here are some pics from when my favorite Michelle came to visit.
10.06.2006
rebel continued...
So, after I wrote my last post about being rebellious and was really broken over all of that junk in my heart that had totally deceived me. It is a long story but the point is that rebellion is a heart attitude that affects everything. I feel like I've gotten a lot 'softer' over the last few years when it comes to being moldable and responding to God's call. However, when I allow that rebellion to surface in my heart it doesn't just capture part of me but becomes a heart condition. The good news is that Jesus is victorious and has redeemed my life from rebellion -- right now. I can choose to live in that victory daily, but man, the consequences of letting that little seed grow are huge. Anyway, this is the verse that God gave me about rebellion the other night.
Let not the rebellious exalt themselves...for you O God have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs, you let men ride over our heads; we went through the fire and through the water yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance...come and hear all you who fear God and I will tell what he has done for my soul. Psalm 66:7,10-12,16
So, even after this I didn't feel like I was ready to be able to testify to what God did in my soul... I still felt like someone grieving. Anyway, the next day I went to the lake for my lunch break to just listen and this is what came out:
Just one more day I need to stay
Before I can go to where I don’t know.
Just more time to be here with you
And then I’ll be ready to face all that’s new
… or is that really true?
What is one more when a million more will never be enough?
To make me feel secure, ready, strong and tough.
Because the truth is that I am so afraid
Afraid to fail- afraid it’s not worth the price I’ve paid.
I still want to go and join God over there
But after I am done here and don’t really care.
It honors our Father when we choose to obey
Against our own wishes and still stand to say
'Not my will but yours be done.’ In my heart
Remove every seed of rebellion, not just in part.
This confession is god’s mercy to me
Because I know through him I am free
Free to die and live like it is gain
Free to submit to the name above every name.
After this I still felt like, well it rhymes but I am not fully there yet. And I just decided that is okay. I've found that obedience is about little simple 'yes's' and once you choose to obey God gives the grace to make it easier or just make it okay. I still feel great hope and excitement about moving overseas, I also still don't feel ready... but I do fully desire to be obedient and that means being urgent in my departure date. I don't want to be a rebel, I want to be meek.
Let not the rebellious exalt themselves...for you O God have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs, you let men ride over our heads; we went through the fire and through the water yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance...come and hear all you who fear God and I will tell what he has done for my soul. Psalm 66:7,10-12,16
So, even after this I didn't feel like I was ready to be able to testify to what God did in my soul... I still felt like someone grieving. Anyway, the next day I went to the lake for my lunch break to just listen and this is what came out:
Just one more day I need to stay
Before I can go to where I don’t know.
Just more time to be here with you
And then I’ll be ready to face all that’s new
… or is that really true?
What is one more when a million more will never be enough?
To make me feel secure, ready, strong and tough.
Because the truth is that I am so afraid
Afraid to fail- afraid it’s not worth the price I’ve paid.
I still want to go and join God over there
But after I am done here and don’t really care.
It honors our Father when we choose to obey
Against our own wishes and still stand to say
'Not my will but yours be done.’ In my heart
Remove every seed of rebellion, not just in part.
This confession is god’s mercy to me
Because I know through him I am free
Free to die and live like it is gain
Free to submit to the name above every name.
After this I still felt like, well it rhymes but I am not fully there yet. And I just decided that is okay. I've found that obedience is about little simple 'yes's' and once you choose to obey God gives the grace to make it easier or just make it okay. I still feel great hope and excitement about moving overseas, I also still don't feel ready... but I do fully desire to be obedient and that means being urgent in my departure date. I don't want to be a rebel, I want to be meek.
10.03.2006
rebel without a cause
So... this is me. God has been continuing to show me all the areas of my life that have this heart attitude of rebellion. It is ridiculous, I mean someone give me a harley and a bad boy in a leather jacket already!!! Somewhere along the way (I haven't pin pointed it yet) I believed the lie that I know better than other people. Hence the pride that I struggle with daily. There was this little seed of rebellion that I watered and nutured and let grow into this terrible spirit of pride and self righteousness. Now isn't that attractive? Who wouldn't want a lil piece of that?
God is authority. To know that He really does hold the world in His hands and have total and undivided authority over everything on the earth -- this is freedom. Out of this knowledge I am free to submit to ANY earthly authority because Jesus is the one who is in authority. It is NOT my job to decide who is good and who is evil and what is right and what is wrong. God has given me this deep sense of justice in my heart. I mean really, injustice stirs me up more than just about anything. When I was in 5th grade I was on a few news stations for starting a red cross drive at my school and then in 6th grade I wrote and editorial in the local paper about gang violence. haha -- I've always felt this urging to rise up and DO something about the things I think are wrong. I've never been one to sit by and let it happen without at least slandering some people.
God is bringing about this brokenness in my heart that says 'To You Jesus, I submit everything - You are authority and I choose to honor you in the people you have placed in authority.' See, God didn't make me the pastor, the teacher, the police officer ... whoever it is that God has delegated His authority to that I want to criticize.... it wasn't me. God uses both good and evil men, that is his deal, my deal is to obey.
I still struggle with this, I don't feel right now like there is this peace allowing me to quietly choose submission. I still get all riled up on Sunday mornings and have to choose to pray instead of slander. But seriously, who do I think I am? Do I not have those same things inside of me that I can detest so easily in others?
God be gracious to me, the biggest sinner I know... Help me submit to your authority in the world instead of trying to judge them..... that's all I got tonight, just needed to say these things 'out loud'.... if you see me being a rebel without a cause, heck, even if there is a cause, smack me -- hard.
God is authority. To know that He really does hold the world in His hands and have total and undivided authority over everything on the earth -- this is freedom. Out of this knowledge I am free to submit to ANY earthly authority because Jesus is the one who is in authority. It is NOT my job to decide who is good and who is evil and what is right and what is wrong. God has given me this deep sense of justice in my heart. I mean really, injustice stirs me up more than just about anything. When I was in 5th grade I was on a few news stations for starting a red cross drive at my school and then in 6th grade I wrote and editorial in the local paper about gang violence. haha -- I've always felt this urging to rise up and DO something about the things I think are wrong. I've never been one to sit by and let it happen without at least slandering some people.
God is bringing about this brokenness in my heart that says 'To You Jesus, I submit everything - You are authority and I choose to honor you in the people you have placed in authority.' See, God didn't make me the pastor, the teacher, the police officer ... whoever it is that God has delegated His authority to that I want to criticize.... it wasn't me. God uses both good and evil men, that is his deal, my deal is to obey.
I still struggle with this, I don't feel right now like there is this peace allowing me to quietly choose submission. I still get all riled up on Sunday mornings and have to choose to pray instead of slander. But seriously, who do I think I am? Do I not have those same things inside of me that I can detest so easily in others?
God be gracious to me, the biggest sinner I know... Help me submit to your authority in the world instead of trying to judge them..... that's all I got tonight, just needed to say these things 'out loud'.... if you see me being a rebel without a cause, heck, even if there is a cause, smack me -- hard.
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