Beautiful Things

On a day like today, I find myself saying "beautiful" quite often.  What beautiful weather!  The sky is beautiful!  I wish everyday was as beautiful as this one has been!  I have been outside with my kids all afternoon enjoying everything about this beautiful day.  Then I began to think of other things that are beautiful and my focus changed from the weather to my Jesus.

"One thing I ask of the Lord, and this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." Psalm 27:4

There is nothing on earth as beautiful as Christ.  I cannot imagine what it will be like when I one day sit at his throne and worship Him.  But, until it is my time to be with Him in Heaven, I choose to gaze upon his beauty here on earth.  When I was outside I looked up at amazing trees,  checked on my rose bushes trying to bloom, watched ducks swimming in the lake, laughed at a funny road runner playing and enjoyed my children laughing. I cannot help but thank the Father for the beauty that is in each of those things and praise Him for the works of His hands.

I am reminded of the words to a song that say: "You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of the dust.  You make beautiful things, You make beautiful things out of us!"

Let's not wait until we ge to heaven to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.  Let's find something everyday that reflects who He is and let's worship Him now.  Allow Jesus to make something beautiful out of you!  Seek Him today and I promise you will not be dissapointed in His beauty...I wasn't!

The fire of the Lord fell...

I have been spending a lot of time studying in 1 Kings 18-19 lately.  This morning, after spending time with the Lord and then receiving an email from a friend on the same scripture, I was very convicted of something. 

Looking at the passage in 1 Kings 18:36-39: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."  Then the fire of the Lord fell...When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord-He is God! The Lord-He is God!""

Elijah prayed knowing and believing that God would provide him with a miracle.  He was boldly standing before hundreds of baal worshippers and proclaiming that his God, my God, is the only God.  Am I as bold as Elijah?  Do I stand tall and brave and proclaim daily in all that I do that my God is the real God?  Do you?  I want my life to be a refection of Him and I desire others to know that my need for Him is great. 

Lord Jesus, answer me.  Use me, so that the people around me will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning our hearts back to you. Make your fire fall on my life and burn brightly as I choose daily to live for you.  When I encounter people and they look at my life, may they be able to say, "The Lord-he is God!" and may their lives be changed.

Would you make Elijah's prayer yours today?

Stepping Out...

Well, here we go!  I'm stepping out in faith and starting something new!  God has told me for a very long time to write.  I have been given some opportunities in the past year to write curriculum for retreats and camps and the Lord has seen me through each of them.  If I am going to be obedient to His call on my life and teach His Word through speaking events and writing, I am understanding that I am going to have to be uncomfortable.  Following Christ is not comfortable.  I am desiring more and more to live in the state of uncomfortable.  I want to used.  I want to be pushed.  I want to be obedient.  If you are interested in being uncomfortable, please follow my blog.  As I journey with Christ and He changes me each day, I will do my best to challenge you.  Let's step out together....