Valued in God's Eyes

May I share a heart struggle with you?  I think you’ll be able to relate to my search for identity.  Identity can be perceived many ways; what kind of car you drive, how much money you make, what kind of talents you have, who your friends are.  In the end, it determines your value and affects how people see and treat you.

Unfortunately, we often base our value on how people see or treat us.  It works for a while, but people will fail eventually, leaving our identity a very fluid and vulnerable concept.  Society calls it self-worth and tries to teach us how to feel better based on our merit.  However, I fall short on my own and need something more consistent to base my identity on.  Like God’s unchanging truth.  Check it out:

*  Romans 5:8 says Christ died to make me worthy of His love!

*  Genesis 1:27 says I am made in His image.

* Psalm 139 says I am fearfully and wonderfully made and God had plans for my life before I was even born.

* Ephesians 2 says I was dead in my transgressions but Christ raised me up and I am saved by grace- praise God that I don’t have to earn it!!!

            I hope these truths speak to your heart and encourage you to rely on God more and live in the freedom and confidence of grace.  J

Being in God's will

Just a few thoughts from my journaling this morning that I wanted to share with you in hope that it will encourage you...

The feeling of resting in God's will is like that of curling up in a blanket

that wards off feelings of fear, insecurity, doubt, jealousy, and disappointment.

Like God is holding me in his arms, reminding me that nothing else the world offers

can compare to being in his warm embrace.

My friends may have husbands, houses, and kids, but I can't be jealous;

I'm where He wants me, what could be better?

My life may not look how I expected, I may feel tired of waiting,

but I can't rush it to the next season;

I'm where He wants me, what could be better?

I could get involved with so many more good things, find new people to pour into,

yet I can't strive to do more;

I'm where He wants me, what could be better?

I pray that this speaks to those of you who have felt frustrated in accepting your current circumstances.  I pray God will give you the strength to surrender and the courage to live out His will for you.  Trials and struggles may continue, but peace will come.

Great idea for fathers day cards

So instead of spending $5 on a cheesy card, I made one on shutterfly.com.  Enter in the promo DADCARD and you get up to 5 free cards!  Great deal.  :-)

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Just Like Jonah

  For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Jonah in the Bible, I'll share a brief summary.  


  God saw that the people of Ninevah were in desperate need of repentance.  He chose Jonah to go to them and prophecy, giving them the opportunity to repent.  Jonah knew of Ninevah and their reputation and also understood that God is gracious and compassionate.  Finding them undeserving by his human wisdom, he fled God's will and went the other way.  
  
  God was displeased and sent a storm that threatened to destroy the ship.  The sailors threw Jonah into the sea, where he was swallowed by a whale before being deposited on dry land.  He was obedient this time, prophesied for three days, and the city of Ninevah turned from their evil ways.


  Yet Jonah was angry with God for saving them.  The book of Jonah ends with God questioning Jonah as to why he cared more of the death of a plant than the destruction of an entire city, and I'm not quite sure how Jonah responded.


  I find myself struggling with a similarly selfish heart.  There is a dear friend of mine who is struggling in his marriage.  I am angry with his wife for [how I perceive] the way she treats him, and have a selfish desire for him to be free of her, and for her to reap what she's sown.  I recognize that the Christlike thing to do would be to pray for her, for healing of her own deep wounds.  If I truly desire the best for him, I would desire the best for her as well, and pray for restoration and growth in their relationship.  Yet I find I am rooting against her.  As if she doesn't deserve to experience that transformation.


  God is changing my heart toward her, but this self- realization has led me to examine other relationships in my life.  Are there any other brothers or sisters in Christ that I'm rooting against?  Am I openly loving all the people God has brought into my life?  I'm trying to use 1 Corinthians 4-8 as a guide...


  "Love is patient...It does not dishonor others...it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails."


  In those situations where it's sticky trying to figure out what I should do in a relationship, my aim is to check my thoughts, words, and actions with this passage.


  Thoughts?