Searching the Heart

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and He will give you

the desires of your heart.

-Psalm 37:4

   This verse, has given me alot to think about as I make my plans for the New Year, and brought me face-to-face, with several heart-searching questions. I encourage you to take a moment, to ask them to your own heart. 

  What are my plans? What are the desires of my heart, that I want to see "come true" in 2013? Do they reveal a heart delighting in the Lord, or one delighting in the world?

   And if, like me, you need some help deciding if they reveal a heart delighting in the Lord, I have come up with a few, more specific questions, that can help us discern our motives. 

1.) Would completing this, bring glory to God or to myself? [1Peter 2:12]

2.) Would this give me more time to spend with my Savior, or would it detract from time spent with Him? [Psalm 119:2]

3.) If I discovered that this was bringing more glory to myself, or detracting from time with God and family (my first priorities), would I be willing to let it go? (A sure sign of an idol in your life, is being unable to imagine living life without it.) [Psalm 31:6]

4.) Does this fall in-line with the priorities God commands us to have? ( J-Jesus, O-others, Y-yourself) [Matthew 22:37-39]


   I hope these questions help you to sift through the things that you would like to accomplish. In my next post I hope to be exploring some principles from scripture that will help us discover the things that God wants to accomplish in our lives.

  If you have any other questions along the lines of New Years Resolutions, or any ideas, feel free to leave them in the comment section!

Dreaming Big

Where there is no vision, the people perish:

    - Proverbs 29:18a

   I don't know about you, but I always loved the beginning of a new school year! 

   Buying new notebooks with crisp, white pages...

               new pencils, with their tiny sharp points, and perfectly round erasers...

                      new backpacks, and binders, and rulers, 

                           and new visions of completed homework assignments with A+'s gracing the top. 

   I guess the last part was really my favorite. I loved dreaming about being more organized and more studious. I loved imagining all of the wonderful grades I would make, and how pretty I would make my handwriting when I wrote in those lovely, new notebooks. Of course I knew that it wouldn't last past the first month, maybe two, but -oh!- it was so much fun to dream. 

   And that's the way I am with the start of the New Year. I love plotting and planning how I will be better, more organized, more studious. Kinder, braver, stronger, sweeter. 

   At the start of a New Year, I can do anything, and be anything, never-mind that it won't last, it's really the dreaming that counts.                   

   As, I've gotten older, instead of becoming smaller and more 'sensible', my dreams have become bigger. Not bigger as in wilder, or crazier; but grander, and truer, and more meaningful. You see, I've learned a secret about New Year's resolutions. A wonderful, earth-shaking secret. Would you like me to tell you?

   I'm not alone! 

   That it! That is my secret! I am not alone in this arena of big dreams for my life, nor am I alone in the walking out of them. Jesus is with me every step of the way!

    And do you want to know another secret? His dreams for me, are bigger than my dreams for me.

   You see, while my New Years Resolutions list was still somewhere between, "get a better tan" and "read my Bible more", He was already setting into motion His own eternal, Gospel-centered plans for my life.

 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts

nor are your ways my ways,"

says the Lord.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are my ways higher than your ways,

And my thoughts than your thoughts." 

-Isaiah 55:8-9

and again:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,"

says the Lord,

"Thoughts of peace, and not of evil,

to give you a future and a hope."

-Jeremiah 29:11

   Isn't this incredible? I want to leave you with these verses and thoughts for today, but in the next few days, I hope to be exploring with you, how to dreams God's dreams with Him, and how to rely on His strength to follow through. 

The Tuesday Before Christmas

(I posted this poem, written by my talented cousin, on my old blog, last Christmas, but I love it so much that I couldn't resist the opportunity to re-post! So, enjoy, and don't forget the reason for Christmas!!!)

 The Tuesday Before Christmas

                                                              

                                                                                             by Allie Lloyd

‘Twas the Tuesday before Christmas,

And all was abuzz

The people weren’t ready—

In fact, no one was!

There were presents to wrap

 And stockings to hang,

Plus cookies to ice

Before the church bells rang!

But no one was more behind

It seemed

Than the old man himself—

It was worse than he’d dreamed.

“They’ve all forgotten,”

He said to himself.

“They think it’s all about

The toys on the shelf.”

“And why not?” he asked.

“I’ve been bad as they.

Pretending to ride

In some old-fangled sleigh.”

“The true reason has been buried—

Long ago forgotten.

Is there anything to be done

To keep Christmas from being rotten?”

“Of course there is,”

Said a voice from the hall.

“Don’t you remember why we’re here?

Why there’s a Christmas at all?”

“That’s the problem,”

Said the man to his wife.

“It’s all about presents now,

Not the true gift of Life.”

“That was to be

My job, you see.

To make sure they remembered—

And remembered with glee.”

“It started in Israel,

The place of His birth.

There were no pine trees then,

No cookies, no hearth.”

“I stood on street corners,

Telling the great news

That little town of Bethlehem—

Back then there was no ruse.”

“I gave presents to the poor,

As all are supposed to do,

And by and by

I gave to the rich, too.”

“This was my pattern,

I was being a Light.

Until I got scared

And started giving at night.”

“And that’s where I am now.

I have quite an operation.

The myth of Santa Claus

Has spread to almost every nation.”

“But as what cost?”

Cried he.

“No one remembers.

No one but me.”

“That’s not true.”

His wife hurried to add.

“There are plenty who remember,

And plenty who are glad.”

“If we all join our voices,

Together, it’s true,

There’s no telling—no telling

What our voices can do!”

“By jolly you’re right!

That’s just what I needed!”

And he hurried away,

His path not impeded.

Next Tuesday morning

Dawned happy and bright

Kids ran to the tree

After a restless night.

And under the tree

They found presents galore.

It was everything they had wanted—

Plus many more!

As they grabbed their gifts

Brought by good ol’ Saint Nick,

A note caught their eye—

They read it right quick.

“Dear child,” it read.

“I know you haven’t been good.

But you’re getting presents anyway.

Do you really think you should?”

“On this Christmas day

Two thousand years ago

God’s Son came to Earth

‘And lo

The angel of the Lord came upon them,

And the glory of the Lord shone round about them,

And they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, “Fear not:

For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,

Which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David

A Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you;

Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel

A multitude of heavenly hosts praising God, and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill to men.”’

[Luke 2:9-14]

We didn’t deserve

This most wondrous gift.

It was given to solve

The most awful rift

Between man and God

(Because of our naughtiness.)

This is the true reason

For this most joyous of seasons.

So as you open your presents

This Christmas morn

Just remember—

A Savior has been born!”

Under His Apple Tree

    I began this blog, in a rush of excitement. Designed it over a period of months, wrote the farewell post for my old blog, updated the resources section, set up a Facebook page to get the word out, you know, all of the usual stuff.
 
   Then it was time to wait...

   And that is when my nerves began to set in. Because, you see, I am totally unqualified to begin a blog like this. The only credentials that I have, is the fact that I am, myself, a young lady, and perhaps more importantly that I believe God has given me a heart for you, my sisters in Him.

   I am not wise, nor do I have all the answers. I'm not perfect, nor am I even good. But I know the One Who is all of these things, and will gladly, out of his treasure store, cover us, and supply our needs.

   And this is why I started this blog. Because I want all of you to know Him too! I want to encourage you to own the truths in the Bible, and to know that what God says He means. I want you to seek Him diligently with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength, because I know that when you do, you will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13)

   I have spent time, pursuing the world, and I know how empty that leaves the one pursuing. It's is when you discover that God is pursuing you, and all that you have to do is let Him catch you, that meaning and purpose result.

   So, in closing, I pray that this will be a place where we can talk freely and openly about loving and desiring God more. Where we can join with the single focus of abiding in our Lord. And where I can call back, from my place a little farther (maybe) on the road of life, to warn and encourage you.

   God bless you all, dear sisters, as we start this journey together!