I came upon a verse today that I felt compelled to share. It is simple and straight forward; it does not leave much to interpretation. You can't read it and try to make it mold to you in a certain situation in your life or into the answer to a prayer you have been praying. It is what it is and it says what it says. I have somehow never heard this verse brought up in church and I am kind of puzzled as to why. It says it all.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
Another translation makes it even clearer if possible what is being said.
"Knowing the correct password-saying 'Master, Master,' for instance-isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience-doing what my Father wills. I can see it now-at the Final Judgement thousands strutting up to me saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You do not impress me one bit. You're out of here.'
Matthew 7 (The Message)
Going to church on Sunday, attending Wednesday night Bible study, putting "Christian" on your Facebook page, even holding fundraisers at your church or doing an inner city outreach or going on missions trips DO NOT get you into Heaven. Look deeply and honestly inside yourself to find if there has ever been something you have done or said not for the glory of God, but because it made you look good? Honestly, I have. Do you go to church or participate in God-sponsored projects just so you appear to be a "good Christian"?
SERIOUS obedience, DOING the Lord's will; that is what it is all about. Not being a "Christian", but a Christ Follower. It is a challenge that we will fail at every hour of every day. Yet if we acknowledge our shortcomings and repent, we change our attitudes, heart, and motives, and we put all of our trust and love and our entire lives in Him for His glory, and renounce ourselves to any and all credit or praise, we have gotten on that boat.
I don't know much, I can tell you that. I can't tell you what my future holds. I cannot even honestly tell you what I want for my future, because I am open to the things and places where God wants me and await his will for me with curiosity and excitement. I do know one thing for sure though. There is one thing that I know more than anything else on this earth. I do not want to be in front of Jesus at the Final Judgement and have Him say to me "You missed the boat. You do not impress me. You're out of here!"
Do you?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Mother's Day
With Mother's Day approaching, I find myself looking back on my life. At the beautiful 13 months I have had with my daughter, Ashton, and the 25 years I have spent with my own mother. I realized that although times are tough, money is tight, and life isn't exactly what I dreamed it would be when I was young, I am the luckiest woman alive. I was blessed with a mother who saved my soul, and a daughter who saved my life.
My mother is the most amazing woman that I know. I feel privileged to call her my mother and hope that I am one day like her. She has amazing faith and a love for Christ like no one else I know. I am constantly learning new things from her. What is most amazing about her is that she is also my best friend. It wasn't always like that though. She was first and foremost my mother and then a friend. She disciplined me when I needed it and was there for me when I needed a shoulder. She always made her faith and her wish for my walk with God apparent, but she never pushed it on me. She knew that with trust and prayer, I would eventually see the light of God and it may have taken some time, but I did. I know that even when times were tough and my life was a mess, she was praying all day long some days for my safety and my return to Christ. Through her prayers, and God's will, I am here today healthy and happy. She was an example of what a strong Christian woman should be and I owe my eternal life, the salvation of my soul, to her wonderful and consistent example of walking with Christ.
Now on my second Mother's Day, I look at my daughter and smile. She is truly a gift from God, the miracle that saved my life. At the end of a long road of self destruction, I found myself pregnant. Not the worst of news, but not the best in my book either. It was that little life inside of me that made me change my ways. I knew that it was time to stop pretending I was a rock star and get my life in order. Now, almost 2 years clean, I can't even imagine why I lived like that. It was a void I was trying to fill, pain I was trying to conceal that drove me down a path of sin. Now God fills that void and heals my pain. Ashton literally saved my life. If it weren't for her, I would probably be dead or in jail right now.
My only hope is that I can be a blessing to her like she has already been a blessing to me. That I can be the mother to her that my mother was to me. I hope that one day she will look at me the same way that I look at my mother. I have truly been blessed beyond belief and I know now that I am where I am supposed to be: walking in Christs footsteps with an amazing example next to me to help me when I am lost, and a beautiful baby girl on the other side, who has now two great examples as she grows up in Christ.
Mom, I thank you for your endless support and love. You have been a true angel to me and I am so lucky to have you to turn to. You are an example and a teacher to so many, but there are few of us who can call you Mom, and I have never been prouder to be one of them. I love you. Happy Mother's Day.
My mother is the most amazing woman that I know. I feel privileged to call her my mother and hope that I am one day like her. She has amazing faith and a love for Christ like no one else I know. I am constantly learning new things from her. What is most amazing about her is that she is also my best friend. It wasn't always like that though. She was first and foremost my mother and then a friend. She disciplined me when I needed it and was there for me when I needed a shoulder. She always made her faith and her wish for my walk with God apparent, but she never pushed it on me. She knew that with trust and prayer, I would eventually see the light of God and it may have taken some time, but I did. I know that even when times were tough and my life was a mess, she was praying all day long some days for my safety and my return to Christ. Through her prayers, and God's will, I am here today healthy and happy. She was an example of what a strong Christian woman should be and I owe my eternal life, the salvation of my soul, to her wonderful and consistent example of walking with Christ.
Now on my second Mother's Day, I look at my daughter and smile. She is truly a gift from God, the miracle that saved my life. At the end of a long road of self destruction, I found myself pregnant. Not the worst of news, but not the best in my book either. It was that little life inside of me that made me change my ways. I knew that it was time to stop pretending I was a rock star and get my life in order. Now, almost 2 years clean, I can't even imagine why I lived like that. It was a void I was trying to fill, pain I was trying to conceal that drove me down a path of sin. Now God fills that void and heals my pain. Ashton literally saved my life. If it weren't for her, I would probably be dead or in jail right now.
My only hope is that I can be a blessing to her like she has already been a blessing to me. That I can be the mother to her that my mother was to me. I hope that one day she will look at me the same way that I look at my mother. I have truly been blessed beyond belief and I know now that I am where I am supposed to be: walking in Christs footsteps with an amazing example next to me to help me when I am lost, and a beautiful baby girl on the other side, who has now two great examples as she grows up in Christ.
Mom, I thank you for your endless support and love. You have been a true angel to me and I am so lucky to have you to turn to. You are an example and a teacher to so many, but there are few of us who can call you Mom, and I have never been prouder to be one of them. I love you. Happy Mother's Day.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Life Lessons from Nick Jr.
I, like any other mom, know all of the words to the catchy theme songs and repetitive jingles that they sing through out the vast array of Nick Jr. shows. One in particular caught me off guard today and got me thinking. Watching "Ni Hao, Kai-lan" I heard this song come on:
"In everything you do, think of what your friends need too!"
What a good lesson to teach children. Think of other people before you think of yourself. Hm mm, sounding familiar.
"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." 1John 3:11
"My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12
"The second [greatest command] is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "Mark 12:31a
Those are just a few examples of the Lord's command to "think of what our friends need too".
As a child, we can see a cartoon teaching about sharing and have a whole new attitude at our next play date. Instead of taking the doll or truck and refusing to let anyone else come near it, we offer it up to a friend freely. We hold out our bowl of animal crackers to another tot at the park to see if he would like some. Yet as an adult, we develop an enormous case of road rage when the car in front of us lets someone in front of them. We fight over jeans at the "One Day Only" sale to make sure we get those Levis at 50% off. We do the stupidest things, not thinking one ounce about someone else. We throw everything but our own motives and needs to the waste side. Why?
Has loving one another become passe? Are we all just so jaded by the ways of the world, that we have developed some sort of "survival of the fittest" mentality?
I often watch my daughter with amazement at the way that everything is new to her. All day she is learning and absorbing information. What she sees, she wants to touch and taste in order to decipher what the object is and what it's all about. I am a little jealous of her at times that she has such a fresh mind. She has yet to be jaded and diluted by the world. She has never felt heartbreak or betrayal. If only I could get back to that state of mind. If I could wipe away years of hurts and fears and become so open to knew information.
I am a very regimented person. I do the same things every day at the same time, in the same order. If something upsets that schedule, trust me, you do not want to be in my way. I tend to be the same way in my thinking. Many adults are. You know what you know, you think what you think, you're right and their wrong and that is that! It is time to let go of that thought process! It is time to open up and be conscious of others and their needs, before ours!
As Ashton watches everything that I do and repeats it as best as she can, I will do the same with Christ. I will watch Him through Scripture and do my best to repeat His life as closely as possible. My first mission will be to love! This will be a hard one for me. To take myself out of the equation and put others, even strangers before me. Strangers especially, "...for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it" Hebrews 13:2.
I encourage you to take on this challenge as well and really start thinking about how you are loving others and if you are loving the way that the Lord wants us to love. Please pray for me in my journey, I will pray for you in yours.
"In everything you do, think of what your friends need too!"
What a good lesson to teach children. Think of other people before you think of yourself. Hm mm, sounding familiar.
"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." 1John 3:11
"My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12
"The second [greatest command] is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "Mark 12:31a
Those are just a few examples of the Lord's command to "think of what our friends need too".
As a child, we can see a cartoon teaching about sharing and have a whole new attitude at our next play date. Instead of taking the doll or truck and refusing to let anyone else come near it, we offer it up to a friend freely. We hold out our bowl of animal crackers to another tot at the park to see if he would like some. Yet as an adult, we develop an enormous case of road rage when the car in front of us lets someone in front of them. We fight over jeans at the "One Day Only" sale to make sure we get those Levis at 50% off. We do the stupidest things, not thinking one ounce about someone else. We throw everything but our own motives and needs to the waste side. Why?
Has loving one another become passe? Are we all just so jaded by the ways of the world, that we have developed some sort of "survival of the fittest" mentality?
I often watch my daughter with amazement at the way that everything is new to her. All day she is learning and absorbing information. What she sees, she wants to touch and taste in order to decipher what the object is and what it's all about. I am a little jealous of her at times that she has such a fresh mind. She has yet to be jaded and diluted by the world. She has never felt heartbreak or betrayal. If only I could get back to that state of mind. If I could wipe away years of hurts and fears and become so open to knew information.
I am a very regimented person. I do the same things every day at the same time, in the same order. If something upsets that schedule, trust me, you do not want to be in my way. I tend to be the same way in my thinking. Many adults are. You know what you know, you think what you think, you're right and their wrong and that is that! It is time to let go of that thought process! It is time to open up and be conscious of others and their needs, before ours!
As Ashton watches everything that I do and repeats it as best as she can, I will do the same with Christ. I will watch Him through Scripture and do my best to repeat His life as closely as possible. My first mission will be to love! This will be a hard one for me. To take myself out of the equation and put others, even strangers before me. Strangers especially, "...for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it" Hebrews 13:2.
I encourage you to take on this challenge as well and really start thinking about how you are loving others and if you are loving the way that the Lord wants us to love. Please pray for me in my journey, I will pray for you in yours.
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