Life Mottos

Something we have been doing at my house lately is making up a life motto.  We are loving it.  Everyone kinda has a different take on it. 

Rachael's is, "If it feels right do it."  That is not to be mistaken for if it feels "good", but if it feels "right".  I like to think that she is saying follow the Spirit's leading.  Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.  1 Corinthians 6:12 says: "Everything is permissible for me- but not everything is beneficial..."  We are meant for the Lord.  He wants us to do good works.  Well done Rach.

Katuschka is all about really doing what you feel.  Expressing the feelings we have and not holding back.  Like when you love someone but fear grips you...don't hold it in but run up to them and give them a huge hug!  I like hers as well.  I can be so inhibited that I don't always allow myself to feel big.  I think I am missing out.  This blog is living proof that I am trying to overcome my fear.  I don't think I am a good writer, I don't want to worry about trying to be cool and edgy so I never blog.  But I am just doing it.  I felt it and baaam.  Here we go!  Toosh's motto is "Do what you feel." 

Mary's is lyrics from a song.  "Where you invest your love, you invest your life." I really like that.  It is similar to Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  This weekend at church we sang a song and one verse is, "All my delight is in you Lord, all of my heart, all of my soul."  I started crying because I knew not only was that not true, but it wasn't even what my heart had wanted all weekend.  My delight was in finding a perfect place to live with Kirk.  It was in trying to be the perfect fiancee.  My weekend was very disappointing because there is no perfect house and I am a sinner  therefore I am bad at loving Kirk.  I think those are good desires, to be a good wife, to make a home but I was investing my love, my time, all my energies to what I wanted and it failed.  I want to invest my love into others, not so I can get what I want but to love them.  I want to invest my love in the gospel.  I love my God, I love my wonderful man Kirk, I love my life.  Lord please help me to invest my love where there is life.

So this leads up to my life motto. 

"Perspective is everything.  God is good."

Just think on that one for a moment.  Perspective really is so much of life.  Deuteronomy 30:20 "now choose life."  Philippians 4:8 "...Whatever is true, whatever is noble...right...pure...lovely...admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."  We must remember to go through life "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...and be thankful" Colossians 3:15  The second sentence is necessary thought because we must always remember God is good.  That can be hard to remember when your friend has cancer, a baby died in her sleep, when someone dies who is not a believer of Jesus Christ, when you overwithdrawl your bank account or burn dinner.  God how easy life would be if I could always remain in good perspective and belive that you are always good.  Strengthen my faith when I loose perspective.  Use the downs to build more ups.  Today is a new day.  Today is going to be good because God is so so good.

What is your life motto? 

Humility

So today is one of those days when I wish I had it all together.  I wish I had not snoozed for 30 min and got in the Word first thing in the morning.  I wish I had not forgotten about my doctor appointment in Duluth and had to cancel on Lauren for lunch.  I wish I had not forgotten to put the recycling bin out.  That means it will be overflowing for the next week!  I wish I had not forgotten my wallet and had to ask the doctor office to kindly let me pay them for their service later AND let me borrow $25 for gas so I could make it out of the parking lot and back to Athens.  Yes, some of that is lack of planning but some of that is just me.  And as I drove back I realized, that it's okay.  I can't spend my whole life trying to have it together.  That is not what it is about.  The Lord calls us to be humble in spirit and to Love the Lord our God and to put others before ourselves.  If that means forgetting my wallet here and there then I'm okay with that.  Lord grow me in wisdom and in love.  I want you to be interwoven in my life.  I want you to overflow from my every action, thought, & word.  I do not want to ooze out selfishness & self righteousness.  Help me to grow in Humility Lord and please use my cracks to grow beautiful gardens.  I am learning to embrace my cracks and see how you can use them for beauty.  I love you Lord.

True Love

I think I am beginning to see what Luke 6:32-36 means.  “if you love those who love you what credit is that to you?  Even “sinners” love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even “sinners” do that.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?  Even “sinners” lend to “sinners” expecting to be repaid in full.”

"True faith is loving a person after he has hurt you.  True love makes you stand out."- Francis Chan.  Am I willing to love after I have been hurt...yes but only because Christ loves me after I have denied him, turned from him, and not been obedient.  Christ loves without expectation.  He gave me something which I can never repay him for.  I am seeing how consumed with safety I am.  Lord I want to always be willing to pray this prayer “God bring me closer to you whatever it takes.”  I am learning how pain and brokenness can bring us to a deeper place with Christ.  I am becoming less concerned with being shielded from pain and distress and more concerned with knowing God and this world knowing Him.  Lord please continue to carry me through the storms and through the sunny days.  It seems like I need you more on the sunny days.  My need is so much more evident in the storms.  I love you Lord.