Clothe yourselves...

Source

It has been difficult for me to be motivated to spend time with God over the past month in the midst of my sleep deprivation haze.  But in the last week or so, I have really longed to get back to that place of daily time with the Lord early in the morning, before the start of my day.  Now that I have 2 infants to care for around the clock, it's a little tricky to time it.  The boys wake up roughly around 6-7am for their first am feed and don't eat again until 9.  We put them back down after that feed and I pump afterwards. Usually I go back to sleep, too, but I'm thinking that I need to just buckle down and stay awake after I pump.  I want to start my day off right before my babies wake up for good.

This verse has been on my heart these past few days.  I want to clothe myself each morning with these characteristics as it is pleasing to God and benefits my family and those around me.  On days that are crazy and I'm overwhelmed, I want this peace of Christ to rule in my heart. I want to already be clothed with kindness, compassion, patience, gentleness, and humility.  This is the kind of wife I want to be and the kind of mom I want to be.

So, here's to getting back(ish) in the swing of things around here!

Though...Yet

Everyday I am reminded of the simple truths that

God's timing is not my own

and 

He is still to be worshipped 

even when our circumstances don't seem good or promising or fair.

These are important truths to learn (and keep learning),

but also hard ones to swallow.

This verse in Habakkuk has been a convicting and encouraging one for me, 

and I challenge anyone else to write their own version when you are faced with a trial or difficulty.

"Though the fig tree does not bud

   and there are no grapes on the vines, 

though the olive crop fails 

   and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

   and no cattle in the stalls, 

yet I will rejoice in the Lord, 

   I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Habakkuk 3:17-18

The truth is, I have experienced more pain and heartbreak 

than I thought I could ever bear

over the past 6 months, 

but though I have many "thoughs"

I am choosing to end my sentences with the "yet"!

I WILL REJOICE!

I will be joyful in the Lord.  

Only He can give me the strength to rejoice, 

but I also must choose this... and it really is the better way.

What is stirring my heart...

I was listening to a sermon from Antioch in Waco the other morning on my run, and I was struck 

by what the pastor (Jimmy Seibert) began saying about who Jesus is all throughout the Bible.

I have listened to it over and over ("Discipled by Jesus" from 8/25/12 starting at minute 17:21), and I am encouraged more each time I hear these truths.

May you be encouraged, too!

Genesis - He is the ram at Abraham's side

Exodus - He is the Passover Lamb

Leviticus - He is the High Priest

Numbers - He is the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night

Deuteronomy - He is the City of Our Refuge

Joshua - He is our Salvation

Judges - He is our Judge

Ruth - He is our Kinsman-Redeemer

1&2 Samuel - He is our Trusted Prophet

1&2 Kings and 1&2 Chronicles - He is our Reigning King

Ezra - He is our Faithful Scribe

Nehemiah - He is the Rebuilder of everything that is broken

Esther - He is Mordechai, sitting faithful at the gate

Job - He is Our Redeemer that ever lives

Psalms - He is my Shepherd, I shall not want

Provers and Ecclesiastes - He is our Wisdom

Song of Songs - He is the Lover of our souls

Isaiah - He is our Suffering Servant

Jeremiah and Lamentations - He is our Weeping Prophet

Ezekiel - He is the One who calls us out of sin

Daniel - He is the fourth man in the midst of the fiery furnace

Hosea - He is my Love, forever faithful

Joel - He baptizes us in the Holy Spirit

Amos - He is our Burden Bearer

Obadiah - He is our Savior

Jonah - He is the Great Missionary, to the ends of the earth

Micah - He is the Messenger with beautiful feet

Nahum - He is our Avenger

Habakkuk - He is the Watchman, ever praying for revival

Zephaniah - He is the Lord, mighty to save

Haggai - He is the Restorer of our lost heritage

Zechariah - He is our Fountain of Life

Malachi - He is the Son of Righteousness with healing in His wings

Matthew - He is the Christ, Son of the Living God

Mark - He is the Miracle Worker

Luke - He is the Son of Man

John - He is the Door, through which we must all enter

Acts - He is the Shining Light that appears to Saul on the road to Damascus

Romans - He is our Justifier

1 Corinthians - He is our Resurrection

2 Corinthians - He is our Sin-Bearer

Galatians - He redeems us from the law

Ephesians - He is our unsearchable riches

Philippians - He supplies our every need

Colossians - He is the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form

1&2 Thessalonians - He is our Coming King

1&2 Timothy - He is the Mediator between God and man

Titus - He is our Blessed Hope

Philemon - He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother

Hebrews - He is the blood of the everlasting covenant

James - He is the Lord, who heals the sick

1&2 Peter - He is our Chief Shepherd

1, 2, & 3 John - It is Jesus who has the tenderness of love

Jude - He is the Lord, coming with 10,000 saints

Revelation - Lift up your eyes, Church, for our Redemption draws near.  He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

Mary

Things have kicked into full gear, here in Tempe.  Our team has been "hitting the streets" - if you will - for the past 2 weeks, sharing the gospel, praying for people, and getting our church's name out there.  Many people, students and non-students alike, have shown interest in church or have desired prayer.  We have gotten to share the full gospel with a good amount of people, too!

One night last week, we went out to the main drag of Tempe, which is called Mill Ave., to share the gospel.  Now, Mill Ave. is interesting.  You have mainstream restaurants like Five Guys, Chili's, PF Chang's, and Red Mango frozen yogurt, there are lots of bars, some pscyhedelic shops, and a club or two.  The people who frequent Mill Ave--particularly at night--are even more eclectic.  You have students, young couples, lots of homeless youth, lots of homeless adults, and handfuls of people who are high or intoxicated.  Oh, and there is a not very friendly end-of-the-world preacher, who is disliked by many we have encountered.  So do you get the picture?  It's crazy.  Not unsafe, but crazy.

We split into groups of 5-6, with a guy in each group, and went off to pray for people and tell them about the love of Jesus.  (*We had a team in from Boston on a mission trip here last week, so there were more people than just our team.)  Before we went out to the streets, we had a fun little jam and worship session.  During that, one of the girls from Boston, Bryn, prayed and asked God if he had anything to say to her about going out that night.  All she saw in her mind was the color bright pink.  So, as we were walking around, Bryn kept her eye out for anyone in bright pink clothing, expecting those people to be hungry for God or needing prayer.  She saw one group of street kids, and a girl in the group was wearing a bright pink shirt.  She went over and started talking to them, but it was soon clear that they thought she was weird and didn't want anything to do with God.

Later on that night, Bryn and I were together in a group, and she saw the girl in pink crossing the street towards us.  Sure enough, the girl, Mary, walks right up to Bryn and says, "I've been looking for you all night!"  Of course with me being nosy, I hear this and butt myself right into the middle of the conversation :)  Mary goes on to say that she doesn't really know those other guys and just met them that night... so she "didn't want them to hear her business."  And, in fact, when Bryn asked if she could pray for any of them something inside her heart "felt funny".  She knew she needed whatever it was that Bryn was offering.  We got into a great conversation with her about where she was spiritually (very confused) and what she thought about God (went to church growing up but has rejected faith when she was old enough to choose).  To make a long story short, we shared the gospel with her, and at the end, with tears in her eyes, she nodded "yes" when I asked her if she would like to let Jesus be the Lord of her life.  We prayed, she accepted Jesus, and we rejoiced!  It was a beautiful thing.  We all had tears in our eyes.  We prayed then that she would be filled with the Holy Spirit, as the early Christians did in Acts, and she said she felt peace.

Mary is 22 and lives with and takes care of her grandmother.  Her hair is pink and black, she has gauge earrings, lots of piercings, and many tattoos.  She comes to Mill Ave to hang out with anyone she can find and with friends for fun.  Now, I say this so we will all know to never judge a book by its cover.  It is SO exciting to see and know that God is doing something here amongst his children.  The broken and hurting are aware of their need.  Regardless of people's outward appearance, hearts are being softened.  Amen! 

I am now meeting with Mary weekly to go through the foundations of having faith in Jesus.  I am so excited and expectant to see God move in her life, bring healing, and filling her with peace, joy, life, and power to share the gospel and see more people saved!  She is the sweetest girl, and I am genuinely grateful for her.  I look forward to developing sweet friendship with her.