For His Glory

"This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." JOHN 9:3

It is the nature of a man to ask why. We see tragedy in our world and we ask why. We encounter hardships in our lives, or suffer loss, and we ask why.. We want to know to know the reason for it all, the unifying purpose behind this strange, needy world.

But Jesus reminds us: It is for the glory of God. The universe exists to display His splendor!

We can see many specific examples in scripture:

The Israelites were kept as slaves in Egypt in order that God might be known as DELIVERER. He led them to near disaster at the edge of the Red Sea in order that He might GAIN GLORY.

Many psalms of David would never have been sung if not for his PERSECUTION.

This man in John 9 was blind for his ENTIRE LIFE "that the work of God might be displayed".

Paul suffered in order that Christ's power might be seen.

But we are slow.. We can't help but think this universe is about us, and when life is hard on us, it doesn't make sense.
If we remember that it's all about HIM, we begin to see. It all makes sense. By our CAPTIVITY He is known as DELIVERER. By our SINS He is known as SAVIOR. By our WEAKNESS he is known as POWERFUL. Next to our hatred, His love amazes. Every evil we can think of has the potential of being a platform for the goodness of God. IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM.

My prayers have evolved from a process of "improving my situation" ... to "have my situation demonstrate Your glory."

Today I am in sorrow. Heartbroken for the loss of my grandfather.. but also thankful and peaceful that my God is molding me, and I will only consider it pure Joy.

I pray that you will do the same.

Today's devotion, from my heart, to yours.

Detour Ahead

John 4:1-4

“The Pharisees heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more followers than John, although Jesus himself did not baptize people, but his followers did. Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard about him, so he left Judea and went back to Galilee. But on the way he had to go through the country of Samaria.”

D E T O U R    ||    A H E A D

Doesn’t that sound familiar? I feel like too many of us can relate..

We have all experienced driving through a beautiful road to get to our destination only to be confronted with a large sign that says “ROAD CLOSED, FOLLOW THE DETOUR SIGNS”. 

And by following those signs, we are brought again to the smooth road.

... life is very much like that.  

But I am here to tell you: CONSIDER IT PURE JOY!

[ Every detour has a reason. ]

We aren't prepared with a map of life telling us where we will encounter detours.. We don’t plan them! One day you’re fine, the next day you’re in the hospital.. One day your house is fine, the next day it’s flooded. 

They appear sudden and without warning! 

That is where faith steps in.. We must trust and believe that the one and only God will come through.

There were various routes that Jesus could have taken to get from Judea to Galilee, but by choosing to go through Samaria, I believe he knew he would have an important meeting with the Samaritan woman. (Although Jewish people were not friends with Samaritans).

Seldom do we know the length of the detour..

On the highway, we follow detour signs without knowing how long it is going to be.. in life, we don’t know how long we will have to suffer, but we are hopeful that at any moment, we will be back on the main highway.

I don’t believe I have ever seen a good detour road, most are rough and winding.. They always take you out of your way and delay your arrival to your destination. They must always be traveled slow and careful. Just like life, they require great patience.

The indirect routes that life brings us to are often the reason for the journey! Hmm, ever thought of it that way..? They’re not a distraction at all!

If it feels like you’re in an unplanned detour right now, BE ENCOURAGED!

God knows exactly where you are. He has something special for you...

Calm My Heart, If Not My Storm...

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Life is a combination of highs and lows; mountain tops and valley views... we always seem to be traveling somewhere.

Of course, there are those sporadic and temporary moments in which we are to be still... but believe it or not, they are still moments of forward progress!

"The act of inaction, in order to wait upon the Lord, IS STILL ACTION."

Action includes OBEDIENCE. Our forward motion includes the process of learning God's will along the way... and here comes the slap in the face ... CONFORMING to it.

Our journey as Christians will be a challenge no matter which direction we travel, or what our destination may be. In case you forgot, the plans for an "easy life" got destroyed by Adam and Eve. Thankfully, God's GRACE prevailed when he decided to hold on to us by sending us His Son to deliver us!

The Son of God by no means had an easy journey. Just like us, He had unforgettable moments of joy, but the sufferings He endured were a part of his journey too. Jesus experienced the same ups and downs we experience in life! We are not in this alone, friends.

Trials are given to teach us important life lessons. They are sent our way to build up our spiritual character.
Without doubt, difficult times are meant to strengthen us. They develop in us the NECESSARY perseverance needed for much more difficult times later on. Don't take them for granted! Too many of us make that mistake...

For a very long time I felt like my storm continued to rage on... but boy there was a reason He didn't calm my waters. I would not be the person I am today.
Let that be an encouragement for you today! Ask your Father to calm your heart instead, and give you the courage and perseverance to continue on your journey.

I will forever be gratified by Your GRACE, Lord. So very thankful.

"In this world you will have trouble, but TAKE HEART, I have overcome the world!"

A Beautiful Thing

"The cross is a paradox. What was a symbol of failure and death is now established forever as a symbol of life and victory. The crucifixion was a gruesome and traumatic event and at the moment of surrender as the storm clouds gathered and the skies went to darkness it would have seemed to all who were witnesses, especially His followers, that all hope was lost – the so called ‘Son of God’ humiliated and tortured, dying as He hung upon a cross. But unlike any historical event that has ever taken place before or after, this moment would change everything – Forever. Because of the cross we no longer have to live entangled in the fallout and the wreckage of our lives, or the worst the world can throw at us. We have been lifted out of the ashes and into the LIGHT of the aftermath. We find hope, peace, freedom, and life, and we can know with assurance that He is with us no matter what comes our way." - Joel Houston 

Wow, what a beautiful exchange! 

We shouldn't have to wait until Easter comes around to remember the cross. That is a mistake too many of us make. In ALL that we do, we must NEVER lose sight of it. Ever. So help me celebrate our creator everyday :) 

I got a call from the community blood center this morning saying that a baby is having open heart surgery and my O negative was needed .. I didn't have to think twice. 

GRATEFUL that Jesus didn't either when he chose to shed his BLOOD so that we can have direct access to GRACE and LOVE

 Thank you Lord for making my DIRT your REDEMPTION † 

Happy Easter everyone

I Want The Cross †

"There is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for his friends."

It is that time of year again!!

Today we are embarking upon our 33 mile journey to the cross. VIA DOLOROSA. 
It is an annual youth event in which we gather our troops and take them on a painful walk around Boca Raton, Florida. Each mile representing a year that Jesus walked the earth. 
Blisters, rashes, sweat, blood and tears ... and an 80 pound wooden cross! Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. 
It was started by Dave Cowger in 1997, and we have been carrying it out ever since. 

Take a second and just imagine that... A group of 100 (more or less) students dauntlessly carrying a cross around their city ....
AMAZING RIGHT?!

Taking turns throughout the walk, each carrying the cross for as long as their little bodies can take, it gives them a tiny snippet and acts as a reminder of our Lord's journey to crucifixion. Mind you, our cross has a wheel attached, making it easier to transport, plus the rag that we get to put on our shoulder where we will take our grasp of it. Therefore, our measly walk can never be COMPARED to Jesus' human muscles being pushed beyond their endurance, in addition to deep, relentless, throbbing pain. 

I can not fight the tears and chills that run through my body as I watch the horrific scene directed by your very own Mel Gibson.

I do encourage anyone and everyone who is in South Florida to join us this weekend! It is a beautiful experience. You will not be the same. 


"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for out iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his WOUNDS we are HEALED." Isaiah 53: 5

Thank you Jesus for making all things new in my life. 

Nothing missing, nothing broken ....... † † † †

youngling

Children SMILE as many as 400 times a day!  I thought I'd share one with you today :)

This is Ariana after daycare. So ecstatic about the little kitty on her face! (and if you dared getting close to it, if was OFF WITH YOUR HANDS!)  Everyday is an adventure with the baby sister, and I look forward to every single one!

"As we try to teach them about life, they teach us what life is all about."

Make The Days Count

I sit inside a coffee shop and write my first official blog. Sun out, and some perfect South Florida weather. Happy first day of Spring! :) Who can complain?? I hope to never let the chaos of life ever prevent me from appreciating all that my creator gave me! Take a moment and just look outside.. amazing right??

Well today I write for no other purpose than to share a mere thought with friends. Not to get all profound with you, but have you REALLY considered how short time is? I'm not just talking about the fact that its already March and we are headed into spring, I'm talking about how too many of us get trapped into living someone else's dream for us instead of living our OWN.

One of the most common things I hear people say goes a little like this:
"I have been wanting to start for years, but I didn't have the courage, or something always got in the way."

Now here's the truly weird part -- I hear that from people of ALL ages.

Friends, here is the good news: it is never too late start anything. No matter how old you are! But the sad truth is that the only thing you can never get back is LOST TIME!

I feel like too many of us are so afraid of what could go wrong. (and I'm preaching to myself on this one!)
 If I can be completely honest, I envy those who can just pick up a guitar and jam out like it's nothing. So I set myself straight! I have decided that I will be one of those people! For the past couple of days, I have been picking up my brother's guitar and trying to teach myself a chord here and there.. YouTube is the best teacher .. Playing the guitar is not easy but it it SO doable! With perseverance and a lot of practice, I can be as good as I hope to be. I am keeping myself accountable!
So whether it's learning an instrument or running a marathon,  if you're 16 or 42, IT'S NOT TOO LATE! Get closer to your goal today and  push yourself everyday toward that direction!
Do not say that you will start tomorrow, because the trouble with that is you THINK you have time.
I'd rather live a life of oh-well's than a life of what-if's. I encourage you to do the same!

Time is precious ... waste it wisely!