a good reminder

i was reminded this morning of a quote from Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper:

"If God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him... then living for the glory of God must mean that we live to gladly make others glad in God. Our gladness and our pursuit of their gladness glorifies God. And since gladness in God is the greatest and most lasting happiness, pursuing it is also love. Since the same joy in God both satisfies man and glorifies God, we never have to choose between the motive to love people or to glorify God. By gladly pursuing the gladness of others in God - even at the cost of our lives - we love them and honor God. This is the opposite of a wasted life."

meditating on service and relying on God for results

I love 2 Timothy 2. Today, I am sitting in verses 24-26. May the Lord continue to transform my heart that I may be useful for His service!

"the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:24-26

God, work these characteristics in me: kindness, patience, gentleness. Grant me wisdom in teaching & correcting!

He SINGS over us (loudly)!

In commenting on Zephaniah 3:17 :

"It is not without reason that God labors so much to persuade us of His love, because we are not only prone by nature to unbelief, but exposed to the deceits of Satan, and are also inconstant and easily drawn away from His word." John Calvin

a seed which grows

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Jacob helped me to transplant 4 oak trees that were growing in my flower beds out to spots on my parents' property. (FYI - it always pays to have a friend with a degree in horticulture!)

I have always been intrigued by oak trees - their solidity and longevity. Three of them stood (still stand) in front of my boyhood home, and I was always amazed to think that they had been on the property even before my grandmother was alive on it. (We counted the rings on one that was logged in our woods this past fall, and it had been growing there even before Ohio was a state!) Those stately trees have survived wind storms, numerous lightning strikes, and cars missing the bend. They are full of scars and full of stories.

In the past, I have tried collecting acorns all over with the plans of starting young trees - trees that will far outlast me. Those attempts have been fairly unsuccessful. Yet without much effort from me, over the past several years, some have started to grow amidst my lilies. However, for long term flourishing, they could not stay there, hence, the transplanting.

Now I am at the "mulching and heavy watering stage," and the trees are adjusting to the transplant shock with varying degrees of visible reaction. (I am taking Jacob at his word that just because one of them has already shed its leaves that does not mean it is dead, and I continue to water it.) In spite of my best efforts, only God knows what the future holds for those trees.

The same day that we were doing the transplanting, I was providentially reading Isaiah 61 in my devotions. This is the passage of Scripture which Jesus reads in the synagogue in Nazareth in Luke 4:16-21 which He says points to His ministry! The verse which caught my eye as I read was Isaiah 61:3 "that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified" (which also happens to be the theme verse for the work at New City).

And so I see a picture of my life work. I long to plant and water and cultivate in the lives of young people with the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. I long to see them with deep roots to withstand dry and difficult days. I want the fruit of my labor to last long beyond the mist of my life.

And yet the spring time (graduation season) is often difficult. This is one of those hard years like 2000 or 2002 or 2006 when a large group is moving beyond my season as a gardener. A group with whom I have been working since many of them were middle schoolers and some even since they were toddlers! (yeah, Matt, I remember my first year back from school as I began in the ministry - sitting and talking with your dad as you ran around the living room until you dropped dead asleep on the floor). This year also marks 18 years in full time ministry for me - a generation has grown up in that time. It can be tempting to start to think, "What are they going to do without me?"

It's times like now when I need to be continually reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 and to not forget that last phrase in Isaiah 61:3. I have a role to play, but the growth and the glory all go to God. It is His field, His building. Praise God - He is the one in control and I can trust Him in that.

Lord, may You take Your good seed and grow these lives for Your glory. May they be planted deeply in the multigenerational church which is a place far superior (and even far more biblical) than the temporary nursery plot of youth ministry. May they bear fruit yielding 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown. Father, may I continue to grow that You may be glorified. Forgive me for the times of sinful pride and idolatry when I try to grasp at control. Heal the scars caused by my sin, and may You please help me to continue to be faithful in the place where You have me for as long as You give me breath - fill me with Your Holy Spirit for the task which You have set before me!

getting to the root

It's dandelion digging time of year again... and the analogy always grabs me. Today, I read a great quote from Thabite Anyabwile in his chapter, "Cosmic Treason: Sin and the Holiness of God," in the book "Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming the Perfections of God." It's a great dandelion digger!

"at the heart of all sin is a contemptuous attitude toward the person and the work of God, and toward His holiness and righteousness in particular.... It is not retaining the knowledge of God in our lives, in our hearts, and in our affections. It is the suppressing of the knowledge of God, as Paul describes it in Romans 1. We are to be consumed with love for God and the desire to worship Him, but because we're sinners and misshapen in our sin, our contempt for Him manifests itself at the most basic level of not thinking about Him, but delighting in sin. That is why sin is treasonous."

O God, root this treason out of my heart! It often springs up like so many weeds. Give me eyes to see You! Holy Spirit be my constant reminder. Thank You for Jesus who was crushed for MY iniquity. As I memorize Romans 1, may it be medicine for my soul. May I not become contemptuously callous!!!!!

a prayer worth noting, quoting and repeating

"We are not able in ourselves to win this battle.

We are not able to change hearts or minds.

We are not able to change worldviews and transform culture and save 1.6 million children.

We are not able to reform the judiciary or embolden the legislature or mobilize the slumbering population.

We are not able to heal the endless wounds of godless ideologies and their bloody deeds.

But, O God, You are able!

And we turn from reliance on ourselves to You. And we cry out to You and plead that for the sake of Your name, and for the sake of Your glory, and for the advancement of Your saving purpose in the world, and for the demonstration of Your wisdom and Your power and Your authority over all things, and for the sway of Your Truth and the relief of the poor and the helpless, act, O God. This much we hunger for the revelation of Your power. With all our thinking and all our writing and all our doing, we pray and we fast. Come. Manifest Your glory."

John Piper - quoted by Justin Taylor in his chapter, 'Abortion is about God,' in the compilation, "For the Fame of God's Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper." (a big book, but worth the time - some especially meaty chapters!)

making the best use of the time

Today, i read this in "The Reformed Pastor" by Richard Baxter, and it ties in nicely with having also read Colossians 4:5 :

"Alas! all our business in this world is to get well to heaven; and God hath appointed us to be guides to His people; to help them safe thither. If this be well done, all is done; and if this be not done, we are for ever undone. The Lord knows how short a time you and I may be together; and therefore it concerns us to do what we can for our own and your salvation before we leave you, or you leave the world. All other business in the world is but as toys and dreams in comparison of this."

smashing OR too often, i'm the silly girl

last week, i went to see our local high school's performance of "bye, bye birdie." there were some funny parts, but my overall impression was that i came away from it "unsettled." still, i think i totally missed the real point until a friend described her character to me: "I just think she's silly. Lots of people fixate on [someone] or something to fill voids in their lives. It just seems goofy because he's a rock star."

BOOM! she hit the nail on the head and kind of gave me a verbal gut-punch all at the same time. you would think that when i've been spending the last month or so noticing verses like 1 Corinthians 10:14 & 1 John 5:21, i would have gotten it. or God's mocking tone in Isaiah 44:9-20 (which i recently highlighted in a message i was preaching) which is so very similar to the point of the musical.

why was it unsettling? because of the rampant nature of idolatry in our culture? maybe to degree that was why. or was it a little closer to home? because i am so prone to idolatry myself? BINGO!!!and what is idolatry? when something or someone - even something good - becomes ultimate - ie. taking the place that ONLY God should occupy. oftentimes, my biggest idol is me - my will, my control, my intelligence, my righteousness, my sufficiency, my problem solving, my schedule, etc. etc. etc. - other times it's something that totally captures my focus - sporting events, information, friendships, ministry! when i find my value and my identity in these things rather than in Christ, this is idolatry. (and it's such an emotional roller coaster)

so what's the answer? sometimes i need to be reminded that i'm the silly girl. more than that, i need to constantly be reminded of the gospel - Christ, the true King who is seated on the real throne, died to pay for my idolatry AND to set me free from it's control. i need to heed the command of Hebrews 12:1-2 and fix my eyes on Him.

praise God for His good word. praise God for musicals. praise God for friends to set me straight when my thinking is skewed. praise God for His never failing forgiveness and grace. praise God for hearing a song by Bleach yesterday to help remind me of the truth. praise God for the words of J.D. Greear that i read on the plane today that really helped to wrap up the train of thought. and God help me, because i know that Your repeated warnings are for a trap that's so easy for me to step into.  

sufficient by bleach:

"And just to taste forgiveness to taste Your mercy on my lips. I long to know contentment burdens lifted You promised it. Let it reach my heart, please let it reach my heart... And just at the right time Your hand of mercy reaches down. Hallelujah, You are sufficient! Hallelujah, You are sufficient!

And I will sing at the top of my lungs... I will sing, and I hope it heals my heart. Yeah I hope it heals my heart. How did I get here? Save me from this. How did I get here? Won't You save me from this? Won't you save me? Won't you save me? Jesus, save me... It is well, it is well. It is well with my soul. Save me. Jesus, name above..."

"Repentance includes a plea for God to change your inconsistent, divided heart." J. D. Greear

Father, change my inconsistent, divided heart!

on being like the tree of life

Today is May 1, so i am at the point of beginning another read through of the book of Psalms, and you probably start to wonder, 'ok, you've done this for awhile now, haven't you pretty much already got it? especially the familiar ones???" Well, praise God, today i was once again rewarded with making a brand new connection - seeing something glorious and encouraging!

Let me first start by stating that i LOVE Psalm 1 - it's right there with 19, 119 & 130 as one of my favorites (followed closely by 2, 8, 24 & 107). i began my thinking today in some of the normal places - the contrast of where my input comes from (Psalm 1:1-2), the words "delight" and "meditate" (my heart and my head), but THEN I SAW IT: the connection between verses 2 & 3 and their tie in to Revelation 22:1-2:

The blessed man who delights in the law and meditates on it is like a tree... a tree by a stream, a tree bearing seasonal fruit, a tree with unwithering leaves!

Mark has been preaching from Revelation on Sunday evenings, and he was in chapter 21 and the beginning of 22 this past week, so chapter 22 is fresh in my head. How is the tree of life described? Planted by the river of the water of life, yielding fruit every month & with leaves for healing the nations!

So cool to think that that's what i can be like: the tree of life! God, may Your Word dwelling in me and working through me be a source of life, good fruit and healing! May I be blessed and a source of blessing!  

and the lilies keep getting trampled...

so, for the past several years, I have worked on creating a bed of lilies along the fence line between my neighbor's and my yards. this bed serves a couple of purposes:

1. i have no weed whacker, so this creates an easier edge for mowing than running along a chain link fence. 
2. this area allows me to preserve some of Pap's plants on my own property - his bigger lily bed is in the part of the yard that is now part of my other neighbors' property - so i transplanted quite a few starts (i've also kept my eyes open for deals in the local greenhouses on unique or different varieties! AND i even got a start from the lady we served on our mission trip to WV last summer :) ). 
3. i really like flowers/growing stuff - and lilies are perennials which provide lovely greenery as well as an amazing variety of colors.

enter the antagonist. my neighbors' (the ones whose yard is NOT separated from mine by a fence) have a new puppy. she loves to run up and down the fence line to mess with my other neighbor's dogs. this is not conducive to the growth of plants (either lilies or the asparagus crop nearer to the house). i have tried several preventative methods: yelling, "hey, stay over there!" (not effective), talking to the neighbors about my concern (they tied her up, she gets loose), erecting one of those little white, metal interlocking fences from wal-mart (she's learning to jump it). honestly, it's pretty discouraging to see quite a bit of work and effort going to waste. HOWEVER, and most importantly, i keep in mind that my neighbors need to know Jesus, more than i need pretty flowers. o God, may i be faithful in planting gospels seeds and may they grow and bloom even if my lilies don't!

those opening paragraphs are really just a picture - an introduction to the main focus of my meditation and prayer this morning: Matthew 13:1-23 (especially verses 18-23). these verses which comprise the parable of the sower and its explanation are some of the most sobering for someone who spends his life sowing the seed of the word. to read of 75% of the soils being in reality bad soil can be a discouraging thing. however, i am reminded of Jesus' reply to the disciples disparaged cries of "Who then can be saved?", "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26)

and so i pray as another season of seed sowing draws to a close (and especially for those with whom we spent countless hours of scripture memorization): O God, give understanding - may this word stick with them (not in one ear and out the other/quickly forgotten) - do not let the evil one snatch away the precious word. i pray for roots - for the hard work of their development through stoney hearts. may you replace those stoney hearts with hearts of flesh. i pray protection for the tender shoots which are growing - praying against those chokers, the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches (and yes, Lord, this is my main worry for this group of which the neighbors' dog reminds me). may these precious ones bear fruit - abundant and lasting fruit. thank You for other sowers and waterers (and forgive me for my pride in often thinking that i am the only or most competent one)! thank You that You are the one who makes the seed to grow (and forgive me for forgetting that and thinking too highly of myself)! thank You that i can always trust Your faithfulness and that Your word accomplishes its purpose! in the precious name of Jesus, the main content of the word. amen.

Matthew 7:24-27; John 15:1-17; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9

getting into Romans

well, the calendar is turning as it always does. and although this is usually a week of reflection on the past year for me (actually, this is usually the week that we are at nationals), with camp being early in June, my mind has also started moving toward next year's material - specifically Romans.

i have started to refresh/memorize some and even to write some cards. then, this morning during my reading, i was reflecting on the fact that most of the books currently in my stack are pretty academic and that i could use a devotional addition to help warm my heart. well, i found a little gem sitting in my unread box that fits right in: "To the Glory of God: A 40-Day Devotional on the Book of Romans" by James Montgomery Boice. i love Boice's commentaries and this book of excerpts from his 4 volume Romans set should be good for dipping my toes in the gospel stream. when i read this quote in the preface, i was encouraged that i am making a wise choice:

"We all fear change, of course. It makes us anxious. But change is precisely what we need. If we are spiritually moribund, we need to be brought from a state of spiritual death into a state of spiritual life through the gospel. If we are lethargic in our discipleship, we need to be awakened to the glories of a renewed life in Christ. If we are indifferent to the spiritual state of others, we need to be alerted to their peril apart from Christ and be moved to take the gospel to them."

Praise God! May His word do His work in me and in those around me! I'm excited for Romans, for camp, for Mark preaching through Romans at church and for the year to come!

Teen World Red

Here's an artistic look back at the year that was for our national's team:

LACEY - 6, 7, 8, 11, 16, 17, 18, 26, 28

RACHEL - 4, 6, 14, 15, 20, 23

DAVID - 3, 7, 13

JACOB - 3, 5, 6, 14, 21, 22, 27

MASON - 2, 7, 9, 10 & parts of 5, 6, 19

SAM - 3, 5, 7, 12, 13

25 commands (and one bonus extra) from a song of thanks OR this morning's meditation

today, i thought that i would type up David's list of commands in his song of thanks in 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 as an aid to thinking/meditating through them:

1. Give thanks to the LORD (vs. 8)
2. Call upon His name (vs. 8)
3. Make known His deeds among the peoples (vs. 8)
4. Sing to Him (vs. 9)
5. Sing praises to Him (vs. 9)
6. Tell of all His wondrous works (vs. 9)
7. Glory in His holy name (vs. 10)
8. Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice (vs. 10)
9. Seek the LORD (vs. 11)
10. Seek His strength (vs. 11)
11. Seek His presence continually (vs. 11)
12. Remember the wondrous works that He has done (vs. 12)
13. Remember His miracles (vs. 12)
14. Remember the judgments He uttered (vs. 12)
15. Remember His covenant forever (vs. 15)
16. Sing to the LORD, all the earth (vs. 23)
17. Tell of His salvation from day to day (vs. 23)
18. Declare His glory among the nations (vs. 24)
19. Declare His marvelous works among all the peoples (vs. 24)
20. Ascribe (attribute or credit to) the LORD:
1. O clans of the peoples (vs. 28)
2. glory and strength (vs. 28)
3. the glory due His name (vs. 29)
21. Bring an offering (vs. 29)
22. Come before Him (vs. 29)
23. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness (vs. 29)
24. Tremble before Him, all the earth (vs. 30)
25. Give thanks to the LORD (vs. 34)

yes, commands 1 & 25 are the same, but here's a bonus command for prayer that comes at the end:

Say also: "Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, and glory in Your praise. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!" (vs. 35-36)