Contentment

Accept your lot.
Rejoice in your toil.
-this is the gift of God. ~Ecclesiastes 5

Julia's Baptism

Dear Julia~
I am so thankful, excited, humbled, that you have chosen to identify with Jesus and be baptized.  I know it is not easy for you to get up in front of people...oh boy, do I know the fear of man.  We have a high view of ourselves all too often.  Work on it in secret with the Lord, for it's a heart issue, a worship issue, not a people issue.  Here are some things I found on baptism, from which I will be sharing with you.  I wanted to record them here, should the Lord grant you others to love and teach about baptism.
Love you. Date:  11/19/13

Baptism-article #1-Piper

Dear Julia-Never in Comparison

Dear Julia~

This urging others, encouraging others to move forward. It's never a race against another sister. Your toes will never be placed beside the toes of another in your walk with Christ. To encourage a sister in Christ, is to encourage her to look more deeply into Christ, to walk more closely with Him.  The wisest sister will point her sister to Christ and encourage her push deep into Christ.  Julia, this walk is never a walk of comparing yourself with others, whether you're lowering your God-given image in relation to another or raising self against them. Being jealous and breeding jealousy-all the same.

The Creator, Christ Himself, God, made each of you in the image of Himself.  

Learn this:  Be thankful for the way He made you.  You will find your deepest satisfaction in glorifying Him with your life, not the life of someone else.  Enjoy Him.  Enjoy the life He's given you.  Enjoy your curly hair and brown eyes.  Enjoy being short-at least for now :-)  Enjoy being able to twist and bend that body in ways my body has never seen.  Ride a horse like you mean it.  Sing with the voice He's given.  Play chords with fingers He's fashioned.  All of life is a gift, Julia.  All of the gifts echo who He is. Search for Him.  Seek Him with all your heart~He promises you'll be found by Him. Original Date:  10/1/2013

Much love~
Mama

Jesus

For to us a child is born,

 and to us a son is given;

  and the government shall be on his shoulder,

 and his name shall be called 

Wonderful Counselor, 

Mighty God, 

Everlasting Father, 

Prince of peace.  

~Isaiah 9:6

 

On Friendship...

This quote was passed along to me today, Julia.  I wanted to share it with you. I'm paraphrasing:

The glory of friendship is the spiritual inspiration that comes to the one when she discovers someone believes in her and is willing to trust her with her friendship.

Memorizing and Meditating Upon Today:  Ps. 103:2  Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits.

Idols of the Heart

Dear Julia,

I have had the habitual sin of placing people above God in my heart.  In other words, I've made a habit of trusting people, looking to people's opinions, thinking about and meditating upon people, consistently.   People have been my "functional god" for all of my Christian walk. A functional god is one you think you can control, much like a lucky rabbit's foot-just pull it out, rub it, and get what you want when you want it.  

God did not design "relationship" for this purpose.  All relationships are in place to glorify Him, not to glorify self.  If you are looking to fulfill some need that you perceive you have, in any-one or any-thing, outside of God, it will fail.  Here me again:  your search will fail.  

I praise God for not giving me what I've asked for, for 13 years. God has lovingly shown me how I've loved people repeatedly over time. I missed the boat often.  

But God. His steadfast love sustains.   

He has done a great work these last few months and this past week and into the weekend, He has given me tools to fight.  Perhaps the tools were always available and  because of my pride, my thinking I know better, God would not, could not, put those tools in place, knowing I wouldn't know how to effectively use them for His glory.  Sort of like giving a child a butcher knife.  Butcher knives can do great work, but if used incorrectly they can be deadly.  God's Word is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword-it must be used correctly.  Use it to glorify the wrong god and it will lead to destruction.  

Julia, I love you and desire that you love you God above all others, above all else.  May you know Him and His love for you.  May you know the gospel, understand the gospel.  Out of that understanding of who He is and the gospel, HE will overflow into the lives of others. Original Date:  5/7/13

~Love you, dear one.

Dear Ana

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. ~Ps. 91

Dear Ana~
You will be tempted to dwell in so many places, other than in the shelter of the Most High, your Father.  You will be tempted to dwell in insecurity and self-preservation, if you're anything like your mama. Satan, your accuser, the father of all lies, will try to make you believe that your Father is not good, not loving, not safe.  Don't believe him.  Instead, seek your Father in quiet.  He is good, Ana.  He saw you before He made the earth.  Nothing is a surprise to Him.  He knew where you would be born.  He knew on the exact day that your daddy and I would see your face for the first time.  He knew, Ana.  Be found in Him alone.   Read Ephesians, Ana, and know your identity is found IN CHRIST alone.
~Mama