Not A Fan.

   This morning, through some God-planned events, I was able to drive our blue Hyundai to the hospital I volunteer at.  I usually have to drive our older Corolla, which isn't a bad car (I actually like the car a lot), but it's just nice to drive a newer car once in while. Anyway, I had my Ipod connected through bluetooth and was listening to Not A Fan written by Kyle Idleman.  On the way I had heard some things that impressed me, so before I entered the hospital I had to jot down those thoughts so I could tell you guys about them.  

   Kyle was talking about denying ourselves for Christ, complete surrender. He went on to explain the definition behind the phrase "Lord, Lord" in the New Testament.  In the new testament "Lord, Lord" does not mean Yahweh (Jehovah), instead it translates to a word: Kyrios. This Greek word Kyrios translates to - the owner; one who has control of the person, the master.  Then he introduced a second Greek word, which to some can be a complete letdown. it's Doulos, a word which translates to - a slave, a bondman, man of servile condition.  

   He talked specifically about being a bond-slave, which means that even after the slave was publicly freed, he/she would continue working for that same master (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).  That's how we should serve Jesus, voluntarily, out of complete love for our Saviour who died for us. He doesn't want fans or halfhearted followers; the only thing Jesus wants are committed followers that love him as deeply as he loves them.  

   I'm so glad that I was able to read this book and I know I will be reading more of Kyle's books in the future. Thanks for reading this post, it is such a blessing when I get feedback.  I will be praying for you and I hope you FOLLOW Christ with all your heart!

Alone, Yet Not Alone.

Isn't it amazing that we have such an amazing savior.

We may think that when the hard times come God isn't there.

But, that is exactly when he holds us closest. 

God is always beside us no matter what we are going through.

Joni Erickson Tada is an amazing singer as shown by this beautiful song. 

She is a quadriplegic and has quite a story...wonderful in fact. 

A short bio: http://www.joniandfriends.org/jonis-corner/jonis-bio/

Her book is the best reference though:  Joni: An Unforgettable Story

Just some things to read...

A paragraph from "When God Writes Your Love Story"
written by Eric & Leslie Ludy.

I agreed so much with this that I posted it too.

get lost.

     I recently received a copy of a get lost: Your Guide to Finding True Love by Dannah Gresh. When I picked it up off the bookshelf I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into.

     I had gone into the hospital to volunteer that day and I had just finished signing out to head back home. The lady at the front desk saw me and called me over. She told me there was a book vender just down the hall. (I later found out that she thought I would like it because she always saw me carrying around a book with me..haha..that's definitely true!). So, without any hesitation I walked down the short hall to where she was. She smiled when I walked over to look at some of the books she had on the shelves near her...of course, I smiled back. 

     Her name was Lucy and she started telling me why she was here. Her parents had lost their house in the tornado that just ravished a part of Oklahoma that past week. She was raising money to send down there for her parents and other various families that she had met. She was charging just five dollars for any book on the shelves she had there. Most of the books were fantasy, non-fiction, and modern-day love stories, but there was a small part of the christian genre and I was drawn there immediately. 

     I had already given five dollars to her and whether or not I was actually going to take a book was dependent on the books she had that I would actually read. I'm not a fantasy person, and the non-fiction books looked boring, and the modern-day love stories are too graphic, so I only looked at the christian books really. There were about fifteen christian books and I scanned the names. The title get lost popped out right away. I smiled as I pulled it out, it was such a weird and unique title. I read the first sentence, which is:                    

                                     This is a book about God...

                                                   ...and guys...

                                                               ...and how we get them mixed up. 

     I smiled, I couldn't resist. It was certainly gripping...haha. I scanned the summary on the back cover. One sentence (in green) stuck out:

Discover how to get so lost in God 
that a guy has to seek HIM to find you. 

     That did it for me! Without hesitation I walked over and told her I had found the book I was taking. She put my name in her notebook along with the book I was taking, and then thanked me. I smiled one last time...and walked away. 

     Two good things came out of that meeting: I had given money to the families in Oklahoma and I had a chance to get lost in God. I haven't finished the book, but it has been such a blessing so far. I'm getting lost and I love it! 

Numerous blessings from God's Grace...

This morning I read a quote that sparked my interest for this post. It was said by C.H. Spurgeon:

"Visit many books, but live in the bible."

One of the most recent books I've been visiting is called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It is actually my second time reading this book. I love the style of writing, short and sweet, but to the point. The way Ann writes creates images in my mind, that I'll always have there forever. 

The greatest image she creates is the image of God's Grace. 

Even through all the troubling times and struggles in our life God is always there. He doesn't run out of grace either, its infinite and for the taking. We don't even have to do anything to earn it, except to repent of our sins and give our lives to Christ, wholly surrendered. We don't have anything to show for it.

So, in this book Ann gives us numerous examples of Gods gifts that he gives us, which show us his grace. Things like; daughters and sons, food, sunshine, rain, comfort, music, cows, and even chairs. 

We should be thankful for everything he provides. Therefore, let us not worry about anything. 

Ann Voskamp writes a blog post everyday on her blog, which I knew about even before this book was written; http://www.aholyexperience.com/.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:4-9).

An Act of Courage...for Christ!

Courage..it can tear your life apart and build you up, all at the same time. I never knew what it meant to have courage, until I read "The Pastor's Wife" by Sabrina Wumbrand. Twelve years ago she passed away, but her story still lives on and is very inspiring. There is one specific story that I will always remember:
     Her and her husband, Richard, agreed to go to the parliament building (where there was a meeting called the Congress of Cults) to speak out against the Romanian government who wanted to make it a "religiously free" country.  4,000 people of all different religions watched as ministers, rabbis, pastors, and priests came up to speak. Most of them shared how happy they were that the church was coming under one roof. Some shared how scared they were, but then would end up agreeing, with sayings of flattery. 

                  "It was if they spat in Christ's face. I could feel that Richard was boiling. 

                   So, I told him what was already in his heart and said, "Will you not wash

                   this shame from the face of Christ?" Richard knew what would happen:

                   "If I speak , you will lose a husband." 

She replied to that, "I don't need a coward for a husband." Silence fell upon the crowd as he stood to speak and as he spoke the whole atmosphere changed. The audience began to applaud and soon the Minister of Cults cut the wires for that microphone. But the applauding continued for many minutes and during that time Richard and Sabina were able to exist from the building. They had feared arrest after the meeting, but God had his hand on them. Instead of arrest, they had crowds gather in the streets for quick, but moving street meetings. 

I highly recommend reading this book, along with Richard Wumbrands book: "Tortured for Christ."

Prayer Is Powerful!

   Prayer is a very powerful weapon and tool. Satan doesn't like when we pray to God to come and help us, because he knows that God will help us. Prayer can change lives or heal the most chronic of diseases.
   I am currently reading a book called "No Longer A Slumdog". It's about the children of Asia who are at the bottom of the social status pyramid. Even though discrimination is prohibited, it is still happening. There are police officers always around, but if they were to protect the dalits (the lowest of the social status) they may get in trouble by the more powerful ranks. The children are going hungry and most will always be in debt to the people they work for. They can't go to school because they are poor, they don't know how to play because they are expected to work, and they are in need of Jesus because they don't go to church or have religious freedom.
    Most of the stories have happy endings because the man who wrote the book has started a school for the dalits. The learn of Jesus as they progress in the program. There are still lots of children in the streets and slums of Asia that need our prayers. Lets keep them in our daily prayers!

"Ten Commandments Of Friendship"

1. Speak to people = there is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting
2. Smile at people = it takes seventy-two muscles to frown and only fourteen to smile
3. Call people by name = the sweetest music to anyone's ear is the sound of their own name
4. Be friendly and helpful =  if you would have friends, then be friendly
5. Be cordial = speak and act as if everything you do were a real pleasure 
6. Be genuinely interested in people = you can like everyone if you try
7. Be generous with praise = cautious with criticism 
8. Be considerate of the feelings of others = it will be appreciated
9. Be thoughtful of the opinions of others
10. Be alert to give services = what counts most in  life is what we do for others

(These are great to live by but, I did not come up with these, a man named Roy B. Zuck came up with them. I copied them from a book called: A young woman after God's own heart by Elizabeth George, who cited them.)