Creases

So often I find myself wanting to grow closer to God…wanting to change and I feel as if I…I just can’t! Why?! Why can’t I change? I want to…I’m trying to…

In chapel today the speaker gave us an example similar to this:

Let’s say I hate having creases in my pants. You know how some people iron this permanent crease right in the front of their pant leg? I hate that! Now let’s imagine that my mom decided one day that she was going to iron my pants…she’s not really paying much attention to what she’s doing, but I notice that she is ironing CREASES into my pants!! Reacting the complete wrong way, I get upset and tell her she is NEVER going to iron my pants again! (I’m sure she’d jump with joy.) The thing is…she will never get this ironing thing right until she thinks they way I do about creases. Not until she despises crinkles in pants the way I do will she iron pants the way I do.

Much the same way, not until we think the way God thinks about things will we be able to change. I need to hate sin the way God hates sin. Do you think the way God thinks about things?

Oh, to Be Out of Breath in My Pursuit of God!

It’s the third day of classes and I’m already starting to feel a bit discouraged…nothing to do with classes really. I miss Jared. I miss him like all kinds of craziness. I got to see him for a few hours on Monday which was amazing, but something about being on the campus where we met and started dating and shared so many memories without him just makes things so much harder. The summer wasn’t easy, but we made it with God’s help I’m not one to really feel “down” often, but I have been…feeling lonely I suppose…which ultimately is my own fault because I’m focussing on myself, I know. Regardless, tonight we had “campus church”. Being the first Wednesday night of the semester not many students have chosen a place of worship/ministry for their midweek service, so a good majority of us were at the service on campus. After hearing a few testimonies about how God worked in and through people this summer and praising God through song, Coach Wehry spoke on Psalm 63. David wrote this Psalm while he was running away from his son. That might have sounded non-chalant. Listen (read) closely…David’s SON was chasing him!! David was running and hiding from his own son!

His response:

(paraphrased) “Oh God you are my God, in earnest will I seek Thee; for in a dry and weary land my soul and body yearn and thirst for You. I see You in the sanctuary and I behold Your power and glory. Because Your love is more than life my lips will praise You, Lord! Thus I will bless You while I’m living, with hands held high and praises giving. My spirit satisfied will be, my mouth will praise You, Lord!”

OK, so Jared isn’t here with me. Maybe I’m still in college and I just want to be done with it and move on and get married and go on with my life. Maybe I don’t do so well in classes. Maybe school completely terrifies me. My God is a personal, intimate God. He is in control of each and every situation that I face and you know what?! I should trust Him. I should praise and honor and glorify Him in the midst of whatever issues I may be going through. He knows they’re important to me. He knows what is best for me. He loves me.

My “job”: Seek Him earnestly! Long for Him!

…

I’m just starting this blog…bear with me

Oh, to be out of breath in my pursuit of God!

It’s the third day of classes and I’m already starting to feel a bit discouraged…nothing to do with classes really.  I miss Jared.  I miss him like all kinds of craziness.  I got to see  him for a few hours on Monday which was amazing, but something about being on the campus where we met and started dating and shared so many memories without him just makes things so much harder.  The summer wasn’t easy, but we made it with God’s help   I’m not one to really feel “down” often, but I have been…feeling lonely I suppose…which ultimately is my own fault because I’m focussing on myself, I know.  Regardless, tonight we had “campus church”.  Being the first Wednesday night of the semester not many students have chosen a place of worship/ministry for their midweek service, so a good majority of us were at the service on campus.  After hearing a few testimonies about how God worked in and through people this summer and praising God through song, Coach Wehry spoke on Psalm 63.  David wrote this Psalm while he was running away from his son.  That might have sounded non-chalant.  Listen (read) closely…David’s SON was chasing him!!  David was running and hiding from his own son!

His response:

(paraphrased) “Oh God you are my God, in earnest will I seek Thee; for in a dry and weary land my soul and body yearn and thirst for You.  I see You in the sanctuary and I behold Your power and glory.  Because Your love is more than life my lips will praise You, Lord!  Thus I will bless You while I’m living, with hands held high and praises giving.  My spirit satisfied will be, my mouth will praise You, Lord!”

OK, so Jared isn’t here with me.  Maybe I’m still in college and I just want to be done with it and move on and get married and go on with my life.  Maybe I don’t do so well in classes.  Maybe school completely terrifies me.  My God is a personal, intimate God.  He is in control of each and every situation that I face and you know what?!  I should trust Him.  I should praise and honor and glorify Him in the midst of whatever issues I may be going through.  He knows they’re important to me.  He knows what is best for me.  He loves me. 

My “job”: Seek Him earnestly!  Long for Him!