if I didn't have Jesus. While I was patiently waiting outside for my grade, I was laying in my hammock reading my bible and listening to worship music. The sky was dark and cloudy and in an instant (literally a second) as I was singing out loud to God the sky cleared and the sun shone through the tree behind me directly on me. I took pictures so that I would always remember that moment in my life. A moment when I was completely and purely dependent on the Lord..to remind me to never lose faith in God. Then when I left to meet my mom for lunch to celebrate there was the coolest image above my house in the sun and clouds so I took a picture of that too.
The Pics:
The Sky above my house: Pic #1. The pic of the sun from my tree: Pic #2
I love these two pics!!!

I will leave you with this. I was reading my mobile bible while waiting on my mom at lunch and I came across this in the book of James:
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
(James 1:12)

♥ Lauren