Sand Castles

What a great castle this will be! You are going to make it so grand, so big. You see the wild, untamed waves crash threateningly.

You hurry, the waves seem far enough away now, but you would be foolish to ignore the fact that they are coming closer.

As you step back and look at the structure, you think of all the time and energy you put into it and it looks well worth it! The detail is splendid, it's height magnificent. A job ready to be celebrated.

But you are too hasty. You forget that the massive waves are incapable of showing mercy. They leap onto the shore conquering the land only to return back to the ocean. The see neither the princely state of your castle nor the work put into it.

We often make plans that seem to be well worth the effort. We make so many resolutions, in the hopes that a new year means a new you. Resolutions like, "I will exercise more", "I will volunteer more", "I'll break this habit", or "I'll start this habit". Yet nearly 80% of Americans who make resolutions fail before January is even over.

Are you building a castle made of sand, that will only be forgotten when it's all said and done? Or are you putting on the armor of God and fighting for the Kingdom that will last for eternity?

It is so easy to make plans for our lives. But when we strive to do something good in our own strength or something we perceive as good we aren't building up something that will last for eternity but something that will come crashing down.

"For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." -1 Timothy 4:8

I don't think there is anything wrong with making plans or resolutions for the New Year, but remember Whose you are. Christ means for us to live life with eternity in mind. Looking constantly toward Him as our Guide, through hard times and slow times. May we be working for Christ's Kingdom, not our own. May He be the initiator of all our plans.

Immanuel

God with us! What an amazing gift was given. Christ left His throne on high and took on the likeness of man! He came to be God with us. But we still have Immanuel, He isn’t gone. If we have been saved by Jesus’ blood then we still have God with us.

To be saved requires a separation from the former life. There must be a severance between the old life and the new life. That new life mandates the death of the old life.

Immanuel. Our gift, our free gift from God. Amazing. Simply amazing. The King over all the earth, the One no mortal eye can even look upon, is willing to come down and dwell with us! For He is our Immanuel, God with us.

How can He be at home in our lives unless we live in the likeness of His perfect life? Salvation is the rescue from ourselves and the destruction we deserve. Galatians 2:20 makes the verbal picture of what our life is now. It is no to myself, yes to Him, no to my will and my understanding, yes to faith and obedience in His will, no to my small selfish choices and yes to those inconveniences on my part in the effect of blessing another. Small continuous "deaths" of the old me, and small continuous growth in Him, the new me.

We must determine to part company with our sinful nature and "put on the Lord Jesus Christ". "Likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:11-14

And when the enemy comes to try to discourage us -"You hypocrite! You didn't really mean it when you said you'd start living for Jesus. You haven't been made new, you're still just as sinful as ever!" that's when we run to the cross and remember our Lord who cried out "It is finished". He is our Hiding Place, our Strong Fortress, we are new in Him.

Always keep in mind you have Immanuel. Your life is Christ's. Be careful where it goes. Be careful what it does. Be careful what it ponders. Be careful how it reacts. It is the temple of God.

Verse of the Week

Tchaikovsky, Quotes From My Sister, 2012, Ect.

While this is not the type of videos I usually share, I have been listening to Tchaikovsky's music dance around in my head so much I thought I better listen to some of his music so that maybe it would be able to skip out of my mind and be free.

2012 is only 13 days away.

And it is so easy to get wrapped up in all the fun or stress or other things that inevitabley come around this time of year. I'm reminded of how great my little sis is, last year she reminded me to think of others a little more. She said she didn't make New Years resolutions, but what about making a Year End resolution. Like 'I resolve to pray for all the people I've come in contact with this last year' or 'I resolve to spead some joy to someone who needs it' and other things like that.

Well I just have to quote her right now, and I hpe she doesn't mind, but like I said she's great. She said, "And whether you make a resolution or not, please remember all those who went without someone this year. Went without a father, a son, a brother, wife, mother, daughter, husband. This year...and maybe for every year. For every hero we have out there, there is a hero at home, trying to keep together an imcomplete family."

I don't know if you all know it but I have three amazing sisters, that I'm not sure why God allowed me to be related to such inspiring Christians but I'm oh so blessed, and she is one of them. So, don't forget those troops who are spending the rest of 2011 in Afghanistan or Iraq or any place away from their family, and let's remember to keep them in all our prayers.

-Ashlin

"Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments" -Deuteronomy 7:9

Joy of Obedience

"If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth’s grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God’s will, and with equal joy they would lift a Lazarus in his rags to Abraham’s bosom, or be a chariot of fire to carry an Elijah home." -John Newton

AmandaBeth Online: Win your own “Mix & Match” Swimsuit from Modest Sea!

There is a great modest swimsuit giveaway going on at AmandaBeth Online that you all should know about.

A truly modest swimsuit is hard to find these days!

Verse of the Week

"It is one thing to go through a crisis grandly, but another thing to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, no one paying the remotest attention to us."
-Oswald Chambers

"If we desire to end our days in joy and comfort, let us lay the foundation of a comfortable death now betimes. To die well is not a thing of that light moment as some imagine: it is no easy matter. But to die well is a matter of every day. Let us daily do some good that may help us at the time of our death. Every day by repentance pull out the sting of some sin,that so when death comes, we may have nothing to do but to die. To die well is the action of the whole life."
-Richard Sibbes

I read these qoutes and thought of my grandmother. They describe her life so well. It takes an extremely large amount of humility and devotion to live a life so removed from one's own desires and natural tendencies in order to more fully allow Chrsit to reign.

My grand mother passed away a week ago Friday. I'm so grateful to have been able to know her so well and learn from her almost every day. She had a consuming love for the Lord, and loved others much more than herself.

"Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." -Ps.144:4

It can be so easy to live for myself, to allow myself be driven by my mood or emotions, but every day spent on myself is a day waisted. It sounds trite or cliché but treat every day like a gift. You don't know when your life will end, and you don't know when the life of those you love will end.

Every day surrender yourself, your life to Chrsit, and always look for opprotunites to bless others.

Amazing Grace

I love the song; his voice is amazing. But I also love what he says about the song. I hope you enjoy it.
(Don't forget to pause the player on the side.)

The Lord Will Quiet You With His Love

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." -2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I have had a few different friends lose loved ones in the past month or so, and I wish I'd been a better comforter and friend to them in that time. But we can learn from our mistakes. And we can grow in our times of trouble.

"I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation." -2 Corinthians 7:4b

"This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life." -Psalm 119:50

"I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities," -Psalm 31:7

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." -Psalm 23:4

"The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." -Zephaniah 3:17

"The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all." -Psalm 34:18,19

I don't know what you are going through in this life now, but lean on the Lord through it all. He cares for you, only trust Him. Thank the Lord for any trials you may be going through and depend upon His strength. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, Christ has overcome the world! In His presence is fullness of joy.

P.S. Thank you girls, for being such sweet friends! You know who you are, you are such a blessing.

Sunday Is....

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Thoughts That Stick

I've been thinking a lot about prayer recently. How much time should I set aside each day to pray? If I am praying from my list of prayer requests each morning how can I let the Spirit lead me to pray for what He wants me to pray for? Should I just trash the list? Do I need to give my complete and undivided attention to God every time I pray or is it okay to pray while cleaning the bathroom or making lunch? I couldn't seem to get these thoughts out of my head. I wanted to know how to interpret the Bible verses on prayer into my own prayer life.

While it took some praying, God gave me a most glorious glimpse of what continuous prayer in faith can do. He always does answer in the most satisfying ways. (Jeremiah 33:3) He is always faithful to answer, but often He wants us to be faithful in prayer, learn what it means to "not lose heart", before He give us what we ask.

Any way I wanted to share a portion of a book with you. It encouraged me and I hope it blesses you.

    My Creed leads me to think that prayer is efficacious [effective], and surely a day's asking God to overrule all events for good is not lost. Still there is a great feeling that when a man is praying he's doing nothing, and this feeling makes us give undue importance to work, sometimes even to the hurrying over or even to the neglect of prayer.
    Do not we rest in our day too much on the arm of flesh? Cannot the same wonders be done now as of old? Do not the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth still to show Himself strong on behalf of those who put their trust in Him? Oh that God would give me more practical faith in Him! Where is now the Lord God of Elijah? He is waiting for Elijah to call on Him -James Gilmour of Mongolia
    The more praying there is in the world the better it will be, the mightier the forces against evil everywhere. Prayer, in one phase of its operation, is a disinfectant and a preventive. It purifies the air; it destroys the contagion of evil. Prayer is not fitful, shortlived thing. It is no voice crying unheard and unheeded in the silence. It is a voice which goes into God's ear, and it lives as long as God's ear is open to holy pleas, as long as God's heart is alive to holy things.
    God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God's heart is set on them and prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; out live a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world.
   That man is the most immortal who has done the most and the best praying. They are God's heroes, God's saints, God's servants, God's vicegerents [ambassador]. A man can pray better because of the prayers of the past; a man can live holier because of the prayers of the past, the man of many and acceptable prayers has done the truest and greatest service to the incoming generation. The prayers of God's saints strengthen the unborn generation against the desolating waves of sin and evil. Woe to the generation of sons who find their censers empty of the rich incense of prayer; whose fathers have been too busy or too unbelieving to pray, and perils inexpressible and consequences untold are their unhappy heritage. Fortunate are they whose fathers and mothers have left them a wealthy patrimony of prayer.
   The prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock in heaven by which Christ carries on His great work upon earth. The great throes and mighty convulsions on earth are the results of these prayers. Earth is changed, revolutionised, angels move on more powerful, more rapid wing, and God’s policy is shaped as the prayers are more numerous, more efficient.

   It is true that the mightiest successes that come to God’s cause are created and carried on by prayer. God’s day of power; the angelic days of activity and power are when God’s Church comes into its mightiest inheritance of mightiest faith and mightiest prayer. God’s conquering days are when the saints have given themselves to mightiest prayer. When God’s house on earth is a house of prayer, then God’s house in heaven is busy and all potent in its plans and movements, then His earthly armies are clothed with the triumphs and spoils of victory and His enemies defeated on every hand.

   God conditions the very life and prosperity of His cause on prayer. The condition was put in the very existence of God’s cause in this world. Ask of Me is the one condition God puts in the very advance and triumph of His cause.
   Men are to pray—to pray for the advance of God’s cause. Prayer puts God in full force in the world. To a prayerful man God is present in realised force; to a prayerful Church God is present in glorious power, and the Second Psalm is the Divine description of the establishment of God’s cause through Jesus Christ. All inferior dispensations have merged in the enthronement of Jesus Christ. God declares the enthronement of His Son. The nations are incensed with bitter hatred against His cause. God is described as laughing at their enfeebled hate. The Lord will laugh; The Lord will have them in derision. “Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.” The decree has passed immutable and eternal:


I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said unto Me, Thou art My Son;
This day have I begotten Thee.
Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance,
And the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

   Ask of Me is the condition a praying people willing and obedient. “And men shall pray for Him continually.” Under this universal and simple promise men and women of old laid themselves out for God. They prayed and God answered their prayers, and the cause of God was kept alive in the world by the flame of their praying.
   Prayer became a settled and only condition to move His Son’s Kingdom. “Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened.” The strongest one in Christ’s kingdom is he who is the best knocker. The secret of success in Christ’s Kingdom is the ability to pray. The one who can wield the power of prayer is the strong one, the holy one in Christ’s Kingdom. The most important lesson we can learn is how to pray.
   Prayer is the keynote of the most sanctified life, of the holiest ministry. He does the most for God who is the highest skilled in prayer. Jesus Christ exercised His ministry after this order.
[Purpose In Prayer, E. M. Bounds, Chapter 1]

Wake Up and See the Glory!

P.S. There is a book give away going on!

O How Often!

"How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37b)

I know I will never be able to understand the way a parent feels when their child is rebelling unless I become a parent. But I have recently seen some of the burdens placed on my parents for their children. It's consuming. Constantly worrying, and hoping that that child's heart will change. We probably don't even come close to comprehending the ache Christ feels for us each time we stray away.

When I was younger I decided to read through the entire Bible a few hundred times before I died. At least one hundred times before I became a mom. (I'm a very proud and naive person... I know.) And one of the first times I read through most of the OT all on my own, I was shocked to see the way the children of Israel behaved. The couldn't be happy for freedom out of Egypt! The weren't thankful for manna (which sounded like delicious food to me)! They weren't grateful the promised land but coward at the giants! The continually went to idols and false Gods! I couldn't believe them! I always felt happy with myself after reading about them, thinking, "If I had lived back then I would be one of the few smarter ones who were faithful to God." Oh how blind I was! (And still am.)

Constantly, constantly, I am live out those same attributes possessed by Israelites that I looked down upon so much. In Psalm 78:41 David says of the Israelites, "Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel."

Again and again I limit what the Lord would do in my life if only I obeyed.

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

I am saved from ultimate punishment for my sins, and always I will be. But I do not want to waist my time here on earth. “Let me see what I have that will ‘abide the fire.’” – Susannah Spurgeon

Those works are some times compared to fruit on a tree; good fruit, good tree, or bad fruit, bad tree. Psalm 1 says that those who delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that giving fruit in it's season, it's leaf shall not wither, and whatever it does shall prosper!

When we plant ourselves close to the Living Water we will grow, and flourish. Just as He wills for us to do.

"Jesus died as He had lived–praying, forgiving, loving, sacrificing, trusting, quoting Scripture. If I die as I have lived, how will I die?" – Nancy Leigh DeMoss

(On a total different note -though it still is about plants- there is a seed give away going on that you might like. Gotta blog about it to enter so sorry for the randomness. =)

Planned Neglect

I've read this on two different blogs this year and have been trying (on and off) to be more dillegent in "planne neglect". It helps me greatly, when I follow through with it. Hope you can find it useful.

"The more you study the Word of God, the more it saturates your mind and life. Someone is reported to have asked a concert violinist in New York's Carnegie Hall how she became so skilled. She said that it was by "planned neglect". She planned to neglect everything that was not related to her goal. Some less important things in your life could stand some planned neglect so that you might give yourself to studying the Word of God. Do you know what would happen? The more you would study the Word of God, the more your mind would be saturated with it. It would be no problem then for you to think of Christ. You won't be able to stop thinking of Him. To be Spirit filled is to live a Christ-conscious life, and there is no shortcut to that. You can't go and get yourself super-dedicated to live a Christ-conscious life. The only way you can be saturated with the thoughts of Christ is to saturate yourself with the Book that is all about Him. And this is God's will, that you not only be saved but that you also be Spirit-filled."
-John MacArthur

Anything you could omit from your life and replace with something more Christ-centered?

-Ashlin

Verse of the Week

Nothing Much, Or Something Great?

'I want to do something great for God! But day after day goes by, and what am I accomplishing for my King?' Have you ever thought something like that. I have.

You can serve Him now, you don't have to waist your life in thinking of what you intend to do tomorrow as if that could make up for the nothingness of today.

God doesn't see little jobs and big jobs. He sees the heart of the worker. Jesus said, "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much" (Luke 16:10)

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." -Colossians 3:17

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.' ” -Martin Luther King Jr.

What are you called to be doing?
Washing laundry? Cleaning windows? Studying? Planning dinner for your family?
Glorify God through your day-to-day, doesn't-really-matter jobs. Because they do matter.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might." -Ecc. 9:10

You don't have to wait for grand opportunities, or for a different kind of work, but simply doing the little jobs we have to do each day. Don't wait until you're a more experienced Christian to attempt to serve God. Serve God now, and "do it with your might." Put your whole heart into it!

"Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I'm not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things - things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him." -Oswald Chambers

When we do our "little jobs" with our might it is not in our own self, But through Christ! Our "might" in the Lord of Heaven and Earth!

May we each day seek His help. Through prayer and faith, and when go though each day doing things for His glory and with all our might, then may we wait upon the Lord for His blessing.

When we serve Christ with our all nothing is done in vain!

Verse of the Week

Dancing with Orphans

I don't know anything about the organization associated at the end of the video. I just heard the song and thought I'd share it. I hope you enjoyed it.

-Ashlin

Guest Post by Miss Rachel

 Rachel is the type of girl who doesn't have to tell you that she loves Christ- it shows. I hope you enjoy reading this girl's post as much as I did. Her life shows that she is not just a Christian by word only, but by deed and truth. She is a young women ever striving to glorify her Saviour and King.

Here is what she wrote:

Why I Believe Emotional Purity Is Important

I think emotional purity is something a lot of girls may shrug off. Physical purity is probably a given for many of us ~ it's like of course we're saving ourselves for marriage! Not even something we have to think about, right? But what about the other side of purity, the emotional side of it? Unfortunately I think this aspect of purity gets ignored just a bit because no one can see it. Physical purity is visible to the eye; others can see if you're practicing it or not. If you're being immodest or flirting with a guy, others can see that. But thoughts? Dreams? Ideas? Our thoughts are something that only God can see....so we may be more likely to ignore how pure they are, or at least put the issue on the back burner. "It's not like I'm actually doing / saying that, right?" Mmmm, true, but remember what Proverbs 23:7 says? "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Although we may excuse our slightly impure thought life with "I would never actually do / say that"......the simple fact is that the way we think is who we are. Our thoughts reflect our attitudes, our priorities. And eventually, what we think is what will come out of our mouths. (Luke 6:45)

Do you plan on being faithful to your husband once you marry him? I do! But what many of us fail to realize is that faithfulness starts now. Once you're married isn't the time to start practicing this. It's now. I can't stress how important this is. What we are doing right now, as single young ladies, is laying the foundation for our futures. This goes for all areas of life, really ~ what we're currently doing with our time, how we're treating our family, the choices we make, the education we pursue, all of that is laying a foundation for the rest of our lives. And so it is with our thoughts. If you're planning on being a faithful wife, intent on respecting your husband and sticking by his side, that habit starts now. So, even though we may not be married right now, we need to realize that if God wills us to marry, our future husbands are out there right now! They exist! And hopefully they are waiting faithfully for us, as well. It's our duty, as future wives, to honor our future husbands even before we meet them. And yes, this totally applies to our thought life. Instead of dwelling on things that we know are inappropriate, or "trying out" different guys in our minds, we must keep our focus on staying faithful. On being pure - inside and out.

Practical Ways to Keep From Awakening Love Before It's Time

I think it's easy to say all this stuff ~ but the application is always so much more difficult. Especially when it comes to our thoughts. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to just stop thinking about something. My grandpa used to say that 99% of our problems are from the neck up. :-) I have found this to be very true. Our minds are a powerful thing, and for Christians, it's a battlefield. We need to keep in mind that we are in a war; invisible though it may be. We do have an enemy, and he is totally against purity. That's why all the "good" things are so difficult to cultivate; it's because we're meeting resistance from Satan himself. Thankfully, Jesus has already won the victory for us so we know we are fighting an already-defeated-enemy! I once heard it said that we shouldn't fight for victory, but from victory.

I think one totally practical way to keep our minds focused on pure things is prayer. The instant an impure or un-godly thought enters our minds, instead of dwelling on it, first turn it over to God. Then, began actively praying for your future husband. Pray that he would be pure, that God would prepare him to be a mature and godly husband for you, that he would be passionate about God's Word, etc. I've found this to be pretty effective! If Satan knows that an impure thought will start you praying for your future husband, I guarantee you those thoughts will begin to decrease!

Another way to stay emotionally pure is to make sure you're setting your mind on "things above, not earthly things". (Colossians 3:2) What you feed your mind is what it will automatically think about. You know how, if you're thinking about something really hard, you dream about it? It's just like that - if you are reading or watching things that arrouse impure thoughts, that is what is going to be sitting in your mind. Read things that inspire you to become the woman God wants you to be.

Make sure you're actively investing in your relationship with Jesus Christ. I think we have a warped view of the way God sees us. I used to think that if I wanted something really bad, God would be crossing His arms with a frown and saying, "You think you want that? Hah! Well, you're going to learn to be content instead!" That is just so wrong! In the area of romance, we need to remember that God is the Author of romance; He's the One who created it in the first place and put the desire for marriage in your heart. And if it's His will, He's the One who will fulfill that desire - in His time. Meanwhile, as we wait, we need to be focusing on our relationship with God. I really think that the best way to stay emotionally pure is to keep looking towards Jesus. Stay so completely focused on Him that you really don't have time to be dwelling on a certain guy, real or imagined. And you know what? As I've delved into God's Word and learned more and more about how much He loves me, I've been more than satisfied! That doesn't mean I don't want to get married. (FAR from true!) However, my craving and desire for affirmation, love, security, and protection is fulfilled in my relationship with Jesus. I am happy! I am content! I am in love with my Saviour! Until we learn to love Jesus with all we are, I don't think we are truly ready for romance.

And I'm preaching that to myself.

"May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

Emotional purity isn't easy - and it won't happen overnight. But it's vitally important and I think it is greatly pleasing to God. He knows our heart's desires; and He has an incredible plan for your life. Give Him control - total control - and you will find Him to be more than enough!

If You Had One Piece Of Advice For Young Ladies, What Would It Be?

I really only have one thing of true importance to say to young ladies ~ pursue Jesus. Fall in love with Him. Follow hard after God; He is truly the only One Who matters in life! I've been a "Christian" since I was two or three....but my relationship with Christ really began to blossom a few years ago. Even in the last year I've discovered more of God that I didn't before realize. I've learned to trust Him because He is good and so compassionate. Because He has my best interest at heart.

There is a huge difference between just saying you're a Christian, verses really being one. An authentic relationship with God is so much more than just rote Bible reading and memorized prayers. In fact, that is what it is not! I've come to understand that Jesus is not a frowning God with arms crossed and toes tapping. He's not a God with a mile long list of rules and regulations. Jesus Christ is the incredible and powerful God Who died for you ~ who took all the punishment on Himself that should have been for you. He's merciful and kind ~ He is for you and not against you. He loves you more than you will ever be able to understand....it just blows me away when I try to comprehend all He's done for me. He's incredible!

It's because of Jesus that I am who I am. It's because of Him that I have a purpose in life!

I would implore you, if you're a Christian but have never really experienced a deep and abiding relationship with God, start now. The advice I would give is to really get into God's Word, perhaps like never before, and start discovering how much God cares about you! Passionately pursue Him and seek Him. "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you...." (James 4:8a) Follow Him and love Him, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It's the adventure of a lifetime!

You'll never regret it.

O Jesus, I Have Promised

O Jesus, I have promised
to serve thee to the end;
be thou forever near me,
my Master and my friend.

I shall not fear the battle
if thou art by my side,
nor wander from the pathway
if thou wilt be my guide.

O let me feel thee near me!
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
the tempting sounds I hear;

My foes are ever near me,
around me and within;
but Jesus, draw thou nearer,
and shield my soul from sin.

O let me hear thee speaking
in accents clear and still,
above the storms of passion,
the murmurs of self-will.

O speak to reassure me,
to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
thou guardian of my soul.

O Jesus, thou hast promised
to all who follow thee
that where thou art in glory
there shall thy servant be.
And Jesus, I have promised
to serve thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
my Master and my Friend.

Verse of the Week

Wilt Love Me? Trust Me? Praise Me? by Amy Carmichael

O thou beloved child of My desire,
Whether I lead thee through green valleys,
By still waters,
Or through fire,
Or lay thee down in silence under snow,
Through any weather, and whatever
Cloud may gather,
Wind may blow—
Wilt love Me? trust Me? praise Me?
No gallant bird, O dearest Lord, am I,
That anywhere, in any weather,
Rising singeth;
Low I lie.
And yet I cannot fear, for I shall soar;
Thy love shall wing me, blessed Saviour.
So I answer:
I adore;
I love Thee, trust Thee, praise Thee.

The More I know Him

The more I know Him,
The more I love Him,
The more I want to serve the Lord.
The more I serve Him,
The more I need Him,
For He is who I'm living for.

Every day with Jesus
Is like a fresh wind blowing
Fresh wind blowing
Everyday with Jesus
I'm learning things I never knew before,
Never knew before!

The more I know Him,
The more I love Him,
The more I want to serve the Lord.
The more I serve Him,
The more I need Him,
For He is who I'm living for.

Every day with Jesus,
I can't get enough of His love and mercy!
Every day with Jesus,
Can't wait 'til tomorrow when I can know Him more,
I can know Him more!
I can know Him more!

The more I know Him,
The more I love Him,
The more I want to serve the Lord!
The more I serve Him,
The more I need Him,
For He is who I'm living for!

Sorry, I don't know who wrote the song, but I thought I would share it.

The other night I went to bed tired, yet restless. I was tired but I hadn't really spent any time praying or reading my bible on my own that day.

Whenever I go through a season of zeal and growth, a dry spell seems just around the corner. Recently, I've felt like I'm going through a dry spell. You know, you can't get enough of God for a while a first, and then you can't seem to find much time for Him.

I hate to write that.

Inside of me an argument started:
"I should get up right now, read my Bible and pray."
'No. Oh, I'm so tired! I'll just wake up earlier tomorrow and ask God to forgive and tell Him I'll do better from here on out.'

Inwardly, I knew what God was telling me to do. But I didn't want to climb down from my bed.

'I'll set my alarm clock for 4 in the morning! I'll spend hours praying and reading Your word,in the morning. I'll pray most of the day tomorrow, I'll hardly do anything else.'

I don't know why I was so adamant about not getting up. I don't know why I was so tired. But I was so convicted about not getting up. I'm sorry I fought, but as I thought of excuses for staying in bed, clear as crystal, plain as day, ringing in my ears: "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."

I could picture the fiery prophet Samuel saying, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams." It was as if God was asking, "Won't you just obey?"

I had been pondering all week, why was I so ... apathetic recently. In my prayers, my time reading God's Word, it was all just something I was doing to "check off my list". Why didn't I feel the passion I used to? I was copying the Israelites' pattern of drawing closer to the Lord, falling back, drawing closer, falling back.

I had just been reading to my grandmother that day, and in the book we were reading the main character did something he called "praying through". What he meant by that was to pray until he heard God's answer clearly. I was stuck in a rut just like him, and felt like this is what I needed to do. So I did.

God was continually bringing the verse to mind, "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment."

'How?' I cried. 'How! That's impossible!'

"And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I don't know where you're at right now in your relationship with Christ, but let me tell you, our Lord is a great and awesome God, Who keeps His promises and is merciful to all. And He says, "I love those who love me, and those who seek Me diligently will find Me." (Prov 8:17)

He is so good! Pray that God would make you hungry for Him, that He would give you a brokenness and a longing for Him. He is always faithful! A broken and contrite heart, God will not despise. He tells us "Call to Me, and I will answer you!" (Jeremiah 3:33) God will answer you! He delights in fulfilling His Word! Seek and you will find!

‘But you shall hold fast to the LORD your God... for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God."(Joshua 23:8-11).

The more I know Him, the more I love Him, the more I want to serve the Lord. The more I serve Him, the more I need Him, for He is who I'm living for!

Blog Award

Today I'm awarding the lovely girls below:

Ashley

Three Maidens
Shelby

Breana
Heather
With the Liebster Award!

Thanks so much Mareelana and Eve for giving it to me!

The Liebster is awarded to bloggers with less than 200 followers. It is an opportunity to shine the light on great blogs and their authors in an effort to build readership.

Rules:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.

2. Give the Liebster Blog Award to five bloggers and let them know in a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5. Have blogging fun!

Verse of the Week

Ways To Give

Looking for ways to give to great causes without spending a penny of your own?

I recently joined GoodSearch.com – and now every time I shop online and search the internet, a donation is made to my Gospel for Asia. It’s easy, doesn’t cost me a thing, and has turned my every day actions of searching and shopping into ways to help further the gospel and save souls!

Oh…and even better…GoodSearch.com provides over 100,000 of the most up-to-date coupons so not only can you do good, but you can save money too!

Please help me support Gospel for Asia or choose your own favorite cause and start making a difference today! Click for instructions.

Ever shop at Tom Thumb, Randalls, Kroger, or Albertsons? To find out how they will donate to GFA because of you, or other cost-free ways to give check out www.gfa.org/costfree/

Another way to give, maybe the most important way of all, would be by signing a petition.



callformercy.com

People, Problems, Prayer

I was gone for a while. Let me say, there are a lot of pros to not having the internet! I’ve had a lot of time to think and pray. And I’m not to sure if this blog post I’m writing will in anyway further your walk with Christ, though I hope it will. I think this is more of a vent for me at the moment. To tell the truth, the main reason for this blog was simply to write out things I hope to learn and am going through.

Now, enough sprawling thoughts, onto the post: People, Problems, Prayer.

The reason I haven’t had internet access is because I’ve been traveling. Albeit, I see strangers every day, seeing the many different people from all different places made me hurt. I hurt because I thought of the many souls who were lost and didn’t know what (or for Whom) they were searching, and the many more people who thought they had found the answers yet were just as lost as the others. It made me think of my cousins, friends, and others relatives who do not know Jesus as their Savior and Lord, going down a path that only brings them closer and closer to destruction.

All too often I come to loss. And I begin to wonder “Should I have started up a conversation with that person?”, “I could have shared the gospel with them. Why didn’t I?” “Why have the seeds I’ve planted never brought forth fruit?”

I know that God cares for each and every one of the sparrows, and He cares for each person abundantly more than any sparrow. The Spirit reminds me that no matter how much or how little I share ultimately it makes no difference, I am only a tool. It is His Spirit that draws people to Him, not me. If He uses me, praise the Lord.

However if I continue to obey the commission given to us (‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations’) I can believe He will be faithful to perform His promises.

"He continually goes forth bearing seed seed for sowing shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his with him". Ps 126:6 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much" Lk 16:10 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Mt 7:7
"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Gal 6:9

The words like 'faithful' and 'continually' pop out at me. I remember once, listening to a sermon, I heard something that made me think. The pastor said, 'Bareness is the soil in which God grows desperation and a sense of need.' A while ago I posted this video because it was such a wonderful reminder to me to never lose heart. If I sow and another reaps do they get the greater job? Certainly not! If another sows and I reap still I have done nothing, but the Lord works mightily through our weaknesses!

 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

Bareness can be such a gift! It is like 'the gift of tears', the gift of drawing us closer the the feet of our mighty God sitting on His high thrown!

Praise God for giving us the powerful gift of prayer! The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much! (James 5:16b)

Verse of the Week

Oh, Reader! My apologies. For the time being I have no internet service, excluding free Wi-Fi areas I can use. (This is the first time I've been able to use any Wi-Fi or else I would have posted sooner, I assure you.) Ya'll hang in there a few more days, and then I'll have internet back.

P.S. You may have noticed that there are two authors for this blog, they're both me, google just won't let me use the original user. (Urg blogger!)

Have a wonderful week. Spend more time than usual with our sweet, sweet, Savior! God bless,

Ashlin

Devotion

"And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night."-2 Samuel 21:10

If the love of a woman to her slain sons could make her prolong her mournful vigil for so long a period, shall we weary of considering the sufferings of our blessed Lord? She drove away the birds of prey, and shall not we chase from our meditations those worldly and sinful thoughts which defile both our minds and the sacred themes upon which we are occupied? Away, ye birds of evil wing! Leave ye the sacrifice alone! She bore the heats of summer, the night dews and the rains, unsheltered and alone. Sleep was chased from her weeping eyes: her heart was too full for slumber. Behold how she loved her children! Shall Rizpah thus endure, and shall we start at the first little inconvenience or trial? Are we such cowards that we cannot bear to suffer with our Lord? She chased away even the wild beasts, with courage unusual in her sex, and will not we be ready to encounter every foe for Jesus' sake? These her children were slain by other hands than hers, and yet she wept and watched: what ought we to do who have by our sins crucified our Lord? Our obligations are boundless, our love should be fervent and our repentance thorough. To watch with Jesus should be our business, to protect His honour our occupation, to abide by His cross our solace. Those ghastly corpses might well have affrighted Rizpah, especially by night, but in our Lord, at whose cross-foot we are sitting, there is nothing revolting, but everything attractive. Never was living beauty so enchanting as a dying Saviour. Jesus, we will watch with Thee yet awhile, and do Thou graciously unveil Thyself to us; then shall we not sit beneath sackcloth, but in a royal pavilion.

[Taken from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening devotional book]

A Must Read

I want to lend this book to everyone, and yet I want to keep it so that I can re-read it.

It's written by K. P. Yohannan, one of my favorite speakers, so I knew I would like it... But I didn't know I how much would love it!

Excluding the Bible, I don't think I've ever been moved by a book so much! It is convicting, inspiring, and God glorifying. I'm telling you: you have to order this book right now.

You can get your free copy of REVOLUTION IN WORLD MISSIONS. I'm positive you will not regret it. It will convict, challenge, and change you.

If you prefer, get the PDF or MP3 downloads.

I've been wanting to post quotes from the book here on my blog, but I end up wanting to do whole pages, then the entire chapter, then I just wanted to post the whole book chapter by chapter. It's that good!

But you don't have to take my word for it.



What are you waiting for? Get your book today, and be prepared to be challenged!

My Hiding Place

I am lost. . . He is the Way! John 14:6

I am weak. . . He is my Strength! Psalm 27:2

I stumble. . . He is a firm foundation! 1 Cor. 3:11, Ps. 62:1-2

I have failed. . . He is Victorious! John 16:33

I am a slave to myself and my sin. . . He has broken all chains. Romans 8:37, 2 Cor 5:17

I will run away. . . He will come for me. Isaiah 40:11,

I will leave you. . . He shall stay. Deuteronomy 7:9,

I am forsaken. . . He will take care of me! Psalm 27:10

I feel useless. . . He has a plan for my life! Jeremiah 29:11

I cannot see. . . He showed me His Light. John 14:19, Psalm 27:1

The Lord is so good! (And that's a huge understatement.) Spend time with your Creator today. Make Him your All in all. Seek His will for you in His Word, the Bible, daily. Come before His throne in prayer each day. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
as long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.

Who I Am

I am not what I ought to be; I am not what I would like to be; I am not what I hope to be. But I am not what I once was, and by the grace of God, I am what I am." -John Newton

Amen!

I have prayed that every one who comes to my blog and finds this video will be convicted by the Holy Spirit and understand the Truth. Please watch the entire sermon. It is well worth it. God Bless you! -Ashlin

Verse of the Week

Eternal Perspective

"Some of you never think of dying, and yet you should. You say you may live long. You may and you may not. If there were a great number of loaves upon this table, and you were to eat one every day; if you were told that one of those loaves had poison in it, I think you would begin every one with great caution; and knowing that one of them would be your death, you would take each up with silent dread. Now you have so many days, and in one of these days, there is the poison of death. I do not know which one. It may be tomorrow; it may not be until many a day has gone. But I think you ought to handle all your days with holy jealousy." -Charles Spurgeon

How often I forget. How often I live my life in a nonchalant and careless manner. I wish to live one hundred percent surrendered to Jesus, dead to the world and my flesh -or so I say. But when I choose to sleep in for a few extra minutes rather than beginning my day drawing nearer to my Saviour (Ps 63:1), when I do not stop to pray for the lost and the hurting instead thinking of the tasks "must" complete today (Heb 13:3), when I do not seek for opportunities to do good to those brothers and sisters in Christ I am blessed to know and instead waste my time watching movies or reading books (Gal 6:10, Ps 119:37), my life does not tell of the greatness of the Love I know and am given, but it does say through my actions 'I know nothing of the love and the grace given to me by God through Christ'

"Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)

If I were to taste the "poison of death" today, what would my life show? Would it show a life glorifying Christ in all that I do, or would it simply be a life of few kind things I'd done but mostly centered around me?

Thousands of people die every day without Christ. Forever; eternal separation. It will be too late for us to tell them the Good News.

"Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the LORD;" (Lamentations 3:40)

"The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him." -Henry Varley

Live today with the intent to glorify God in all that you do. (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17)Oh how great a difference it could make!

Verse of the Week

Guest Post by Miss Melanie

This is the guest post I wrote about the other day. It is written by Melanie, a young lady striving to serve the Lord with her whole heart. She has a passion for serving the Jesus and others. Through her words and conduct it is easy to see that she loves her Savior and endeavors to love Him more. Here is her wonderful post:

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain…”

What a different message our culture preaches to us! With the “standards” of Hollywood, no wonder purity has slowly faded into the background of our modern day lives. It seems as if it is an “old-fashioned” word…or something that few people can claim as their own.

It is so important to remain pure, both physically and emotionally. But it’s not as if remaining pure is a cold “command” the Lord gives us. Rather, purity is an invitation into the heart of our Heavenly King, where He asks us to love Him with our whole hearts and give Him everything (Luke 9:23).

Question 1: Why do you believe it is important to remain pure emotionally as well as physically?

Physical purity often seems to be an easy thing for people to understand. In our culture’s thought processes, a person refrains from sex --and there you have it -- they are pure. But physical purity isn’t just refusing to “cross the ultimate line.” Christ says: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16). Why do people dabble in sin and think that is okay, as long as they don’t actually have sex? Christ says to “flee youthful lusts” ( 2 Timothy 2:22). People are not cultivating a heart that runs from sin when instead of fleeing, they “stand in the way of sinners” or “sit in the seat of scoffers” (Psalm 1). They are not actively running from sin, but rather seeing just how close to the line they can get --whether that is through “making out” etc. Christ commands us: “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).


Emotional purity seems to be something that many people in today’s world do not grasp or understand, but it is just as important as physical purity. Our beloved Savior said: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). When we let our minds wander --even if we are not “lusting” after someone--we are failing in one very important area. It is our duty as children of the King to be dwelling on whatever is “…true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). Our hearts are to be “set on heaven” --looking to the things eternal. When we allow our minds to be consumed by thoughts of someone here on earth instead of dwelling on our Heavenly Father and serving Him, that person becomes an idol in our lives. We are dethroning our King, and letting something creep into the place that He ought to hold in our hearts.

Question 2: What does remaining emotionally pure mean to you?

To me, emotional purity means the following:

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God”
(Colossians 3:1-3).

It means keeping my mind focused on my Savior in this season of singleness, and also doing the same when I am married. Consider these verses:

“There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband”
(1 Corinthians 7:34).

If I fail to learn to look to the Lord as my everything now, then when I do fall in love, that man will begin to take Christ’s place in my heart. Christ needs my absolute allegiance, both in married life and single life. Something else I know is that my earthly lover will be a sinner, and he will not always be able to give me everything I need. Therefore, if I have not learned to look to Christ as my all, then when my earthly husband fails me I will become bitter and resentful. It is not fair for me to place the burden of perfection on my husband.

One last thing. If I am not cultivating a heart that is emotionally pure now as a single young woman, what prevents me from impurity emotionally when I am married? Now is the time to begin cultivating purity within my heart so that it will always be loyal to my Heavenly King, and earthly husband.

Question 3: What are some specific things you do to guard your heart and not awaken love before it's time?

One thing that always sobers me when I am interacting with other young men is the thought of “What would their wives think if they were watching right now? Would they feel honored, and if they were someday given the chance, would they thank me for spurring their future husbands on towards a deeper relationship with Christ?”

Second, and even more convicting, for me, is considering what my future husband would think if he could observe what I say, how I act, and what my thoughts are as I interact with the young men in my life. Would he feel cherished, adored, honored, and respected?

But what challenges my heart the most is the thought of “is my Savior pleased with me right now?” Ask yourself this as you interact with young men in your life. My goal is to be “conformed to the likeness of Christ.” Is my spirit one of servant hood, or selfishness? Am I seeking to spur them on to glorifying Christ, or am I desiring that attention and glory for myself?

I often find that if we keep the Lord at the center of all our conversations, the fellowship I have with the young men I know can be so encouraging, and educational. That does not mean you have to be talking about, say, “theology” the whole time, but if Christ is reigning in your conversation, then He will be glorified and you will be honoring that friend in the meantime.

My goal in life is to point others to the heart of our Savior and encourage them in pursuing Him. Therefore, when I am interacting with young men, it is my ultimate desire to draw them closer to the Lord. I never desire to make them notice me, but rather Him! Our goal should be to serve them, not to make ourselves feel “liked.”

Question 4: If you could give girls one piece of advice or encouragement what would it be?

I don’t even have to think twice. :)

It would be to pursue Christ as your First Love. As young women, we do desire to be loved and cherished. There is no better place to find that fulfillment but in your Savior’s arms, until the time comes for you to fall in love with the man He has ordained for you. And even in marriage, Christ must hold the first place in your heart.

His arms are opened wide, awaiting for You to come home. He is waiting…yearning…to offer you the romance of a lifetime….with Himself, and with Your future spouse. Surrender your heart to Him and learn to know Him as your First Love, and you will find all the fulfillment you could have ever wished for. And with Him, dreams --the dreams He has for you and is willing to make your own heart‘s desire-- really do come true.

For…

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30)