My Desk and your heart - Something they may have in common!

A few days ago, I decided to stop being lazy and finally clean my desk. Let me just tell you, it was a disaster. Papers everywhere, my own junk everywhere. Completely disorganized clutter! And somehow I just know that there are some of you out there who know exactly what I'm talking about!

As I cleared off my desk, I made two piles. One pile was papers thrown all over the floor, papers which I no longer needed, and other papers that I wanted to save, which I put into a smaller, neater pile.

And in my boredom of cleaning, I made a comparison, perhaps it's a little far off, but perhaps it's not far off at all.

I think sometimes we treat our hearts and minds the same way as my cluttered desk. We come to know Jesus yet we continue to live our lives with hearts more clutter-y than my desk!

So what do we do about it anyway?

Well, we need to take our cluttered hearts to Jesus. We need to dive into that mess called our heart and our mind. We need to let Him help us sort through it, and see what needs to go. Our heart is the wellspring of life according to Proverbs 4:23. It is where all things, whether good or evil, flow from.

With that in mind, we need to take care of our hearts! Maybe you have some things in your heart that need to be cleaned up and organized by Jesus. I, personally, could think of a few for myself.

And just like my now clean desk is much easier to use and enjoy, so is a 'decluttered' heart! And then instead of a heart that is so consumed and lost in its own mess, rather you may have a heart that is focused on Jesus and ultimately serving Him! But please remember, you can't do it without Jesus. Take all things to Him, and He will see them through. :)

Matthew 5:8

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

P.S. To all my faithful followers, (especially you Kevin!!), I am so sorry for my lack in posts the past couple weeks. I have no idea what happened there! I'll try my best to get back on it though. :) Thanks a bunch for hanging in there with me! :D

Do you hate sin like you hate pimples? Part 1

You know what bugs me? When finally, that nasty pimple is gone from my face, just to wake up the next morning with a brand spankin' new and nasty one! Aren't pimples just so gross and annoying to have to deal with?

I was thinking about it recently and I discovered that pimples and our sin have a lot in common.

Though you may not physically SEE your sin like a pimple, sin's description at the core, is quite similar. Think about it. What are pimples? They are spots that are unclean, clogged (doesn't that just make your gag-reflex go off?). What is sin? Spots in our lives that are unclean and where we are perhaps spiritually "clogged" . 

Does your sin bug you as much as pimples do? Enjoying and lathering up in your sin is like saying you enjoy pimples! Ew!

According to God's word, we are called to hate evil things, or sin. Check it out!:

"Let those who love the LORD hate evil,"

Psalm 97:10a

"Hate evil, love good;"

Amos 5:15ab

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;"

Proverbs 8:13a

Are there some "unclean" and "clogged" parts in your life that you've been forgetting to "scrub" with spiritual "cleansers" such as reading God's word, praying, or fellow shipping with others?

My challenge to you: Take a good and long hard look at your heart, where are there parts that are in need of a cleansing? Spend some time with God and ask Him to reveal where these spots are.

This post isn't over yet! Check back in a couple days for Part 2! 

Click here for Part 2! 

My Prince Will Come and So Will Yours!

Tall, dark and handsome... Chocolate brown hair and a smile you just can't seem to resist. Or perhaps you're more for the sandy blonde with that certain color shade of eyes that just reach out and grab you! Either way, he's drop dead gorgeous, strong, manly and seeks to win over your heart! Just in case you're lost, let me fill ya in! We're talking about that "Prince Charming" which I'm certain all of you reading, whether knowingly or subconsciously, dream about from time to time.

As girls, I know our hearts seem to want the same when it comes to our future Prince Charming. We want a guy who will truly love us for who we are, who will be there for us, who will listen and understand, one that will not abandon us but be willing to love us enough to put us above his own desires. One who will be strong and take care of us all the days of our life. I know in today's world it's easy to see this "ideal" picture and then think "Yeah, whatever, this guy doesn't exist anymore. Most guys are just jerks!" And hey, I won't lie... there are a lot of not-so-good-guys in this world, but this note isn't to bash on them!

But did you know there's already a Prince Charming who does all these things and feels all these things for you? No, I'm not kidding! There really is! His name is Jesus Christ if you didn't already know. :) Okay now.. you may be thinking whoooa what?? I thought we were talking about guys! Like Earthly human guys?! And yes! We were... but before we talk about them, there's a very important thing I want you to understand!

Jesus Christ is your FIRST "Prince Charming". Remember earlier when I listed all those qualities that we like to see in a guy but have trouble finding them? Well... Did you ever think maybe we dream for all those qualities in a guy because those are all the qualities Jesus has? Interesting thought, isn't it! I'm pretty sure God designed our hearts to aim and wish for a guy like that because that's what He is like!

In order for you to have the best relationship with a guy in this world, you must first develop a deep and loving relationship with Jesus! By doing this it will help you:

1. Keep your priorities straight and remember that Jesus is your first love and that your relationship with him is the most important relationship ever!

2. Grow spiritually so that when you do meet your (earthly) Prince Charming, you'll be prepared enough to have a relationship with him.

3. In those times when you feel lonely, you can remember that you have Jesus! He is the only one who can truly satisfy you AND He is the one who loves you more than anyone could ever even imagine!

4. It will give you wisdom and help keep you out of potentially bad relationships that would only leave you heartbroken and hurt!

And there are still so many other reasons why keeping Jesus first is one of the best decisions you could ever make!

Above all, if you REALLY do want to find that earthly Prince Charming, then trusting it with Jesus is the only way you will find him! Why is that? Because Jesus knows your heart and your desires better than you do! Would you say that you know Facebook better than Mark Zuckerberg (creator of Facebook)? No, of course you wouldn't, because you didn't design it.. you just use it! Same with us, God created us; therefore, he knows us best! By putting all of your complete trust and hope in Jesus, in time when you are ready, he will bring along your Prince Charming! :)

Psalm 139: 13-16 says: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

A.W. Tozer once said, "The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One."

Maybe this thought has crossed your mind.. "What if Jesus never brings me my Prince Charming? What if I end up SINGLE ALL MY LIFE! AND END UP DYING ALONE WITH 392 CATS?!?!" Okay okay, take a deep breath! I don't think it's possible for anyone to have 392 cats anyway! Jesus may have a life of singleness for you, he may have a life of singleness for me! One can never really be sure. I will say that the single life is certainly a blessing because you will still spend your life with the Prince Charming who loves you most, Jesus. He will always be with you and always love you.... in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. Jesus is our bridegroom whether we end up getting married on Earth or not. What is our goal here on Earth as followers of Jesus Christ? To glorify Him. With that being true, even though it may be difficult to understand, even if God does give you the gift of having a life of singleness, you being single was how you were able to glorify Him and fulfill His plan the most! Feel special to have such a place in God's plan, even if sometimes it is difficult and painful.

In 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 Paul wrote: "I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord."

After all that.. you're probably wondering well, should I do anything in the meantime? Yes! You can and SHOULD do things while you're waiting for your Prince Charming!

The season of singleness is not a curse... it's actually a great advantage! In this season, it's just you and God.

This gives you:

-the opportunity to grow spiritually and develop

-it gives you time to have many MANY opportunities to do things that you would not be able to do if you were in a relationship because you have those restrictions

-Remember when I said you're looking for a guy who represents all those qualities? Well guess what! That guy out there is probably looking for a Godly girl that has all the qualities a woman should have! The season of singleness gives you the opportunity to practice and prepare to be a wife, mother, etc. So take advantage of it! :)

Proverbs 31: 10-12 says: "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."

Did anything about that verse stand out to you? Notice the last part... "She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." ALL the days of her life! Whoa! That doesn't mean she brings him good after they're married... no, it means from the earliest time possible in her life she should try to bring him good. Now you may be wondering, how do I bring good to a guy I don't even know or if I don't even know if he exists! Here are some simple yet great ideas to keep your future man in mind while you're waiting!

1. Get out a piece of paper and write down the top 10 qualities or things you want in your guy! Keep this list and you may be surprised that someday God will fulfill each and every one of them! Also, don't be afraid to make a list of high standards and rarer qualities.... though it may get discouraging at times when you see this guy is hard to find... keep following it! You'll appreciate your Prince Charming all the more when God sends him your way. :)

2. Buy a journal and write to your future husband! You can write prayers, or thoughts, whatever you want! It can be encouraging and someday when you get married, you can show him that you thought about him even before you knew him! It will be a true sign of your genuine and great love for him!

3. I've read A LOT of books that deal with this subject. Just a few I'd like to recommend: "When God Writes Your Love Story" by Eric and Leslie Ludy; "And The Bride Wore White" by Dannah Gresh; "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris. Check out these books! Especially the first one.. It's been such a helpful tool to me and I'm sure it could be for you too! :)

George Mueller once said, "Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you."

Mueller is right, God will never fail you! So keep trekking along beautiful ladies, because God has YOUR best in mind. The journey that leads up to meeting your Prince Charming may be difficult, lonely and just plain painful at times.... but the joy in Christ and the joy through his future blessing of marriage will be worth all those lonely nights!

Psalm 18:30 - "As for God, his way is perfect"

Beautifully Selfless

Beautifully selfless is the main theme of this blog. Being selfless completely for Jesus Christ. Why? Because He gave himself up for me, He died for me, and now it's my turn to live for Him. 

Dying to self is probably one of the hardest things any of us could do. It goes against every part of our hearts and minds, which is telling us to do the opposite. It's letting go of all we ever wanted, of all we ever dreamed for. It's letting go of all that our heart cries out for and rather, crying out to God for what HE wants. 

My heart aches in certain places. Places that I have yet to completely die to self. I bet you know what I mean. Sometimes it's hard to understand why we must do this. Let's see what God's word says....

Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

This verse describes the exact truth of how we must be. When we come to know Christ, we are saying "Yes Jesus, I am giving up myself to You. It is no longer I that lives, but I am dying to my sinful nature, to my selfish wants, and living for Your glory and Your will." Now, we can't always be this way, simply because we are bound to stumble at times. But, ultimately, when Jesus comes into our lives, we are commanded and called to release all that we are to Him.

Sometimes we think it would just be much easier to have what we want and NOT die to self. And hey, it IS easy! But is that really the life we're called to live? 

One thing I've learned is that being a follower of Jesus means having a life of sacrifice. 

I can tell you, 100% assurance and in complete honesty, it is worth it.

Yes, it is ridiculously hard. It's a constant battle.

But it is so worth it. Jesus is worth it!

I may try to plan the steps I will take or the things I want to do. But do I have any assurance or certainty of those working out? No.

With Jesus, I may not have any planned steps, truthfully, I may actually have no idea where I am going. I may have no certain direction. But, what I do know, is that Jesus knows where I am going. He has planned steps, he has my direction. While I may have to rely completely on Him with all the faith and trust in me, I also can know that Jesus is doing something amazing, something I cannot fully see. And the best part is, I do have assurance and I do know that the way I'm headed is one that is blessed with joy and meaning. One that is full of surprises... things I could have never dreamed of! 

What could be of any greater worth than dying to self and living for Jesus?

Luke 9: 23-25

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?"