With Great Anticipation

December started off busy and exciting in our home, my children woke up the day after Thanksgiving looking forward to the Christmas season. We started the month by planning all the festivities, parties and celebrations that would occur this month- all leading up to the great event of the year, Christmas day! As the month flew by, our days were filled with making decorations, eating yummy treats and thinking and talking about the great Savior that came to set us free from sin. We talked about how the angels sang praises in the fields, about the star that shown so brightly leading shepherds and wise men to come and see and worship the baby Savior and King. We read from the Old Testament of how Emmanuel would come to the earth, about the virgin birth and His lowly entrance into this fallen world that He came to save. All of creation up to this point had waited and watched for this moment in history to come to pass.

About a week prior to Christmas, my daughter came to me and sat in my lap. "Mommy, I don't want Christmas to come....." She whispered to me. "But why not?" I asked in surprise. "Because, then it will all be over...." Such anticipation for one day of excitement. I began to think about that sentiment. I wonder if Mary and Joseph had a moment of let down after the shepherds headed back out to pasture and they were left alone with a baby and no real plan. The Jewish nation waited for so long to see the coming of the Messiah, and although many missed it, those who caught glimpse of the promised one, what did they long for after they saw the Savior??

My life has been marked by waiting for the next big thing, that somehow attaining something new, would make all that had been,worth the time and energy it took to live through it. Perhaps you can relate. Life will be better when.....fill in the blank. I get that other job, we move out of this house, we have a baby, our kids are older, our car is better, my family is closer or farther away..... Why is it that we live out our life never being content with where we are, but always longing for some future event? Could it be, perhaps, that we are created this way, but that our longings are misplaced?

Since the fall of mankind in the garden of Eden, man has longed for a better future.

January 1st comes with great expectations, all around me I see people thinking and planning new years resolutions, promises that are made to be broken it seems, as January 3rd brings to reality the ineffectiveness of our will power. What are you longing for? Perhaps next year brings with it the anticipation of new and glorious adventures! Or perhaps the new year marks the passing of yet another year of struggles, pain and loneliness. Perhaps you have resolutions to get out of debt, or lose that extra weight, or buy that new thing, or stop that bad habit. Making goals is a great thing, but what is it that motivates your goal making. Do you think life will really be happier in a size 6, in a new house, or with a new man? Or maybe underneath all that stuff you really have a longing for something greater, a longing to be a part of something that matters, or to be witness to something spectacular.

Paul and the apostles were anticipating the return of Jesus Christ, and the kingdom of Heaven. They lived their life with one resolution: to welcome their Savior, and to invite as many as they could to the great feast that awaits them. This year, I have no resolutions apart from one:  to walk where God leads me, regardless of where He leads me. I have a great longing to be a part of something great,  I want to be apart of God's redemptive story.

Can I encourage you today? Can I challenge the reasons behind what you long for? If you, like me, find yourself striving towards the future and dreaming of better days ahead, maybe it's a warning sign to stop and think about what your heart truly longs for. Maybe you long for comfort, less bills to pay, or a better lifestyle. Could is be that you really long for the great Comforter? God has promised to give us His supernatural comfort in the midst of worldly discomfort. Maybe you long for better friendships or better marriages, could it be that you long truly for the intimacy of having a friend who knows you better then anyone else? God longs to woo you into a relationship that is so fulfilling that it surpasses anything this worlds friendships have to offer! Perhaps you long to be better, do better, break that bad habit or stop messing up that one thing. Could it be, perhaps, that you truly long for forgiveness and that you desperately desire to shed the guilt and shame you hold on to and that controls the way you live your life. I have hope for you by friend, and his name is Jesus.

I write these things to you because I know them so well. I understand the pain of regret and guilt, I know the pressure of striving to be good enough and the devastation that happens when once again you can't uphold your own promises. That's  the beauty of Jesus, he doesn't desire perfection, or will power, good financial standing or great personal relationship skills. He is the savior, he came to save us....from ourselves.

As you look forward to 2014 with great anticipation, I pray that you find your longings satisfied, and that the great God who sent his son to earth on that glorious day 2000 years ago to save us, would be your greatest desire for the new year.

Blessings my Friends.
Erin

Grace For Christmas

Peppermint candies, fudge, sparkling trinkets and gleaming lights. To say that I love the Christmas season, may be an understatement! December is my favorite month, although we've had more years of want, then years of plenty, we've always managed to make memories and Christmas is always a special time for our family. This year, we gave our still young kids money to spend on gifts for each other, they took their mission as 'mini Santas' very seriously. Through malls, and stores, outlets and markets my children searched and searched for the perfect gifts for their sisters, brother, and daddy. Watching them shop and plan this year has given me such joy and new perspective on Christmas. In the years prior, I had done all the shopping myself, it was faster and easier.

Christmas with kids is a usually busy and exciting time, but sadly it can quickly become all about "what  I can get" and less about the love and joy and remembrance of Christ's coming. Can you celebrate Christmas with trees and gifts and still glorify God in all you give and do? How do the gifts we give reflect Christ? How, as a parent, can we enjoy the mystery and wonder of Christmas while still instilling the true meaning of the season to our kids? These are the things I ponder this year as I watch my kids make lists and talk with Santa, decorate cookies and drink hot cocoa from frosty the snowman mugs.

"Mommy?" a sweet voice breaks through the noise in my head, "I love Christmas!" What joy fills my heart when I see my kids thoroughly enjoying something I love, and I can't help but think how God feels when he sees his kids enjoying what He loves.

As I walked one of my daughters through a crowded mall, weaving in and out of packed isles filled with new toys, I watched her search for that perfect gift for her sister. She would pickup, shake, turn and contemplate each item, and place it back on the shelf. "Nope, this ones to.....shiny." and move 2 feet further down the isle.

 Matthew 7:11

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him."

God gave us a Savior for Christmas. He spent all creation, and time before it, planing and picking just the right way to bless his children. In that moment in the store, I could almost see he him planning it, before creation was even formed, the clay on Adam wasn't even dry yet. But he looked over his creations that he would make and already loved it so! Knowing full well that we wouldn't measure up. Just as I know full well that today will bring children who will not be perfect, they will yell, fight, be stubborn and needy, and yet I love them so, and I eagerly wait for them to open the perfect gifts that were so laboriously picked for them. I, who am so utterly imperfect, sure know how to make the holidays a fun and memorable time for my kids to enjoy. How much more so does my father in heaven, who is perfect and good, give us great gifts.

We tell our children that Christmas is the time when we celebrate Jesus's birthday, it's a party that we throw for him every year. This year my oldest, she's 7, asked me a valid question: "Mom. If Christmas is Jesus's birthday. Then why do WE get gifts?" Her innocent question took me by surprise, should I tell her it's because I like gifts? Or because we are an egocentric, selfish society that is consumed by commercialism.....? Somehow, that didn't fit either. "Well......" I began, praying that I would give a good answer... "You know how, when you go to a birthday party, you sometimes will get a little goodie bag for coming to the party? The gifts we open on Christmas are the party favors for Jesus's birthday." She was satisfied with my answer and bounded away to play. I was not, and I began to think. What gifts do we give God during this time of year that all too often feels so busy? We picked out the perfect things for little Billy and Aunt Betty and the grandparents are getting sweet pictures of the children posed in front of a giant glittering tree..... but what did we bring Jesus? As I pondered, and thought, feeling like my answer wasn't enough, I was reminded of the old song "We bring a sacrifice of praise."

We bring the sacrifice of praise

 Into the house of the Lord 

We bring the sacrifice of praise

 Into the house of the Lord and 

We offer up to you

 The sacrifices of thanksgiving 

 We offer up to you 

The sacrifices of joy

Suddenly I realized that all I do on Christmas, be it the magic of Santa, silly surprises, hot cocoa and cookies, crafts, trees, gifts and carols mean everything or nothing, depending on this: Am I bringing God praises this season? Is my life and gifts, and activity this season marked with the sacrifices of praise to God? Singing Christmas songs isn't enough, they are not a gift that is worthy enough of the king who was born! I want to be like the wise men who traveled years just to bring Jesus three meaningful gifts and to worship at the cradle of the newborn king. Or like Simeon, who waiting his whole life to worship the Messiah and as he held a wiggly tiny Jesus in his old and weathered hands, he worshiped the young king of the Jews.

So this Christmas season, I challenge you to give gifts not out of obligation or festivity,  but out of the grace that God has given YOU the best gift of all. The gift of salvation. And I challenge you to bring your gifts to God this year by being consumed not by parties and festivities and planning and shopping, but let your heart be filled with praises of thanksgiving and joy that you and me, although we will mess up and struggle and learn in this life, God our father loves us greater then we love our own children and is not put off by our childish ways, but finds joy in our process of learning. That, in itself, makes me fill with gratitude and joy that as I imperfectly love my own kids, God's love for me is perfect.

BLESSINGS and JOY and PEACE to you in want or in plenty this year, you have the gift that cannot be bought.

Erin

The Grace of the Martyrs

I wrote a few days ago about the grace of courage, and how God equips us for every work he plans for us to accomplish in this life, and this knowledge is what gives us the grace of courage to stand strong when God asks us walk down a road marked with suffering or pain. Today I want to continue the thought with another secret of the great men and woman of faith who walked before us. 

A Martyr doesn't view their eternity through the eyes of their present suffering,

 But rather, they view their present suffering through the eyes of their eternal worth.

 2 Cor 4: 16-18

 " So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Do you think the great men and woman of faith ever knew what impact they would have on generations to come? Do you think Paul ever sat in prison thinking about how far his message of the Gospel of Christ would go? There was no way that he could have foreseen that generations and generations of Christians would quote his very words as they sat in their own prison cells for likewise proclaiming God's truths to their own lost generations. I guess I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about influence, thinking about the cost of following Christ. In particular, I've been thinking about how I will respond when, inevitably, I am asked to follow Christ when the cost is myself, my well-being or my family. Yesterday, I spent a bit of time listening to old sermons by John Piper, as I listened to his sermon Called to Suffer and Rejoice: For an Eternal Weight of Glory, I was encouraged in my quest to follow Christ. Paul, in 2nd Corinthians 4, gives us the secret to enduring our Christian life. The secret to fighting the good fight is to be renewed day by day, a renewal that comes from looking at not what we see but what is unseen. This is the secret of the martyr, this is the way that great men and woman of faith can stand in the midst of great suffering and persecution for their faith and be unshaken. They see something that the rest of us, when life is easy, we all to often miss. They are looking at the unseen. Verse 18 tells us how we can live our life giving up every comfort and easy way and strive for the cross of Christ. By looking at what we cannot see. It's doesn't make sense, to look at what we can't see. How can we see it?? It's not VISIBLE! Our life is what is seen! The cancer, is seen. The broken marriage, the sick parent or sick child, my empty bank account..... I can clearly see these things! But Paul says,  all the pain of this life is LIGHT, when compared in weight to the GLORY that awaits us! If anyone has the right to tell us this, it's Paul. Paul, who endured lashings that left his bones exposed. Paul, who spent most of his ministry imprisoned, or shipwrecked, or being run out of town by angry mobs. If anyone has suffered for his ministry, Paul has. And Paul, he knows what he's saying when he tells us this. He's telling us that when we choose to follow Christ, if we are serious in our attempts to live out loud our faith and dependence on Christ, then pain is inevitable. We will be hated. 1 Corinthians 1:18 "The cross is such foolishness to the perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God." The world will not understand us, speak anyways. They will ridicule you, speak anyway. You will be passed over for that job, live your faith anyways. If you share your money with someone who needs it you will have less, give anyways. All the while do not look at your empty bank account, look at the endless funds of your maker. Do not look at the sickness in your body, look at the health you will have for eternity. Do not look at your empty stomachs, your cancer ridden bodies, your painful experiences. Do not be TRICKED by the outward appearance of your need, look to your savior who has already conquered the battle you fight, which is unseen. Your eternal worth is unseen, but it is no less real. In fact, it's even MORE real then what you see around you! What you see and feel around you is counterfeit by comparison to what is unseen. And when you look at what your circumstances are by seeing them through the rose colored glasses of the eternal, they are far less intimidating. This is the secret of the Martyr. A Martyr doesn't view their eternity through the eyes of their present suffering, but rather they view their present suffering through the eyes of their eternity.

As I listened to John Piper discuss these truths, my heart stirred. I was encouraged, and I was also challenged. I am quick to lose hope, I am quick to see my circumstances and cry out "Why me!?" I desperately want to live out my faith, I want to be a 'Paul' for this generation, but I am so easily swayed into despair when the outcome of my steps of faith are met with more harsh circumstances! I am so acutely aware of my humanity, and my frailty. Take heart today if you relate to me here, God is faithful to complete his work that he started with you at your conversion. Living out your faith is a process that takes a lifetime to accomplish! Even the great apostle Paul says in Romans 7:15-20 that he cannot do what he ought to do! But daily God is refining me, and he is refining you. Verse 16 of the text in Corinthians tells us to "not lose heart! though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." Daily, I need God's renewal. Daily, I seek His strength. My conversion was not enough to last me a lifetime of circumstances, I need constant affirmation. And that affirmation comes from God alone. My prayer is that as you read this blog today, you are encouraged and challenged. I pray that you are renewed and affirmed by the God who called you and set you with a high calling and purpose. I pray that you and I begin to learn to look at our circumstances through the lens of our eternal worth, and in doing so are renewed yet again to continue the race and live out loud our faith to our own lost generation. 

Grace and Peace to you. 

The Grace of Courage

This past weekend I took my oldest to the Emergency Room. She was dehydrated and suffering from high fevers and body pains, the doctor told her she needed a IV placed so she could get fluids. My daughter did not take the news well. My 7 year old princess, became a wounded warrior. She sobbed into my chest and begged to be sent home. The nurse, brought her in a stuffed animal and promises of Popsicles for exchange for her bravery. I took my baby in my lap and prayed over her, I reminded her that God loves her, and that He promises to be with us and that He will never ask us to do anything that He has not already equipped us to do. I prayed that God's peace would come over my daughter as she cried in my arms. As the moment of truth came to fruition, and my daughter wept and shook as the nurses held her tiny arm and talked her through the process, my baby looked at me with sad blue eyes and whispered, "Mommy. I can't be brave. I just can't be brave. I'm to scared." 

As I watched my daughter go through a very real fearful situation, I couldn't help but think of times in my life when I've prayed the same prayer to God. "Lord, I'm trying to be brave. But I just can't! I'm just too scared!"

I've often read of the great men and women in the Bible who did tremendously brave things for the sake of the Gospel, or in the name of God. I think of David and his battle with the giant, Daniel and his night with the lions, Rahab and her helping the spies to destroy Jericho, Ruth, Esther, the Apostle Paul...So many men and women that God used to do incredible things at great cost to their own safety. I read these passages and I think to myself, could I ever be that brave?

When my daughter told me "Mommy, I can't be brave..." I looked right at her and said the very thing God says to us. "That's okay Baby. You don't need to be brave, you just need to trust that God will get you through this." I think God echoes this same answer when we tell him our fears, when we cry out that were trying but we just can't be brave anymore. You see Webster defines Brave as ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage, endure or face (unpleasant conditions or behavior) without showing fear. 
But God defines bravery as a dependence on Him, and an understanding of where our courage comes from. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power. And 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God's grace is sufficient for us in our weakness.  

Sunday Morning, our adult Sunday School class was talking about martyrs, and the same resounding answer came from all of us. "How could I ever be that brave?" As we continued to talk about Martyrdom, and the promise of persecution that Jesus and Paul so frequently spoke of to us as we follow Christ, what struck me was the fact that these men and women of faith did not suddenly wake up one day and die for the sake of Christ, but that they had a journey with Christ that led to their eventual death. The life that they lived with their savior was one that proved to them that they could endure, because they had confidence in the God they served. He may not rescue them from their present suffering, but He would never lead them down a road that He had not already equipped them to endure. They didn't have to be brave, they just need to know the God that is in control. 

So how did the great Martyrs through the ages cultivate such a relationship with God, what did they grasp about the person of God that allowed them to remain pillars of faith in the midst of such great suffering? I think that they truly understood the kingdom purpose behind will of God. They didn't seem to ask many "why me?" questions, they just seemed to know that their life was about more then themselves. That's where the grace of courage is born. If you are a Christian then you are called apart from the world, Isaiah 43 tells that we can have courage because God has called us by name. And if God has called you apart by name, then don't you think that he had a reason to do so? You are not invited into the family of God in order to meet a heavenly quota based on your abilities, personalities or rugged good looks. You are called, with a job to do. And that job is one thing, further the kingdom of God. It's mind blowing when you sit with that for a minute, YOU are important, scratch that, VITAL to the ultimate purpose and plan of God to see mankind brought back into fellowship with Himself. He choose you with this very job in mind. I think that is the secret of the Martyr, they knew this, and because they grasped this truth. When God led them down roads that lead through suffering, loss and death, they were not shaken. For they understood that their life will not be lived in vain, but that the God who starts a good work will be faithful to complete it! (Philippians 1:6)

So my challenge to you today, is to think about this, you are created with a purpose. You are vital to the work God is doing in His great story of redemption. What if God called you to be courageous, even unto death? Are you confidant in the God who called you? If not, then like my daughter who cried that she can't be brave, it's okay to cry out to God and share your fears. God loves to show His faithfulness to his chosen people. 

Rest in the Grace of Courage that God has for you today. 

Grace for the Broken

Grace for the Broken

I've been thinking about sin, more specifically, how we as Christ Followers are supposed to react to the sinful nature of our fellow Christians? How do we, as a Church, treat our fellow sinners? What does God ask of us? And how do we add up? I'm sure you've seen a well-meaning Christian, call out a fellow believer in their sin. Perhaps, like me, you been the one dolling out the judgment and condemnation in the name of sanctification. Perhaps, like me, you've justified your actions with saying that you’re just “looking out for them.” Or even that it’s your job as a Christian to point out the sins of your brothers and sisters in Christ? Or perhaps, you've been on the receiving end of a thorough condemnation.

As I've begin to study what the Bible teaches about rebuke, I am struck by how we, as Christ followers, are often leaving out some very important steps in Biblical rebuke. In those moments where I have rebuked unfairly, or in the devastating times where I have received or witnessed a harsh condemning rebuke; something has always been missing. In fact, I can count on a single hand the rebukes that I have received that lead to fruits of repentance, most have led to shame, embarrassment and seclusion. Most of the time we tend to give a lot of advice and condemnation, and rarely address the heart condition that lead to the sin, nor do we use the word of God to lead and teach a way out of the sin. 

 Sin is a symptom, and God is the great healer of the core disease.

Proverb 29:6 Describes sin as a snare, or a trap. Think about this for a second, you have a friend and this friend has been dealing with a really struggling time, after a few years of this you start to notice that this friend has developed a shackle on their leg. “Friend!” you say, “What is this shackle on your leg? How did it get there!? You need to take that off…..” you continue. “Friend, I love you, but I cannot continue to see you if you continue to carry this chain.” Then you leave, you offer no key to unlock it, nor do you stay and help your friend figure out how the shackle got there in the first place. You simply state the obvious, shame them for it and go on your merry way. I’m sure you see the ridiculousness of this kind of response. But how many times have you seen it echoed in a rebuke from Christian to Christian?

Look as this scenario: You have a friend, this friend has shared a bit with you over the years of her broken marriage, or wayward children, perhaps her sister or father passed away and she’s not “gotten over it.” You've noticed that she’s been a bit more sullen then normal and you start to feel concerned for her. So you pray for her and you start to feel that you should talk to her so you invite her for coffee. As you sit and chat, she mentions that she’s needs to refill her pain meds, and you notice that she smells of cigarette smoke. That’s funny, she never used to smell of smoke. Perhaps she laughs about the parties she’s been going to where she’s been drinking and chatting up some male colleges of hers, even though she is still married to her husband. Suddenly, you see it…. This woman is sinning, she walking the thin and treacherous road of the grey zone. You gather the courage to face her and tell her that you are concerned about her, you don’t like what she’s told you about the parties and she can’t quite point down why she needs those pills. So you tell her something like this. “Friend! You’re drinking and smoking and spending time with other men rather than your husband! That’s not ok, you shouldn't do that! You need to stop doing that!.” You watch as her face flushes and her guard raises, “I love you, but I can’t be around you until you stop. I’ll pray for you.” And with that you give her and awkward hug and walk away. Behind you is a lost opportunity. Like the person in the first story, you have failed to give your struggling friend the key, and left her just as trapped as she started.

But what if, instead of shaming her for her sin, you instead spoke the truth of the gospel over her. What if you spoke of how God has restored and redeemed your relationships, how he has been faithful to rescue you of your sins, of which you saw no way out. Perhaps, you could have taken the time to speak the truth of who she is in the eyes of Christ. That she has been made new! That God has given her a spirit of power and strength to overcome!  How God has not left her alone to fight her own battles but that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has come with power and has given her the Holy Spirit to change her and that God desires to heal her brokenness if only she’d allow him! You see the Bible teaches us what the key to unlocking the chains of sin is, it is the Truth of the Gospel.

2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Gal 6:1 “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted”

2 Tim: 2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching”

It is quite clear in scripture that we who are spiritually sound should rebuke our brothers and sisters, but it is equally clear as to how that should be done, in the spirit of gentleness, by the word of God, and with complete patience and in teaching.

My challenge to you and me today is to remember the grace that God has given us. When God called us he didn't shame us and point to our sins, we most likely were well aware of our sins. No, when God called me, he did so by offering me a way out. Total dependence on Jesus Christ. He called me by offering me freedom, the freedom that comes from allowing God to call the shots in my life. If I am to look at my fellow Christian and point them away from sin, then I must point them to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I will do so with the same grace and compassion that God extends to me.

Marriage Isn't For You, And It's Not For Him Either

Marriage Isn't For You, And It's Not For Him Either

Social media has done it again!

Seth Adam Smith, has swept across social media with a post he’s called “marriage Isn't For You."
With all that wildfire, there have been some resounding YES’s and some heated NO’s!
 One of which was posted on the Huffington post by Wayne Self entitled
“Young Singles, Seth Adam Smith's "Marriage Advice Isn't for You”.

So what’s the heat all about?
Where do you stand?
What’s the big deal with Marriage anyways?

Well here’s my stance on the subject.
Both of these articles have interesting ideology, and both are greatly flawed.
Marriage from a Christian perspective, as opposed to Seth’s Mormon view and ‘Uncle Wayne’s’ liberal view on marriage, is that marriage is not about you……and it’s not about your spouse.

The Biblical view of Marriage is this:

It’s about Godliness.

The Bible has more than a few things to say about God’s design and purpose for marriage.
Starting with the burden of marriage and the great calling to remain celibate and unmarried.
If you can go through life without the burning desire of sexual intimacy, then you are better able to serve God if you are not burdened with marriage. ( 1 Corinthians 7:8-9)

Marriage is a burden.

It’s is important that we understand this.
We send young couples into a marriage with an ideology that, to quote the beetles:

 All you need is love

 Although love and passion are often at the forefront of our choice to marry, and are valuable traits to grow and cultivate in marriage, love is a choice we make that comes with a price.

For we know that choosing to love a spouse means that we choose to be kind, patient, to not be jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
When we choose love, we choose to not demand our own way.
We choose to not be irritable, and to not keep record of wrongs.
But instead we choose to rejoice in truth and to never give up or lose faith, we choose to be hopeful, and endure through every circumstance. (1 Cor 13:4-7)

That calling is more then we could ever actually do.

God knew that we are unable to have a healthy, thriving marriage without His work in our lives.
For who could possibly live out this description of love?

Jesus can, and he does.

This brings me to my second point:
 Godly marriage is a picture of our intimate relationship to the true bridegroom.

You see this marriage will only last in this life, we do not take it with us. (Matt 22:30)
We have not prepared our children enough with this important truth.
Marriage is not the purpose of our Christian life...

Serving God is.

Some of us will be called to serve God without being married, and some of us will choose to enter into a marriage covenant and serve God through it.

I am perplexed and frustrated by the lack of discussion, within the Christian church, about this!
 It seems to me that somewhere along the way we started shifting our focus from serving God to serving our spouse.
Paul makes it clear in his words to the Corinthian church, that THIS is the danger of getting married!
Your attention and devotion can be so easily divided!  (1 Cor. 7:32-35)
We should always bear in mind that we are first and foremost called to serve God, and secondly to serve our spouse.
As we serve our spouse we do so with the purpose of seeing them better able to serve God!
For the witness of a serving spouse is so strong that it can even bring the unsaved spouse to a place of redemption with Christ!

Because when we serve God, people are saved.

There is no other way, for the whole reason and purpose of God is this redemptive work.
When we submit our lives to God and serve Him first, the natural consequence is, lives around us are changed.

This is not to say that no one should marry.
 Paul says this so that we can have freedom to serve God best, knowing our weaknesses and strengths.
We as a society of Christians need to counteract the worldly view that there is something wrong with the unmarried.
Instead see that they are being called to a work for God that we as married people cannot do.
We must hold them in high esteem.

For the world will break them down.

We can hold them up and call out God’s work and purpose in their lives!

Paul describes a healthy marriage by calling husbands to love, as Christ has loved us.
To wash us in God’s word, to care for us. (Eph 5:25-30)
 JUST AS CHRIST HAS DONE FOR THE CHURCH.

Wives, we are called to submit to our husbands, AS THE CHURCH SUBMITS TO CHRIST.

Do you see the picture yet?

When our marriage is filled with two people who are actively serving God, then we serve our spouses by loving and submitting.
This is the picture of the true marriage that is coming.
Christ has come for his bride, the church.
Christ demonstrates his love for his bride by loving her, washing her in his words and providing for her.
Her, the churches, response is to submit to the authority of the one who loves her!

Have you swooned yet?

Can you get that picture and understand that our marriage on this earth is a metaphor for the relationship that we have with our Lord?
Do you see that this is only able to happen in a marriage where two people are actively serving God?

This is the perfect model, but the truth is.

We are not perfect. 

This kind of marriage is utterly romantic and filled with beauty.
But our real marriages are filled with hurt and pain.
How do we live out this kind of Godly marriage in the fallen and broken reality of our world?

By serving God first.

Your marriage and my marriage are not about us, and they are not about our spouse.
They are about our relationship with God.

Men, it’s hard to love an angry and bitter wife.
God wants you to submit to Him, to grow and cultivate a relationship with Jesus Christ and as you do so you will start to be transformed into the image of God and He alone will give you the strength and ability to lavish love on even an angry, critical and bitter wife.

Wives, it is hard to respect and submit to the authority of a harsh and cold husband.
 God has asked you to serve Him.
As you submit to the authority of Christ in your life, God will give you the strength and wisdom to show honor and submit to your husband.

Both husbands and wives are first and foremost called to serve God.
If your spouse is asking you to do anything that God has convicted you of, that you know to be sin, you are not to submit to him/her.
Instead submit to God.

If you are in an abusive relationship, you not alone.
God does not want you to stay in an abusive marriage, seek help.

I know that this post was long.

It is important to me that I share the Biblical view of marriage since I saw so many of my Christian friends respond to the other articles.
This post was not written by a woman who has been in this perfect marriage.
My marriage has been filled with pain and almost ended.
It was this change in my personal understanding of God’s purpose in marriage that changed my marriage. Life is not perfect, a broken marriage is the hardest and deepest pain I have ever experienced.
When I started to serve God above my marriage, I started to change.
That change in me, freed me up to serve my husband.
We have now been married over 9 years and our marriage continues to grow stronger as we each grow closer to God.

Where Do You Go From Here?

Lord, what would you have me say? I've been struggling lately, I feel like I'm not sure what to say. All around me people are hurting, struggling, dying. Every time I turn around another friend is watching a loved one fight for their life. The world feels awfully heavy. How do you respond in the midst of all this?  These are the questions I ponder today as I sit at my computer and reflect. As I think about all this I am reminded of a verse.

2nd Corinthians 4:7

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 

We have a treasure in a jar of clay. And that treasure shows the all-surpassing power of God. The power that is so strong, powerful and un-containable that there is no mistake to all who see it, they will know that it is a power from God alone. It is this power at work inside us that, although we are being pressed from every angle, we are not crushed. Although we do not see what God is doing, we are not in despair. Although we feel the odds are stacked against us, we know we are not abandoned. Although the blows of this life throw us down we are not destroyed. But what is that treasure? What could possibly give me that kind of power? And do I truly understand the implications of what this verse is saying? If we back up a few verses we will see that this verse is speaking of the Gospel of Christ. Verse 6 tells us  "For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake." As we walk our Christian life, we will have hardships. If we are speaking the Gospel, then we will have persecution. But we have this knowledge that our life is not about us, our success in life is  not dependent on our stature in society. A successful life is not one marked with worldly treasures, it's doesn't often shimmer with gold and diamonds. No, we as Christ followers know that our reward is not here on this earth and it's not here in this life. Over and over again in scripture God speaks about how hard it is for those who have much to follow Christ. 

Mark 10:23-31

  Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We've given up everything to follow you,” he said.

29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. 31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

Now if your like me, when you read these verses you struggle with them. Maybe you skip over them, "Lord!" you may say, "I want to follow you, but I am afraid to live like that! How will I feed my family, how will I pay my bills? Don't those things matter too? How can I live like that? Give up my family? My children Lord?" Ah, but that is the beauty of the jars of clay. Jars of clay are common, they are plain and no one sees great value in them. But God says, I have greatness for you! Look at what Paul says after he calls you a plain jar. 

2 Corinthians 4:13-18

But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

We can take comfort and find strength in the fact that we know that there is a higher purpose. Greater then that, is this: We display the Glory of God when we suffer. The world sees our lowly state, and they see that we've suffered greatly and yet we have this all-surpassing power! A power that is so deep and strong, that you cannot see it without seeing the the Greatness of God! What can I say when I see the suffering that is going on all around me? When I hug the friend who is losing her mother, child or spouse? I can hold them in my arms and suffer with them, and I can stand back and watch as the power of Christ is displayed in them! And as I go through my own suffering, I am reminded that my reward is not here on earth. I would never want my glory to shine in place  of God, for He alone should be glorified. The cry of my heart, and the purpose of my life as a Christ follower, is to see Christ be made much of. I know that it will mean that I will suffer great loss in this life, I will rest in the knowledge that my God will never leave me, and that God has promised that I will not be destroyed, though physically my body may be destroyed, my life and it's worth is eternal. For my glory will be found in the Glory of God that will live on forever. 

Are you suffering? Is God challenging you to give up something in order to follow and live out the calling God has in your life? God has asked us all to do one thing, to go and make disciples. If you are being challenged in your heart right now, I would like to encourage you. Our God is faithful. He will never ask you to suffer alone. Press into God right now and allow Him to change you and rest in His power. You are not alone.   

A Place Called Surrender

I got to sit and drink coffee with a dear friend today, we get together every so often and talk and she is one of those special people who is just so authentic. We got to talking about one of the very first times we had ever hung out. We remembered so vividly how we had both just recently had a baby (she had her first, and I had just had twins. My 2nd and 3rd children, respectively) we were STRUGGLING! We both battled  postpartum depression and were severely sleep deprived. I remember sitting next to each other crying about how tired and overwhelmed with motherhood we both were. I think our husbands stood in the dinning room lamenting what to do with their clearly insane wives. As we looked back and laughed about those days, we were also reminded at how good God is. I couldn't imagine being who I am today, at the point where I was then,  sobbing on the couch in the arms of another mom who felt the same way. I couldn't see past my storm and see the power that pushed my storm away, all I could see was my now. And my now said, I couldn't do it. But God has the strength to move our mountains, he has the power to calm our storms. God is the power that says, "It's okay, you don't have to do this alone." God always seems to bring me to this place, it's a place called surrender. Every trial  I've ever faced brings me down a long, often painful and confusing road to a place called surrender. The journey there is marked by effort. I start out so strong, sure and confidant. But as I continue on I'm hit from every side with opposition, and I have to throw more and more effort into the journey. Sometimes, my kids are my opposition, most of the time it's my own shortcomings that keep stalling me. As my journey moves on, I become keenly aware that I have bit off more then I can chew. Before I know it, I can't remember why I choose this road to begin with, or rather, why this road was chosen for me. But something beautiful happens at Surrender, that is the place where we say. "I can't do this!" Admitting failure is the beginning of strength.

  2 Corinthians 12:9 says "9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 

God doesn't delight in our weakness, but he does delight in making weakness great. God loves to give power to the weak, he delights in rescuing his children! When I finally surrender, it is no longer my effort that leads the way, but my God begins to lead and where God leads he always clears the path. Is the road finally easy? Far, far, from it. But at the point of surrender I find that I finally know where my journey leads. When God leads, the destination is always the same, it leads me closer to being like Christ. 

Are you in a place that is hard, are you waking each day and STRIVING to push forward against what feels like a brick wall. Perhaps this is your place of Surrender. Maybe it's time to let God lead, and rest in the power that He has to do what needs to be done.....

Isn't Good....Good??

Hi, I'm Erin. Maybe you know me, maybe you just sorta stumbled upon me. Either way, I'm glad you're here. I want to have a place where I can share about what God is teaching me, what I'm walking through, and maybe even have a chance to encourage or challenge you as you walk through your life. You see, we are all on a journey, we walk this earth for only a short while and what we do here matters a great deal. I believe that God, the God of the Bible is real. I believe that all he said and did according to the Bible is true, I believe that from the moment humanity fell from perfection in the garden of Eden, God has been working a great plan of redemption, to once again bring unity and relationship between mankind and God back into order. I believe that this great plan came to a moment of great climax at the death and resurrection of God's son Jesus Christ who is the redeemer who took my place on that cross and shed his perfect blood so that I could be saved. And because of that work done at the cross, I believe that God wants to use me to bring others to that place of acceptance and salvation through Christ Jesus, and that it is God's desire that all men be saved and brought back into relationship with Him. I say all that so that you can see where I come from in my following posts.

 I am not ashamed to tell you that I am not even close to perfect, in fact I am so incredibly flawed! I have spent most of my life trying to earn God's favor, earn His affection and maybe, if I'm good enough, earn a spot in heaven. Doesn't even need to be a big spot, I'd settle for a tiny shack on the furthest part of heaven-- maybe next to the heavenly porta-potty. I'm not to picky, I just want to be sure that I'd end up in heaven as opposed to the alternative. But God, well, He wouldn't settle for that. The more I tried to do good, to be good, the more acutely aware I am of how much I mess up. Yeah, I've never killed anyone, and I don't steal....anymore. But lie, yeah. Cheat? Sometimes. How about those idols? Oh no...well not gold ones anyways... but I sure have a lot of things I put before God. Like my time, my money, my family, friends, kids. Heck, I even put my GOOD work above God. See, I didn't really love Him, I didn't even KNOW Him! I wanted what He could give me, heaven.

 But what if living this Christian life is about more then getting into heaven, what if living out our faith is about more then how much we give to charity and about where we spend our Sunday's? What if God is asking us to just to love Him? And what if we really fell in love with God? What if, out of that Love we have for God and the love He gives to us, we begin to live out our faith? Would we act the same, would we treat each other the same? Do you think, just maybe, we could receive a love that is so all encompassing and powerful that it supersedes anything this life can offer? A love so unlike any worldly love you may have, or haven't received, that it starts to heal the pains we've lived through, breakdown walls that we've built up, releases joy and peace into our tragic and unfulfilled lives!

You see this is the challenge that brought me out from a dark and scary place in my life, I felt God ask me this simple question: "Do you love me?" and the question pierced my soul, when I finally stopped pretending to be who I thought God wanted me to be and answered the question honestly, it was a resounding. "No. I have no idea how to love you, or what that even means."  No, I loved the idea of God, but I did not love God. From there God showed me what love is, through the next few months and years God woo'ed me. As I began to see this amazing love that God had for me, I was overwhelmed with emotion! I had no choice but to respond in love back to the God who loved me this much! That was the start of an amazing journey, one that will continue till I die, one that changed my life. As you read this blog I pray that you will be challenged by the God who loves you. Be honest with yourself, it's time to stop playing church and get to know the God who is real and tangible, working and powerful. Will you let go?