One More Move

My blog location has changed again - click here to see!

I look forward to seeing you there!

I've Moved!!!

www.thefuturebrb.tumblr.com

That's where I'm currently located...online, anyway. :) So come visit!

Grace

Grace is not a word to be taken lightly. Not in the context of Christ and the cross.

God's grace is the only thing in which I can EVER boast. I have done NOTHING to merit any love or favor from God. I was born in sin, lived in sin, brought out by His grace ALONE, and now fight against sin with every fiber of my being.

God's grace is so overwhelming to me. I was about to shut down my computer and go to sleep when I heard one of the last few lines of "The Old Rugged Cross". That was always one of my favorite hymns when I was little, and even more so now that I'm old enough to truly understand the lyrics and the weight it carries.

Grace has been so cheapened by today's world - and these mildly worldly Christians I see around me. I realize that statement may offend some. And if it does, maybe there's a reason.

See, grace carries a heavy weight with it. The grace of God is not "unchanging" in our lives - it is AMAZING. It changes us from the inside out, shaping each and every affection we contain. It is NOT grace if we are left unchanged. It CANNOT be grace - for grace is an active word and gift. It constantly gives us the strength to depend on God, the ability to love the unlovable, the humility to admit our wrongs. It strips away our pride and molds our hearts to look more like Christ's. It cannot be "unchanging" in our lives. That is a fake, weak description of grace. To make a "one time" decision and live our lives unchanged is to believe we are Christians when, perhaps we are not. We cannot love Christ and remain in our sinful lives.

Don't get me wrong. We will have times of defeat, sin, and struggles. I'm not saying that failing means we are not believers. I am a believer who has had her fair share of failures, and can confidently say that Christ's grace is still at work in her. The thing is, we have to recognize our failings and let grace change that in us. Surrendering our lives and desires to Christ once more.

To ever believe that we make it through a day on our own is to believe a horrendous lie. Christ is who gives us each breath, each step, each word. We can do nothing apart from Him. Literally.

I know this all seems super straightforward, and it probably is, but I am just so overwhelmed at the work He's done in my life and the life He has given me. Even on the bad days, today being one of them, I know that absolutely everything was orchestrated by God who is in absolute control of all things.

Christ is my rock, my solid ground, my hiding place. In His grace alone can I rest. In His love alone can I be confident. I thank Him for all He's done and all He's yet to do.

To ever forget that is to forget who I am. I am not defined by my school, my job, my fiance, my hobbies, my intellectual status...I am defined by the grace of Christ above all else. To forget or forsake that is to leave behind my identity.

Praise God for His everlasting work and AMAZING grace.

Good night, dear friends. I pray you are pressing ever deeper into Christ and who He is. I pray you are falling in love with Him constantly and allowing yourself to drown in His grace. I pray He is pouring His grace on you. Even if that is the grace of believing who He is. I pray He would grant you that grace.

For an awesome song that totally depicts the truth of the fall and redemption, please click here and see the post "Only Your Blood"

Lord - grant us grace to love You more and more. Give us affection for You that is never ending.

Blessings :)

Well, last Sunday, Jeff Long and his wife Coleen were visiting at FBC Norco. WHAT a blessing! I missed them more than I knew and it was so good to see them and visit with them. There was a lunch after church for the Philippines team from last year and the one going this year to spend time with them and just get to talk to them.

We were filled in on all the work that Jeff's ministry, Kids International Ministries, is doing in Manila and Malaybalay. He told us that at the end of January there were still 19 (I think) inches of water!! It was astonishing how deep it still is! It's crazy to think that the water hit 5 months ago and it's still so deep. Please pray for the water to recede quickly.

I miss all the kids a lot. They were so sweet and so fun to spend time with! I want to go back some day - but we'll see where God opens doors for David and I. We definitely don't want to miss out on something because we are set on our own passions.

Speaking of us -as of ten minutes ago (midnight) it is officially 70 days until our wedding!!! Just ten weeks!!! I can't believe it. I am SO stoked and impatient! Haha. We are so very excited to start our life together. We have our moments of realizing just how huge this decision is, but honestly those moments make me appreciate him so much more because I'm not worried about whether he is the right man for my life.

God has done a lot of work in our lives and in the ways He's brought us together. David is truly my best friend and I can't believe we are where we are! I am so excited to be married and to start out poor (because without a doubt we will) and to work through those hard times. It will be so awesome to see God providing when we feel like there's nothing else that could possibly go wrong.

Some prayer requests:

1) jobs (for both of us)

2) apartment (for us)

3) that I would stay focused on school

4) we would be faithful in seeking God

Thank you! :)

Thoughts, Travels, and Life

For anyone who read my blog, looked at my pictures, or went with me to the Philippines...it's no secret that this little guy was my absolute favorite.

He has been on my heart this afternoon - I wish I could see him...or adopt him. Actually the second option would give me the most joy - but the first option would be satisfactory (not to mention more realistic).

Second, my mom and I went to LA today to get the material for my dress. Awesome! It didn't take too long AND we got exactly what we needed for the dress. Now we can begin the process...and when I say "we" I mean "she" haha.

Life has been very good lately. The LORD has been teaching me a lot and showing me so much of His truth. He has renewed my heart and fire for Him and for knowing Him. He has stripped me of depression (yes, I dealt with it for a while) and pushed me forward into His marvelous light.

It is so good to be released from things which hold me down to this world. It is so good to be basking in His everlasting love. He has grown me a lot in the last few weeks and has shown me some marvelous truths.

David and I couldn't possibly be more in love, though I'm sure tomorrow will be better than today and I will say the same thing again. :) We only have 83 more days until we are married, and that means 82 until I graduate! Whoo! :)

Praise God.

Supreme Court

This case will have far reaching implications for all followers of Christ, regardless of the decision made in the courts.

The Gospel is offensive. And it will be opposed because it is truth.

Transforming the Whole, not the Half....or the Third....or the Tenth...

When Christ draws a person to Himself, He transforms the entire person. Granted, we are left with the battle against sin, but He has changed who we are, where our identity lies, with whom we are now identified. But often, I believe we flee to our old identity in hopes of feeling familiar and "comfortable" in our lives. Oftentimes I think we forget our new identity - and we fall back on our past - what we know.



But what we know is no longer a part of us. Sin still entices, pulls, tempts, but Christ has conquered it. He has given us the liberty to say no to this sin which so easily and quickly pulls us down. He has given us the ability to choose righteousness (which we now serve) rather than choose sin. Sin is no longer a part of our identity, so if we are characterized by it, while calling ourselves followers of Christ - what has changed?



If the life I live is colored by sin, not by grace and obedience to righteousness, then how has it been washed clean? If the picture of my life is still black, and not changed to white by the washing of His blood, what looks different?



We cannot compartmentalize our life so that only part of us changes. The whole of us must be changed. Compartmentalization is not a lifestyle that the Christ of the Bible knew. He knew the lifestyle in which faith in God filtered into every area of life. In our spiritual life, we cannot only focus on Scripture memorization or Bible study or prayer, though these things are extremely critical. We must focus as well on how our faith affects every area of our life. Because it does. Our principle of loving the brothers must include the brothers that do not attend our specific church. Our principle of honesty must also deal directly with our economic/business ethics.

Medically we treat people holistically (or at least we should). Why would it not be the same way in Christianity? Why would Christ not holistically transform our hearts? Why would He ever just change a part of us? Despite the cheesiness, if we were to look at a pie chart to tell us how much has changed since Christ entered our lives in a very real way, it should show 100%.

I fear though, that often it does not. It shows the areas we are comfortable with allowing change in, but not the areas which we already like. I am afraid that too often we show only a small percentage of change, not the whole person.

I challenge you (and myself) to do a self-evaluation and see where maybe we have been resisting His changes. Of course it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict, not mine, but perhaps this is something we can all take some time to look at, pray about, and fall deeper in love with Christ, who is changing each and every one of us who have been so graciously called to life in Him.