Headship

Awesome reminder from John Piper of what men should be doing for our families.

Accept Him??

One Year Anniversary

One year ago today, against wise advice, I typed out my first post on this blog. My goal was that I could create a place where we could discuss and debate our faith and help each other grow. To those who have read and commented, Thank you! Because I have grown this year and our online discussions here helped me do that. God has opened my eyes to so many things over the last year.

One of those things is my constant need to Treasure Him and Christ above all other things.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” --Matthew 13:44

When I seek Him fully and Treasure Him fully, I will see and know Him clearly and know his will. So for those of you who stuck with me for the first year, I ask you join me in another year of trying to know and love God more each day. Let us be amazed by the King of Glory each day and let us cling to Him with everything that we face this year.

This video is one I put in a post almost a year ago, but I love what it has to say. I get chills every time I listen to the words. He is our king and our treasure!

I Want To Want Thee

In a culture that is pushing the American Dream and success that is centered on more things and more experiences, our prayer should be this:

Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. --Psalm 119:36-37

I was reading through part of Psalm 119 this morning and when I got to those verses, I was blown away. We need to pray this daily and pray that our hearts will continue to long for Him more than anything this world has to offer.

I liked the way A.W. Tozer stated the idea of us needing to long for God more in his book The Pursuit of God.

O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, "Rise up, any love, my fair one, and come away." Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

God, as the author of Psalm 119 asked we also pray that you turn our eyes from the worthless things of this world and that we will find true life only in your ways God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

This Wonderful Gift

We read The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones to our kids. It is awesome. Every story points to Christ. The book ends with a paraphrase of John 1:12-13. I wanted to share it.

For anyone who says yes to Jesus
For anyone who believes what Jesus said
For anyone who will just reach out to take it
Then God will give them this wonderful gift:

To be born into
A whole new life
To be who they really are
Who God always made them to be--
Their own true selves--
God's Dear
Child.
--Sally Lloyd-Jones

Day By Day

2011! The new year! I prayed part of my resolution to God last night after the ball had dropped. That prayer was that I would try to walk closer to God and to His will with each day I am given. Instead of trying to focus on where I want to be by the end of this year, I decided to try to focus on my resolution day by day. I want to draw closer to God each day. I want to know Him more today than I did yesterday and more tomorrow than I do today.

That takes commitment to reading His word regularly. It also takes a constant prayer life, one that includes more time listening to what God is trying to say than it does me talking.

Today was step one. We read from Exodus chapters 14-16, where Moses is leading Israel out of Egypt through the Red sea and into the wilderness. They of course were complaining about this and Moses says these words...

"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today." --Exodus 14:13

I need to hear those statements every day of my life! Every time I feel overwhelmed, or scared, or frustrated with life I need to cling to this verse. Don't be afraid of what you are facing! Stand firm in your faith! And see the salvation of the Lord which you were promised and which you have received in Christ Jesus.

I will probably forget this though. You will see me some time and think "Man he seems burned out, stressed out, or plum worn out." And if you do please remind me of this verse so that I can refocus and start clinging to God again. He is what we need in this new year!

May your new year be blessed with an overwhelming presence of the Almighty God! Join me as I work toward that.