A Sovereign God

I do not believe in being lucky or unlucky. Or in coincidences. I DO believe in a God that is sovereign and who knows all things and can control all things. He is in charge of the universe and yet still delights in me and the knows the details of my daily life. And if He knows those details AND He is in control, why would I waste one minute of my day worrying? Your life will be transformed when you can grasp this fully. It truly is amazing , and I don't think our human minds can fathom His greatness. I love to read the Psalms to be reminded of the characteristics of God...as the Psalmists pour out their love for Him. I long to understand whom I serve....and what I find is a loving, personal God who wants to be involved in every decision of our lives. He allows us to wake every morning...can He not handle the problems of our day?

John Piper had this to say in response to the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse and the sovereignty of God (see full response here):

"All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of people who deserve his wrath. This is a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world."

Piper reminds us of our frail existence here on earth...and of a God who is POWERFUL beyond measure. Powerful, and yet He desires that none should perish. He has a gentle spirit. He longs speak with us all day. To be close to us. Isn't it amazing how easy it is to forget who holds all things together? We walk away from His love and His plan so easily.

Elisabeth Elliot shares this:

I know of no greater simplifier for all of life. Whatever happens is assigned. Does the intellect balk at that? Can we say that there are things that happen to us that do not belong to our lovingly assigned "portion"("This belongs to it, that does not") Are some things, then, out of the control of the Almighty? Every assignment is measured and controlled for my eternal good. As I accept the given portion, other options are canceled. Decisions become much easier, directions clearer, and hence my heart becomes inexpressibly quieter. A quiet heart is content with what God gives.

Are some things, then, out of the control of the Almighty? No! So why do we act as if they are? In every circumstance, God's purpose can be found...although it may take years or even a lifetime. It's ok to question God when you are in a difficult, painful situations...but we must never doubt His purpose in it and His desire to be glorified through it.

If you have never read the blog "Especially Heather", you need to start. I have been reading Heather's response to her brain cancer since she was diagnosed...and I am encouraged daily by this amazing woman's understanding that God is sovereign. She is continually blessing others with her wisdom and giving God glory, despite the incredible pain she is going through right now. She has recently posted a couple of videos/lyrics that have really made me think about what it means to give God glory in ALL things. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did (the titles link to the videos).

Bring The Rain MercyMe I can count a million times People asking me how I Can praise You with all that I’ve gone through The question just amazes me Can circumstances possibly Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed Long before these rainy days It’s never really ever crossed my mind To turn my back on you, oh Lord My only shelter from the storm But instead I draw closer through these times So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace Bring the chance to be free Bring me anything that brings You glory And I know there’ll be days When this life brings me pain But if that’s what it takes to praise You Jesus, bring the rain

I am yours regardless of the clouds that may loom above because you are much greater than my pain you who made a way for me suffering your destiny so tell me whats a little rain

And one of my favorites...

Shane and Shane Psalm 145

great is the Lord, so worthy of praise great is the Lord

one generation will commend Your kingdom to one another they will speak of You and i will meditate on Your wonder and they, they will speak of Your glorious splendor of Your majesty everyday i’ll praise thee forever and ever

everyday i will praise for You open Your hand and satisfy desires of all things my God the King

the Lord is gracious and slow to anger He is rich in love He is good to all

all who call on Him in truth He is near to and He hears their cry and saves them

Eyes of Mercy

I've never been someone who just blends into the crowd. I am extremely outgoing. I'm confident. I talk to strangers...at length. I'm passionate about A LOT of things. I have a three-year-old who dances everywhere she goes while singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" at the top of her lungs. Pretty hard to go unnoticed with that last one. All of those things are fine with me. It's who I am. But prior to dreading my hair, at least I LOOKED like everyone else on the outside, even if I was a little crazy on the inside. These days, it's pretty clear that I am not like the others. And when you look different, people seem to stare more. It's very strange to go from being occasionally noticed, to having people blatantly gawking at you. I can understand it though...because before I had dreads, I would totally stare at people who had dreads. Because I WANTED dreads! Of course, it's a little hard to determine what is in people's minds when they are staring. Do they want dreads too? Do they know someone who has dreads? Are they wondering how a white girl got her hair to knot up like that? Were they judging me because I looked different?

Which brings me to my next point. Judgment. Picture yourself walking through the mall or the grocery store. You see someone who looks different than you or who may be acting different than you. Is your first reaction to comment out loud to your companions? Maybe a comment about how silly that person looks? Or how obnoxious they are acting? Maybe you're not with anyone, but you still think it and you inwardly roll your eyes as that person walks by.

We've all been there. If you haven't ever judged someone by their appearance...I really don't think you're human. Is it truly possible to just look at someone and acknowledge that they are different, but not judge them? Is it truly possible to just look at a person for WHO they are inside and not what they look like on the outside? Is it truly possible to see a SOUL instead of a BODY? I think so. But for me, it won't happen without letting Christ control my mind.

When I see something or someone that is different...especially if they happen to be rubbing m the wrong way, the reaction of my flesh (a.k.a. sin nature) is to judge. My mind is usually not filled with loving, uplifting thoughts about that person. That can only come when I am abiding with Christ and HE is the one controlling my thought life. When He is in control of my thoughts, HIS thoughts come through first and mine get thrown away. When my thoughts align with Christ's, I think first of how that person's day has been, what kind of things they've had to deal with, and the kind of hurts they have experienced in their life. I look at them with a more gentle spirit and I recognize things in them that I myself have struggled with in the past or things I am still struggling with, but don't want to address. In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus offers a reminder in our dealings with others:

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye".

Judgment has an entire industry. Just look around as you check out at the grocery store next time. Gossip magazines are a great tool to help you judge others. "Brittany shaves head!". "Paris in jail!". Is your first thought..."she deserved it..." or "what on earth was she thinking? She's crazy". Or did your heart hurt for Brittany as she struggled with the whole world watching? As Paris cried out for her mother...did you laugh at her or feel her pain with her? Jesus showed nothing but love and mercy to ALL people. He broke bread with prostitutes and tax collectors. He rebuked those who were judgmental in their thoughts toward others. It doesn't mean that they won't have to experience the consequences of their sins or that they should continue on that path. But He looked at them with LOVE first. Next time you want to pick up one of those magazines...think about the thoughts it causes you to have and what purpose they have in your life. Is an industry based on gossip and judgment one you want to support with your money?

It's not always strangers that we judge...we judge those closest to us. Our friends, our family...those we love the most. Think of how different your group of friends could be or how different your family could be if the only words from your mouth to them were edifying and uplifting...only allowing thoughts of grace or forgiveness to come into your mind and out of your mouth as you speak about them or to them. I know that all of you have probably experienced deep hurts in your life...and they often come from someone close to you. It is possible to judge the situation apart from the person involved. It's hard, but you can.

I had the pleasure of meeting a young man named Donnie last January and he had these things to say on his blog about learning to not judge others.

"...so i have developed an exercise. we'll call it a spiritual discipline - that, if applied to my lifestyle every few days or weeks, will strengthen my 'higher self' or 'new man' or 'bad a**' or whatever it is that cooperates with the Spirit of God (i.e. unrelenting generosity & compassion). it's called "people watching". i know we all do it. some of us even watch people watching other people. but this is maybe a bit different because of the intention - in the same way one could eat a big mac for nourishment or only for entertainment. so the intention to cultivate is this: no partiality. meaning, that as i am watching big/small, dirty/clean, sober/stoned, rich/poor, pretty/ugly people... i am doing so with the intention of seeing value in each one that i focus on. breaking subconscious habits of finding people less than. i am confronting automatic response patterns and prejudices that come up, for example, when i see an anarchist and just want to write him off as an angry lost soul. first, i have to acknowledge that i really do feel this way and then try to move into projecting/thinking/praying only good things for this person - as well as asking the Great Spirit to help me out with my crusty, impatient tendencies to be closed jerk. basically, asking for help as i work towards becoming a more merciful, understanding person. and we all know that life is a lot better when you are hanging out with someone like that. things feel on time and you feel as though you are actually a unique and interesting person."

When those judgmental thoughts enter your mind..."capture" them and submit them to Christ. When you let negative thoughts run rampant in your mind...the outcome is always bitterness and a hardened heart.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8)."

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2)."

You will be amazed at how different your entire life can be if your thoughts are focused on the GOOD things, not the bad...in people, in situations, everywhere. This is not just a Christian philosophy...people of all faiths can embrace this concept and choose not to judge. Set your mind...and have eyes of mercy.

Journal Love

I've always loved the feeling of a "fresh" journal...the smooth pages, the crisp binding, and the way the pen glides. I'm normally a very "tech-obsessed" girl. I switched from a paper planner to an electronic one as soon as they came out, and I love the convenience of it. My computer is one of my best friends. However, eventually I found that I really missed writing on REAL paper (I know, I know, not too ec0-friendly, but I just found about 20 brand new composition journals in the dumpster, so I think I'm good for awhile!). Just as I LOVE getting mail that is written out by hand, I also love writing and pouring my heart out to God on the pages of my prayer journal.

In 2001, I read the book Let Prayer Change Your Life by Becky Tirabassi and she turned me onto the idea of journalling my prayers every day. I have found it to be so rewarding and life-changing for many reasons. First, when I write out my prayers, there is a record of what I have asked God for and I can "track" His answers. It's been amazing to watch him answer requests so clearly...and if I hadn't written it down, I would have forgotten and probably taken the credit for it myself! It's also much easier to pray for friends this way...I write down their requests as I get them so I don't forget. Secondly, I am better able to process my feelings about a situation or an emotion that I have having when I take the time to write it out. It takes much longer to write something than just say it or think it...so it helps me to process though things. Many times, God will speak to my heart and reveal things as I am writing them. It's fun to go back and see Him working through things with me. Lastly, I love to write out scripture as I pray. God's word is so powerful...and it's also easier to memorize verses when I write them down (memorization is a discipline I want to work on more....I'd love to hear from people who are doing it as well).

I've had a few different styles of journals...but the one I come back to most often is one that is divided into sections:

• Praise: I usually work my way through Psalms, doing 2-3 a day and writing verses down that really pop for me that day. Sometimes I will write my own Psalm to God...or write out all of the names I can think of for God.
• Requests: I pray for a lot of things because I know I have a big God. I pray for myself, Matt, Bella, my family and friends. I like writing it all out once and then just referring back to it...adding things as needed. I go back and highlight the request when God answers.
• Admitting: This section is always difficult. If I have been neglecting my time with God for awhile, this one takes a long time! I just ask God to show me anything in my heart/life that is not glorifying Him...that He would show me what areas I need to work on. It's interesting to go back through my journals and see certain "themes" of struggles I have...weaknesses, etc. and how I am in desperate need of a Savior!
• Thanks: I am so blessed and always want to thank God for the abundance in my life. Just writing down that I am thankful for the "little things" in my life like electricity, running water, and food reminds me that there are other people who consider those "big things" and who are struggling right now.
• Scripture and misc: I use this to write down any "random" scriptures I come across. Not necessarily during my quiet time...but anytime (sermons, quotes from books, etc).

I've never journalled much about daily life in general (i.e. I went here...I did this...etc.). After a few incidents in junior high, I learned not to write too many details down (remember Heth?) :) But I've been thinking about starting up again. Sometimes I feel like my head might just explode if I don't write all my thoughts out and process them. Perhaps I will incorporate it into my prayer journal. I've been completely inspired by these groups that I found on Flickr (thanks Mrs. Pivec!). The pages are so beautiful...like an heirloom to be passed down through generations.

• Paper Journal 07
• Journals and Letters
• Molskine: One page at a time
• Molskinerie
• Calendar Journals

I would love to hear from all you journal junkies out there...prayer journals, life journals, visual journals, homemaking journals...anything at all. What do you love about it? Why did you start? Share the journal love!

Photo credit: Flickr/mills1983