Intentional Living

 One of the things God has showed me recently is that He wants our relationships to be intentional.

My time overseas made me realize that all people in a sense are the same, most relationships are made and based on the premise of what "you can do for me" or "what I can do for you." I myself have been found guilty of treating people this way, especially in my quest for employment. My relationships with others have been more about connections I made and whether or not I thought they could find me a job than the condition of their soul.

In some places in the world it might be shown through arranged marriages, that when two families join together there is some sort of profit for both parties involved. Whether it's wealth, status or possessions this kind of living leaves an emptiness that can only be filled by having an intentional relationship with Jesus Christ. By recognizing are need as sinners for a savoir and believing that He became the ultimate sacrifice and died the death we should have died, so we can have everlasting life with Him. As followers we are to be in constant intentional relationship with Him so our relationships and lives can be guided by His Spirit. As followers we are to be intentional about Christ and to be responsible with His death.

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation." Galatians 6:14-15 

 John Piper's book titled Don't Waste Your Life helped me see how deep and prominent the call of Christ should be in our everyday living. Intentional living is when our joy is found fully in the cross of Christ that when He becomes our all satisfying Joy we start boasting in the cross and valuing relationships above return. When we are intentional about living we glorify the Father in that our joy points others to Him.

As Christians when we live intentionally we no longer live for ourselves but for Him. The world has been crucified to us and we have been crucified to the world, meaning our old ways are now dead we must begin to live a new life because we have been given a new life worth boasting about.
 
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1-2

 Living Intentionally is all about boasting in the cross to point others to Jesus.When we fully understand that He is enough then everything we once held onto holds no meaning because once we understand and recognize that the things we were holding onto hold no eternal value then our dependance or attachment to those things is made void.

"Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:3-4

My goal is to live intentionally, to act and tell others about Him and to point them to the cross that they might find everlasting all satisfying Joy in Christ Jesus. That In my relationships with others whether at work, home or in my community that I boast only of the One who is satisfies all. 

Praise God From Whom all Blessings Flow

I am glad to know guardian angels are all around us working constantly. I can attest to this due to the fact that I was on my way home from feeding a friends dog. I came back on Tryon and turned onto 70 and the car I was driving stalled, I was going left toward the Garner ramp but since the car stalled I just tried getting all the way over to the curb and all was going well until the steering wheel locked. It Locked going left into traffic coming from behind. I can tell you I've been in a lot of random auto situations but this was definitely the scariest thing I ever experience. I was praying that I could make it home then I just prayed that no one would hit me since the car was on the lines between the two lanes of traffic. It was as if instead of parting water God had cars going around me on both sides. I flashed the lights a couple times, put the car in park and restarted it. I made made it home with it stalling two more times on the way but thankfully without the traffic.

Since the almost accident I got a minivan... it's just one of those random God things! I saw a post about a minivan on Facebook my friend shared from her friend's page and they are giving me a minivan, it has a bunch of miles but I cannot be more excited because after being scared to death that I was going to die in the "almost accident." I told God I couldn't afford a car and that I needed one and that the only way I would be able to get one is if He made it possible. Not sure why He's given me a minivan but I'm not complaining! So far the van has been amazing. I feel so much safer in the minivan than I did in a car. God is SO good! I am so thankful and so blessed!

Valentines Day, A Day of Remembering Those We Love

I thought I was prepared for the day, the day of my grandma's viewing. Most of the girl cousins have been busy working on some picture boards for the viewing today; pictures of grandma with her grandkids, pictures of her with her kids, teams, associations and ministries she has been a part of over the years.
My mom told me before we got to the funeral home that the casket would be in the same room, so I asked if it was open and she said it would be. So I was quite prepared going in, I looked at the picture boards we had worked on and pretty much skipped passing by the coffin, but I could not help but looking at it. Grandma looked pale and stiff but at the same time it didn't even look like grandma because she didn't ever look like that. She always had a smile and was easy to make laugh. She was the most stubborn and strong willed woman I ever knew. The body in the casket was not my grandma...
Friends of the family came to pay respects, some I have met before while most I had never seen before. I spent time talking with my cousins talking of good times we had over the years and our favorite memories with grandma. When the viewing ended, nothing could have prepared me for what I saw next... My grandpa walked with his cane over to the casket stood there bent over looking at my grandmother, the woman he shared 58 years with, was a special and tender scene that expressed all the love, commitment and dedication to each-other over the years. No my grandparents were not perfect nor did they have a "perfect" marriage, but  with the love of Christ were committed to each-other and to God until death.  

^"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."1 John 4:9-11

^{Today may not have been a typical valentines day, but I am thankful to celebrate the life of my grandmother Norma Ruth Stachowiak and the love she had for Jesus and her family.}
 

<sup>"For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."

"For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul." ~ It Is Well with My Soul H. G Spafford ♥</sup>

Losses, Friendships and Coffee?

The past year has had it's share of tough times. I lost two pets, one a sweet little bunny named Jasmine the sweetest mini lop ever! She loved to be held and my all time favorite cat Cody (aka Code Man) Life is bitter sweet without Cody. He always woke me up in the morning with his clever knock something on to the floor routine in the morning, he always made sure I made it out the door in time in college. He could also "come," "sit," "paw" and "five". He was the cat that let me do pretty much do ANYTHING to him! I am not exaggerating. He loved to cuddle and liked it when I held him like a baby and rubbed his belly. Forever missed sweet boy. You're still my favorite! :'(

Then one of my best friends moved away. I always hate it when that happens. Anyone who has moved surely knows how hard it is to keep in contact with friends afterwards, life moves on and so do people. I believe God puts certain people in your life at a certain time for a certain for a reason, they may be there for only a moment or maybe several years. But God in His wisdom knows how they will impact your life. The decisions you will make because of their influence, both good and bad. They may have been in your life for only a moment but what they brought to your life in way of friendship or even just conversation may impact you for the rest of your life.
I am so thankful for all the people that are a part of my life story.
Now how about meeting for some coffee?

A Life of Submission

If you are like me you are thinking "Oh Great!" with a bit of sarcasm. But I want to share something with you. Maybe if you are single you may be thinking this doesn't apply to you, but it does. Mainly because Jesus laid down His life for the plan of the Father- which was the ultimate act of submission. As followers of Christ we are supposed to live as He did, to be submissive to the Father's will. This means laying aside what you want or your plans and taking up the cross, the plans of the Father and doing it with a willing and humble heart. Do you remember the story of Jesus at the temple when He was 12? How when His parents found Him how He acted toward them?

In Luke the story unfolds this way

"And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.  And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:48-52 ESV

Jesus was submissive to His earthly parents as well as His heavenly Father.

Since I have graduated from college, I had to move back in with my parents because I couldn't find a job. Now I have a part time job and have been helping a friend with her kids in the morning but I still can't afford to move out, no matter how much my parents(and myself) want me too. It has been challenging coming back home after being on my own, there are times when I get asked to do things I don't want to do or they ask when I'm in the middle of something. But one good thing that has come out of all this, is that God has showed me that I needed to work on being submissive to my parents because Jesus was submissive to His I must be to mine.

I must obey them "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right" Ephesians 6:1 By being obedient to my parents I am being submissive to God. Sometimes we don't think of it that way, but we should. Every one of our choices is either in submission to the Lord Jesus Christ or in opposition to Him.

When we allow our selves to be submissive and open to the will of God there is no telling where He will take us or how much we can learn and grow ourselves. I recently came across this episode from Focus on the Family and though the title has to do with "Finding a Godly Spouse" where the speaker Alistair Begg encourages singles to look for specific godly characteristics in a future spouse he also encourages singles in their walk with God. It reminds me how much I need to learn and change and seek God's will and be submissive to it with a humble and serving heart.

I encourage you to listen to the link below Begg's message is very encouraging!

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/popups/media_player.aspx?MediaId={061440CE-B6E9-4E3C-A0E1-FDDAA0B40093}

There are so many lessons I have learned in the last few months, but I leave you with this quote.

"What about us he says, us singles, we too must except the Bible's teaching however hard it may seem, both for us and society. We shall not become a bundle of frustrations and inhibitions if we embrace God's standard, but only if we rebel against it. Christ's yoke is easy provided if we submit to it. It is possible for human sexual energy to be redirected both into affectionate relationships with friends of both sexes and into the loving service of others, alongside a natural loneliness accompanied sometimes by an acute pain, we can find joyful self fulfillment in the self-giving service of God and other people." - John Stout

Choices

Choices are decisions we make everyday in regards to one thing or another but what is prompting those choices is the part that matters most.
If you’re like me there may be times when you wish you could go back and undo a choice you made and choose differently. However life doesn’t happen that way, sometimes we learn from our mistakes and have to live with them no matter the consequence.

Every choice we make not only affects us but those around us as well, sometimes we hurt others without meaning to by our choices. I keep thinking of Luke 6:31 “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” I would like to say I always do this, but I don’t always and because of that I live with  the consequences of those actions. Sometimes we get scared of the choices we make because they involve change, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing, sometimes we also think if we make one choice we are bogged down with that choice, however that is not true either, life is made up of many moments and it's how you choose to act in these moments that matters most. One choice always leads to another. Sometimes our choices benefit those around us sometimes they don't. As people we are able to choose a lot of things for ourselves, we choose our friends, whom we may or may not date, we choose our spouses, pets, degrees, careers, etc, we have a choice in everything we do, but what is our motivation behind the decision process? Do we seek God and ask Him what He thinks we should do? 

Wisdom's call  "Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,  for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her" Proverbs 8:10-11 

"Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety." Proverbs 11:14

Choose wisely.

A Year of Trials and Blessings

It has been almost a year since I graduated from college and I haven't found a job yet not for lack of trying. I always thought this time in my life I’d be doing something different and that I'd have a job before now. I have battled with depression since moving back in with my parents and have learned a lot about spiritual warfare. If you ever have a chance I suggest reading a book titled "Walking with God" By John Eldredge this book helped me so much in my relationship with God.

Though this summer has been rather tough there have been blessings in the last year that have helped me remember that this is a season (Ecclesiastes 3) and there will be other seasons to follow. No matter how depressed I get I have been reminded of Paul’s words to the saints in Philippi

 ^“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content”
Philippians 4:11

  I am going to end with the blessings that have happened in the last year to remind me of God faithfulness.

1. I have wonderful supportive parents who I know pray for me.
2. I have a roof over my head.
3. I have amazing parents who have let me keep my pets and haven’t kicked me out...yet.
4. I had a very part time job for 9 months working for a friend.
5. I have a car that runs.
6. I have been able to get my passport!
7. I became an aunt to the most adorable baby girl!
8. I got to reunite with old friends!
9. I’ve gotten to spend more time with my sister!
10. My Grandmother had a stroke and is improving everyday!

I am excited to see where God takes me this next year! Personally I’m hoping it involves taking a plane!