He Is Jealous for Me...

So tell me... Have you ever felt like God is being completely silent in your life? I know I feel this feeling often. Lately, I have been bitter about this fact. Why won't God just tell me what he wants me to do? I must sound like a complete freak going back and forth. "I trust God." "I don't know why God won't tell me what He wants." "I love Him." "He's making me mad."... all of the above. Well, in the midst of my bitterness, I felt a small wink from Him yesterday...

"Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. he will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, "Be gone!"

Isa 30:18-22

-Much Love-
Bethany

A Healer of the Brokenness...

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Where to begin. Let's just say life is not at all where I expected it to be right now. I guess that's what I get for making a "plan". God just loves it when we do that. I think he sits there laughing and shaking his head when we're drawing out our map and planning all of the events that will take place in our perfect idea of a life. Nevertheless, I had a plan. A good one. And it failed. Big time. Relationships, classes, future plans (there's that word again), etc. So many things aren't going the way I pictured. And lately, I've felt that God hasn't exactly been giving me the lamp to my feet that he promised. Then, I realize that my idea of a lamp is more like a spotlight maybe? One that shines a mile or two ahead, perhaps?

The truth is that He is right there shining away... one step at a time. My quiet times the last few days have dealt with trusting God... shocking, right? Going through a study over the life of the disciple John, I'm realizing that God wants to take my routine and turn it into something amazing (Luke 5:1-11). To quote Beth Moore, "Jesus walks right up, catches us in the act of being ---again today--- exactly who we were yesterday and offers to turn our routine into adventure." I've asked God for adventure. I've asked him to send me wherever he wishes. To use me in ways that I could only dream of. Just give me direction already! And then he gave me this verse... "Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow." Joshua 3:5.

Literally tomorrow God? Really?! Alright, not the point exactly. The point is to get ready. The direction is to gear up for battle. To focus on Him. To fall more in love with Him every day. Also from Beth Moore, "God can perform a miracle in any one of us at any time, but amazing things happen when you and I are willing to get prepared for a mighty work of God."

So that's where I am... an extremely long blog post later... ready to get ready. I don't know what God is going to do in my life. He may be asking me to just trust Him exactly where I am. And he may be asking me to do something huge for his kingdom. Who knows? The point is that I'm learning to trust him with my whole entire heart. Lean not on my own understanding. Look to him.

-Much Love-
Bethany

p.s. Please listen to this song by Esterlyn. I may or may not have listened to it about a hundred times today and cried every time.

3/365...

January 3... As today was my last full day with my family on Christmas break, I tried to soak it up as much as possible. My mom and I mostly just killed time shopping and getting our minds off of things that have been troublesome lately. Amazing how shopping can cure a girl. Well... some girls... for some time... It would get my mind off of things for a little while, and then I would be right back where I started. I know I've already blogged once today (shocking...) but, at the end of the day (like it is right now... there's literally only 18 minutes left...) God is the only thing that fills me up. That quiets me with his love. How wonderful he is. He spoke to a desperate heart tonight through Psalm 145. I definitely would say it's a good idea to go read it if you don't already have it memorized... which I'm sure most of you don't... Just sayin. So go read it!

I should probably hit the hay... I have a coffee date with three little munchkins before school tomorrow morning. 

-Much Love-

Bethany

p.s. Another goal for twenty11... See more sunrises.

Odd Concept...

I realize that this may be an odd concept to some, but I love when my God romances me. It's such a long story, but these last few days... nothing has seemed to make much sense. I think that's the way it's supposed  to be sometimes. I've just given one of my biggest passions to God and let him do with it as he pleases. I want to say that I trust him completely, but sometimes it's so hard to just close my eyes and let him guide my path. He says he is a lamp unto my feet in the Psalms. I just hate not seeing where I'm going in the long run! But I trust that he will be that lamp. And he will guide my every step. Back to the mushy gushy... I listen to love songs sometimes... Ok, a lot of the time... but this one has a new meaning to me now... From God's point of view... He just wants to hold me in his arms. Some parts may be awkward, but it makes sense to me.

"When you came to me with your bad dreams and your fears
It was easy to see you'd been crying
Seems like everywhere you turn catastrophe it reigns
But who really profits from the dying
I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever
I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever

When you kissed my lips with my mouth so full of questions
My worried mind that you quiet
Place your hands on my face
Close my eyes and say
That love is a poor man's food
Don't prophesize
I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever
And I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever

So now we see how it is
This fist begets the spear
Weapons of war
Symptoms of madness
Don't let your eyes refuse to see
Don't let your ears refuse to hear
Or you ain't never going to shake this sense of sadness
I could hold you in my arms
I could hold on forever
And I could hold you in my arms
I could hold on forever"

Thank you Jesus for Ray Lamontagne and this beautiful song that has such a new meaning to me now. Thank you for holding me in your arms.

-Much Love-

Bethany

Love Sweet Love...

Am I avoiding studying for finals? Yes I am. Do I love every second of it? Yes I do. First off, I ordered my "usual" white chocolate mocha in a cozy little mug... Which is peculiar because my "usual" has become only an every once in a while thing... I'm poor, what can I say? Secondly, I decided to put off studying in order to do my quiet time... a worthy excuse I think. I've been reading through the book Captivating by Stasi and John Eldridge... which you might recall was on my Christmas list... thank you Mary Roy for checking that one off for me... Anyway... How much does God love us? A lot. It's a lot. Please read this excerpt from the book...

"He [God] wants you to move beyond the childlike 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.' He wants to heal us through his love to become mature women who actually know him. He wants us to experience verses like, 'Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her' (Hos. 2:14). And 'You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride' (Song 4:9). Our hearts are desperate for this. What would it be like to experience for yourself that the truest thing about his heart toward yours is not disappointment or disapproval but deep, fiery, passionate love? This is, after all, what a woman was made for."

"Faithful obedience to God is vital, but it is not all God draws us to It is not sufficient for our healing, no more than doing the laundry is sufficient for a marriage. And it will not be enough in the long run to carry us through. The persecuted Church is vast today. More Christians are being martyred in our lifetime than in any other time in church history. It is not obedience that is carrying our brothers and sisters--unwavering, steadfast, eyes ablaze-- to their deaths. It is holy, fierce passion. Hearts afire. For the root of all holiness is Romance."
-

These pictures are just a few of the things that God put in my life to romance me. There are many more that I don't have pictures of yet (I will one day!), but all I can say is thank goodness that we have a God that loves us!

-Much Love-

Bethany

A New Kind of Cov...

As many of you know, a "cov" group is what my sorority has dubbed the name of a small group. My big, myself, her other little, and my two littles all meet together once a week and do various things that keep each other accountable throughout the week. We also talk about our lives... happies and crappies... things like that. Our newest idea is to take a passage from the bible (we all have the same one) and put it into our own words. How it applies to us directly. We've done this a couple of times so far, but I'd like to share mine with you today. It comes from Luke 9:23-26....

Jesus calls me to...

Deny myself in my earthly passions. Whether it be lustful temptation, thirst for money, judgment towards people unlike me... I am to deny myself.

Take up my cross daily. By looking at earthly burdens I am bearing and trusting God with them. By consciously being transformed into God's image instead of unconsciously being conformed to the world. By pressing on towards the goal. My body groans for heaven (Romans 8:23). Press on. It's time to take on the responsibilities of being a Christian and not be lukewarm. I am held to a higher standard.

God says...

Whoever holds on to themselves and won't let go of their earthly passions will lose their whole life. Everything they have "worked for". But whoever loses their life (or earthly passions) for Him will gain it all back.

Why will it even matter our short time on earth what purse we had, what car we drove, who we pushed down so that we, ourselves, could get to the top? You will lose yourself. Whoever is ashamed of Me, or the things that I stand for, I will be ashamed of them when they enter my kingdom.

I realize that some of these may sound harsh, but remember, I'm talking (typing) to myself here people. Keep pressing on.

-Much Love-
Bethany

p.s. Is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?

Comfort at a Coffee Shop...

First off, a little disclaimer. I love how my God works. I love Him so much. A couple weeks ago, I prayed that he would make me fall so much more in love with Him. I prayed that He would reveal himself to me in ways that I've never known Him before. And what has He done? He has been faithful. A little BG for you here, last night at chapter, we had open-mic-night. Every single girl filled out an anonymous survey before walking into the dark, candle-lit room... We were supposed to circle Y or N if we had ever.... struggled with cutting, struggled with drugs or alcohol, struggled with certain (very specific) aspects of sexual immorality. Twenty-five different struggles were listed. The surveys were passed back out at random. The officers stood down at the front, and stood up for their own struggles (so stinkin' proud of those girls... they are so brave) and every other girl stood up for what someone else had circled. My heart broke at the amount of girls that struggle with eating disorders, self-mutilation, pornography... My heart broke at the things that I didn't have to stand up for because the survey I held in my hand wasn't marked, but I knew that whoever held my personal survey was standing. After this exercise, the floor was opened up for anyone to go down to the front and talk about what they were dealing with, how God was working through it, how angry they were at God... whatever it was. Basically, I cried all night last night. This is what Phi Lamb is about. Not date parties, not homecoming, not chapter... It's about your heart breaking for what breaks God's heart. Then... to top it all off, my quiet time this morning was In Phillipians 2.

"Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil-doers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and the glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh---though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness for God that depends on faith---that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."

I love how God's word is still alive. Put no confidence in our own accomplishments. It doesn't matter that I've been on this mission trip, or go to this church, or have been raised in a Jesus loving family... my flesh is still there, and it is so strong. Count everything as loss. Faith in Jesus Christ and being able to rely on His strength is what's going to get you through. So many girls stood up last night just in my chapter. You are not alone.

Sidenote: Sorry that this post was so long... there's just a lot on my heart this morning. Nothing soothes the soul like Jesus and Aspen coffee.

-Much Love-
Bethany

Random Question...

For most college students, lack of sleep is the usual routine. Some have managed to work their way up to only three hours a night, and they are just dandy throughout the day! I, on the other hand, am not a part of this majority. Eight or nine hours a night seems just perfect for me... So why am I awake at midnight when I have to be in class no later than 8:30 tomorrow morning? Good question. When I drink coffee throughout the day, it never seems to wake me up, but if I drink it after 9:00 p.m. there is no hope. I'm awake for all hours of the night. Why? Why is this? Sorry to be so random, but I do have the caffeine jitters and what else should I do besides blog? Definitely not study or do homework... No. There should be some point to this blog post though, yes. Tonight, I had cov with my phi lamb phamily. For those who haven't read before, this is basically just a small group within my sorority. My big, my half twin, myself, and my two littles all get together and have a wonderful Jesus time together once a week. I got to share my testimony with them tonight... Just a little of what I'm going through right now. Struggles I'm having, things to be thankful for, how Jesus gave me eternal life... all the good stuff. I have never been more humbled before God than I am at this moment in my life. Still, God has given me this amazing group of girls to pour into and also, for them to pour into me... Also, I've never laughed so hard in my life. These girls are so awesome. Just thought I'd share a little bit.

-Much Love-
Bethany

p.s.
I would love to go to Colorado soon... Would anyone like to join?

What a Wonderful World (God made...)

So, as many of you may be singing the beautiful words "What a wonderful world..." by Louis Armstrong, my mind is going to what a wonderful world God made. Picture this. I'm sitting in my living room right now in my cozy little apartment with my amazing room mates. The smell of late night coffee and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies is just making me a very happy girl right now. If things couldn't get any better, we had our first real in depth cov (a.k.a. small group for phi lamb) tonight on the dock at boomer. Can anyone say perfect fall weather? I can say it two times. Perfect. Fall. Weather. I'm loving the cool air lately. We used a very small, yet effective, technique called "happies & crappies" to open up the night. The basic idea is that you share the highest point of your day/week and the lowest point as well. Can I please share with you my "happy"? Yes.

I'm so close to my family. They really are like my best friends. My dad got to come up for Phi Lamb dad's day a couple of weeks ago and, naturally, I had to show him a little bit more of how Stillwater has grown up since he was here in the stone age. I introduced him to Aspen coffee... If you are EVER in Stillwater, you must go. We continued to sit for the better part of an hour talking about family and love and such. (P.S. this is a strange topic for my dad and I to get on... we can hardly ever have a conversation that we aren't busting up laughing). Basically, we got talking about hardships that my family has had to endure and about how we have some bitterness towards the past. Ostin (my amazing boyfriend) had shared with me a couple of weeks prior to this conversation that I was being bitter and negative instead of looking at the amazing things that God could do... the amazing things that God has done... and the amazing things that God will do. Sometimes, we (me... I...) get so stuck in our bitter attitudes that we fail to see what everyone else is seeing, and even more importantly, what God is seeing.  When I shared this with my dad, God moved. Deeply.

Ultimately, my "happy" was the verse that my dad texted me (yes... he can text now) Sunday morning...
Here's the passage...

"Oh Lord, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach. Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, Oh Lord, God of Hosts. I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? Therefore, thus says the Lord, "If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord. I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless."
Jeremiah 15:15-21

Perfect? Yes.

-Much Love-
Bethany

Monday Combinations...

This Monday Combination may be a little bit different than what I normally choose to write about; however, this story needs to be told. August 23. Today. First day of my sophomore year of college. Lots of things happened. The day was good except for a few setbacks. My bike was stolen (for the second time... my fault both times), I spilled chocolate ice cream (delicious) all down my white shirt, almost got in a wreck... the list goes on. BUT. I don't want to write in detail about any of that... I want to write about God's faithfulness. I am safe and alive... and so is my car (long story). Also, the chocolate stain came out with the help of Mary's handy dandy stain remover, and also.... drum roll please.... this morning, when I prayed for God to help me find my bike, or send another one my way I knew it was selfish. Whoever took my bike probably needed it more than I did. I don't really need a bike. It is a luxury. But I do love a good bike ride, and my God does love to romance me. My friend Emily just so happened to have an extra bike laying around her house that she is going to give me! God works in such crazy and amazing ways. I will buy a bike lock BEFORE I pick up the beautiful bicycle this time. And also, I will praise my God and give Him all of the glory. Wow. Therefore, this Monday combination deals with "answered prayer" and a "bicycle".

-Much Love-
Bethany

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Please go read this article... I first found bits and pieces of it here. What an amazing, amazing interview. Don't waste anymore time! Go read it! And if my extremely intense plea isn't enough for you... here's a small excerpt. 


"...Anyhow, material possessions are just one way we can be chained to this world. Even if we were to give up all our stuff, what good will it do us if we then judge others who haven't done so? Giving away everything we own is right, but we can get rid of our belongings but hold onto lust, jealousy, pride, arrogance, ambition. My advice is to ask forgiveness for trusting in what is useless and to pray for God to give you the love for others that would move you to sell all you have to give your money to the poor, not with reluctance or motivated by guilt, but with joy. Pray for that, and if it doesn't come pray for it again and again, and whatever good does come don't make a big show of it but keep your goodness a secret for God, and tell someone you trust the things you do that are the most wrong and shameful. Keep praying for mercy and forgive everyone, and show gratitude to the One who made you..."


-Much Love-
Bethany

It's God Time...

This day, I have been so inspired to be beautiful for Christ. Girls, come on... We all know how it feels to wake up and not ever want to see a mirror. My hair looks awful, my face looks like death, etc. No matter how false we know these statements are, somehow we choose to believe them every once in a while. Well, today, I have been looking at passages dealing with beauty. Here we go...

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'"

Romans 10:14

"Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it."

II Timothy 2:8-10

"... but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious..."

I Peter 3:4

"Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary."

Psalm 96:6

It is when we are in the presence of God that we are beautiful. I love the verse, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" What a pedicure!!! I want to be so beautiful for him.

-Much Love-

Bethany

It's God Time...

What a beautiful Sunday morning it was! My brother has stayed with me the last couple of days and I was thrilled for him to get to come to my church in Stillwater this morning! Back at home, I love my church. Everything just seems perfectly how God wanted it to work out. I was so thankful when I moved off to college and found a church that God was moving in as well. Thank goodness He can be more than one place at a time! 


This morning, we talked about faithfulness. Faithfulness is not the key to salvation, but the key to ministry. Salvation is a free gift from God. You don't earn the possession of eternal life. It is given to you. Ministry, however, is what you do with the gift God has given you. In this case, faithfulness and commitment are two extremely important qualities. Right now, we are going through II Timothy. Paul writes to Timothy from jail (a hole in the ground). JB (my pastor who puts a smile on my face every time I see him) taught that in those days, at that type of imprisonment, you were not given food unless someone brought it to you. So Paul was extremely thankful for his faithful friend. He writes in chapter one...

"15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus."

The "Day" that Paul writes of is the day of judgement. My eyes were opened to a new way of thinking this morning. I've always thought that the judgement would be just who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. No big deal. I know where I am on that note. But JB taught that really, it is a judgement of how faithful you were. Like I said before, faithfulness isn't the key to your salvation. You still go to heaven if you are unfaithful to God; however, you miss out on rewards in heaven, and opportunities to grow on earth if you fall away from Him. It makes me think. How well do I serve God? How much do I talk with Him and spend time in His word? How often do I serve and love others? How often do I share what God has done for all of mankind? 

When I thought about it that way, it was a huge eye opener. It isn't so much what I "don't do" but what I "do" that counts. Serving God and people to the best of my ability. The very best. Not that it's for the rewards, but I would love to work right along side my God in heaven rather than scrub the golden toilets (joke). 

-Much Love-

Bethany

It's God Time...

Lately, God has been showing me that it is His strength that must get me through things. I had coffee the other day with the amazing Mary Roy. We sat and talked for the better part of an hour just about how if you rely on your own strength to get you through whatever it is you are dealing with, you will be exhausted and more than likely disappointed because you can't make it. God's strength is the only thing you can trust. Especially when you feel like Paul and you "...do the things you don't want to do..." and you "don't do the things that you want to do..." it seems like a burden. In my life lately, it's been a constant battle of what I know in my heart is the right thing to do, and what my flesh, my worldly self, wants to do. Reading in Psalm this morning, I stumbled on this verse...

"Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Psalm 73:21-26

Oh. My. Goodness. Can God even be more clear? More perfect? More comforting? It's like He is just screaming that His strength is perfect in my weakness. He uses David's words in the Psalms to show that we are ALL weak. We are all grieved and foolish. I love how David refers to himself as a beast. Have you ever felt like you are a beast before God? Out of control? I know I can totally relate to how David's heart is feeling in this passage. My flesh fails. Time and time again. But, God is the strength of my heart. And He is my portion forever. 

Today, I feel so connected. So in love with Him. Thank goodness that His mercies are new every morning. Amen? (That's the old baptist comin' out in me!) Well, the coffee has kicked in, the word of God has kicked in, and I'm ready for another day. 

-Much Love- 

Bethany

It's God Time...

Don't you hate those moments where God just pounds something in until you finally realize, "Wow, I get it!" God has been really showing me that it doesn't matter how many times I mess up, He still loves me. His grace is sufficient. It's hard to know sometimes where to draw the line. That's because a line just won't do. One argument that people give as to why they don't want to have a relationship with the God of the universe is because they've been "too bad". Well, how bad is too bad? The bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I know in my case, it's been more like a plummet instead of a fall. This morning, I heard a song that described my heart perfectly right now. It's by Aaron Shust. Get ready for this...

God of unending grace, I come to You on my face
I need to hear You speak to me, won't You make me new right now
God of omnipotent power, visit us in this hour
And may we leave here changed because we've met with You, God

You've been more wonderful to me than I could have ever imagined
You've shown more love than I could show in a thousand years
And although it seems at times like it all means nothing to me
You gotta know that I love You
You gotta know that I need You

God of wisdom and love, sent down from above
Give us all a taste of what Your Holy Spirit can do
Time and time again we've betrayed, but our debt's already been paid
And all that leaves me wanting is to live for you, God

When the world crashes down around me
I know You'll be there to pull me out from the rubble
When my enemy surrounds and I call on your name
You'll be there to deliver me from my troubled soul

Rescue me from all my selfish ways
and thoughts and deeds and plans
Lead me in the everlasting way
and I will follow you there

-Much Love-
Bethany

It's God Time...

There isn't much that is more rewarding than spending time with my God. This morning, I am in complete awe of his romance and his love. I heard a song recently called My Beloved by Tenth Avenue North. One of the lines in the song says, "Won't you let me make you my bride. You will drink of my lips. And you'll taste new life. Cause you're my beloved." I can't get over how much He loves me. Even here in California, the living word speaks to me (thank goodness that God travels too). I don't usually do this, but I forgot my devotional book at home, so today, I just opened up randomly to Psalms.

"Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple. By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, oh God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas..."
::Psalm 65:4&5::

He is the confidence of the ends of the earth. Of the seas. Of the mountains. Have you ever looked at the ocean? It's not far away for me to right now... Even though I'm probably three miles from it, I see it. It's still there, and it just screams power. If you've ever been to the ocean and looked out across the horizon, it's impossible to see anything but water. It's not just a shy little puddle that has self-confidence issues. God made the mountains, the oceans, everything with power. With confidence. It is a picture of who He is. Everlasting.



-Much Love-
Bethany

It's God Time...

I try to make it my goal to wake up and have time with God first thing in the morning. Just talking with Him and reading His word; truly getting to know more about Him. Some mornings, it doesn't always work out, but just so happens that this morning (over a bowl of Lucky Charms) I had an amazing time hearing what God had to say to me through the Word. Should I share? I think so...

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'"

There is so much power written in 1 Corinthians 1:26-30. This passage just speaks so loudly to me. I could pick it apart and really share everything that God is telling me through Paul's words. But, the big picture painted for me shows that basically, we as humans are not wise. We can't even comprehend the things that God will do. He uses the weak things. When the world tells us nothing but a message of health, wealth, and prosperity, I don't think that they understand this passage. Why would they? Jesus became our wisdom. That is the beautiful thing. From the time that I started walking with Jesus, he has been revealing to me the nature of God. He is God. He became my wisdom. If it weren't for Him, I would still be preaching health, wealth, and prosperity like the rest of the world who is still in darkness. There is no greater love.

Wow. Such an awesome morning already. Lucky charms and a letter from my God. Amazing. On a more random note, I'll probably write more about the wonderful me later today. (Am I getting a little blog crazy? Probably...) 'Till then.

-Much Love-
Bethany