I found this poem today in a book my grandmother gave me for my birthday by Darrelyn L. Tutt.

Overwhelmed

Be more overwhelmed by the grace of God
Than the test you face today;
Be more overwhelmed by the Word of God
Than the words you've heard men say.
When you stand alone then stand in Him
And He says, "I'll be your stay,"
Live in the grace that God provides
And be overwhelmed this day.


I'll leave you with Isaiah 26:3-4

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.



In Him,

J

A Slight Change in Perspective

One day last year in Amsterdam I was really being challenged in some way. I can't even remember what it was specifically anymore. But like all trials that arose whilst in Amsterdam, I reclused. I grabbed my Bible and my Ipod and started walking around the city I held so dear. On this particular day I stopped at a familiar bench. It was on this bench that I had a conversation that changed my life forever. I've sat there before. Actually alot. I knew the area. I've faced that canal, that bridge w/the lights, that blue house on the water all before. I listened to my music and I prayed asking God for guidance. I felt Him telling me to "look to the side". "Um...I'm sorry, God, I didn't seem to get that." "Look to the side, not right in front of you, Lindsay." So, I did. I wish I could say when I looked to the side I saw something magical, something triumphant and life changing. No, it was not that way. It was another set of houses, a few ducks, another bridge. Nothing exciting by any means. But I did realize that I had sat on that bench a million times before and would only look straight ahead, I never even thought to look on either side. All it took was a slight shift in my head and I saw something the same, yet different. And God said, "Lindsay, you always look ahead. Try turning your head. See what's right next to you."

I am what some (especially J) would call a future seeker. I always want to look to the next thing, tending to pass up opportunities that are right in front of me. I think, "Ok, well I am doing this now, but in 2 weeks I'll be doing this" that is how I've always gotten by. I never enjoy the moments I'm in, it's hard for me. Why focus on boring today when tomorrow seems so much more exciting?! This isn't just an issue I have, this is a common thing for most people. Why don't we enjoy the time we are in right now? I was reminded of all this when I was reading James this morning. This is how James breaks it down:

James 4:13-17

"Come now, you who say 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.' But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."

First off, let me just say James knows how to make us feel good, "a vapor", thanks James. But James isn't about his readers making themselves feel all that great, which is why I love James so much. But he's saying it is arrogance to assume we can make plans w/o God in the making of them. I think we as Westerners don't even think about that. We just assume it's our right to have a future. I know I will be the first one to say one day can change the course of your life forever. We should not assume that there will be a tomorrow. Which sounds morbid and cliche, but brohem James says so himself. So what do we do? We live in the present. Yes, Lindsay, we live in the present ( I need to remind myself of this). So I ask, "God what do you want of me today?"
"Shift your head, Lindsay. Look to the side. Enjoy, embrace, and learn from today."

Peace, Love, & Hugs,
L

After many months of skeptically scoffing at the blogger world, I find that humorously enough, God has directed me to that very same world. I could argue with him for awhile, but the past weeks and months have taught me that even if I enter a discussion with my ideas of how my life should be, and what I should or should not do, God usually likes to set me straight. And of course, he has now told me to do one of the things I avoid like the plague--write. I usually avoid writing anything real, preferring to create fictional stories that spark my imagination, and help me to escape reality for moments at a time.

So, God told me to write, and for better or for worse, here I am. I immediately went to my dear sister in Christ, L, and enlisted her support and encouragement, but in actuality, she has a lot to say too, so we decided that since God seems to have had it in mind to bring us together at this point in life, we'd make this a joint endeavor.

This place, first and foremost, is not about either of us. We are simply coming here because we are called to share what we are learning about our Lord. We hope you will see that we do not claim to know God, what he does, or why he does it, any better than anyone. Our desire in life is simply to read God's word, pray, and learn more about him every day as each of us grows in our relationship with Jesus. If our words help you, encourage you, or make you think, then praise Him! If they irritate or anger you, or you disagree, then praise Him! We welcome discussion--the last thing we claim to know is all the answers. We merely are here to share our thoughts.

The following is a passage written by the disciple Peter that L and I both love, and want to put here as our foundation.


1 Peter 1:3-11

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.



By God's grace,
J