Friends

What a blessing friends are! They are iron sharpening iron and a constant encouragement in my life. My best friends, the Edmondsons, came out for 3 days to help us clean our basement. What a blessing!! On Tuesday afternoon us girls got together with sweet Hannah Moore at Starbucks and spent some lovely together.

Look at the cabieros, don't they look like trouble? We had a scrumptious treat of frappuccinos and muffins/cupcakes/donuts :) What a special time!

*Thank you sweet friends for all your help at home!! Love and miss you!*

Snow!!

Hey Everybody!

It is finally here! The first snow of the year! (do we have Dr. Suess in the house?? :D) I was so excited when I heard the news that is was going to snow, but I was extremely skeptical because we have had some crazy warm weather for the past couple of weeks, but lo and behold, on Sunday morning it started snowing! We ended up getting 10 in! It snowed all day and well into the night and oh wow, everything looked so beautiful under the cover of the snow. It reminded me of the way that Christ has washed our sins much whiter than snow!

 

His bondservant,

Charity

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello to everyone!
Happy Valentine's Day (+4 :D)!!

I love Valentine's Day, the flowers, the chocolate, the romance, and a day dedicated to plenty of time contemplating LOVE. As I was contemplating what love really is, I found some great verses that have hit the nail on the head for what true love really is:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

Ephesians 4:2-3 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Philippians 2:2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Aren't these beautiful??!! They go far deeper than just skin deep cheap romance that this world has to offer. Don't they just light a fire in your heart for Jesus Christ?! Oh how He loves us!
Here are some lyrics from "How He Loves Us" by David Crowder Band that captures this incredible love:

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
We are His portion and He is our prize

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way

I am also such a sucker for quotes, so I found some great ones to ponder :D :

The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost. ~G.K. Chesterton

He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God. God is love. Therefore love. Without distinction, without calculation, without procrastination, love. Lavish it upon the poor, where it is very easy; especially upon the rich, who often need it most; most of all upon out equals, where it is very difficult, and for whom perhaps we do the least of all. ~Henry Drummond

To love at all is to be vulnerable. ~C.S. Lewis

You can give without loving. But you cannot love without giving. ~Amy Carmichael

I pray that as we experience Christ's love, we may dare to love others without reserve!!


His bondservant,
Charity

Reilly is 1!

Today is my nephew's 1 yr birthday!! I cant believe it, it feels like just yesterday I was out in Texas meeting him for the first time...time flies...
Here he is:

Happy birthday, sweet Reilly! Aunt Lube loves you! <3

His bondservant,
Charity

Happy February and Happy Birthday's!

Hello Friends!

Happy February! I can't believe that January is over and gone, time sure does fly...Nothing much has been happening in my life except school, work, more school, and more school :) But oh how grateful I am for this time in my life! I am exactly where God wants me at this point in my life and I am so content. Mom had been gone for 3 weeks (2 weeks in California, and 1 week in Mexico) supporting my grandmother while she was undergoing cancer treatment. She came back last weekend and boy, am I happy! :)

Today we are celebrating a couple of birthdays!! Its Dad's birthday (I'll not reveal his age...lol) and my beautiful nephew, Reilly, 1st birthday! I am so blessed to have the family I have!

Just wanted to catch y'all up on what's going on in my life. Have a great weekend!!!

His bondservant,
Charity

"For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister." ~Hebrews 6:10

P.S. this is in New Zealand, Milford Sounds, such a gorgeous place! But unfortutately there hasn't been much sight of snow here in Virginia :(

Fear Not, for I AM with You

I have been in dire need of encouragement this morning, and I was reading Isaiah 41 oh, how my heart is soaring right now! This passage blesses and encourages me SOOO much when I read it! I pray that it does the same for you too!

Isaiah 41:1-20:
“Keep silence before Me, O coastlands,
      And let the people renew their strength! 
      Let them come near, then let them speak; 
      Let us come near together for judgment. 
       “ Who raised up one from the east? 
      Who in righteousness called him to His feet? 
      Who gave the nations before him, 
      And made him rule over kings? 
      Who gave them as the dust to his sword, 
      As driven stubble to his bow? 
        Who pursued them, and passed safely 
      By the way that he had not gone with his feet? 
        Who has performed and done it,
      Calling the generations from the beginning? 

      ‘ I, the LORD, am the first; 
      And with the last I am He.’” 
        The coastlands saw it and feared, 
      The ends of the earth were afraid; 
      They drew near and came. 
        Everyone helped his neighbor, 
      And said to his brother, 

      “ Be of good courage!” 
        So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith; 
      He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil, 
      Saying, “It is ready for the soldering”; 
      Then he fastened it with pegs, 
      That it might not totter. 
        “ But you, Israel, are My servant, 
      Jacob whom I have chosen, 
      The descendants of Abraham My friend. 
        You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, 
      And called from its farthest regions, 
      And said to you, 

      ‘ You are My servant, 
      I have chosen you and have not cast you away: 
        Fear not, for I am with you; 
      Be not dismayed, for I am your God. 
      I will strengthen you, 
      Yes, I will help you, 
      I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ 
        “ Behold, all those who were incensed against you 
      Shall be ashamed and disgraced; 
      They shall be as nothing, 
      And those who strive with you shall perish. 
        You shall seek them and not find them— 
      Those who contended with you. 
      Those who war against you 
      Shall be as nothing, 
      As a nonexistent thing. 
        For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, 
      Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ 
        “ Fear not, you worm Jacob, 
      You men of Israel! 
      I will help you,” says the LORD 
      And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 
        “ Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; 
      You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, 
      And make the hills like chaff. 
        You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, 
      And the whirlwind shall scatter them; 
      You shall rejoice in the LORD, 
      And glory in the Holy One of Israel. 
        “ The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, 
      Their tongues fail for thirst. 
      I, the LORD, will hear them; 
      I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 
        I will open rivers in desolate heights, 
      And fountains in the midst of the valleys; 
      I will make the wilderness a pool of water, 
      And the dry land springs of water. 
        I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, 
      The myrtle and the oil tree; 
      I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine 
      And the box tree together, 
        That they may see and know, 
      And consider and understand together, 
      That the hand of the LORD has done this, 
      And the Holy One of Israel has created it


Truly He is our helper! There is nothing too big we can ask Him, neither anything too little that we may ask of our Lord that He will not do for us. It is so sad, but I forget this promise on a daily basis. If only I remembered this every single day! 


Fear not, for I AM is with you!


His bondservant,
Charity 

Why Do Christians Love Movies More Than Jesus?

Dear Friends,

I have been really convicted lately that my intake of media, mainly TV and movies, far exceeds my time with the Lord. I was reading John Piper's blog yesterday and he had this post, which I think was totally meant for me!

Here is what he said:

"What do you do when someone loves movies than Jesus?
Many professing Christians give little evidence of valuing Jesus more than the latest movie they have seen. Or the latest clothing they bought. Or the latest app they downloaded. Or the latest game they watched. Something is amiss.
We are not God and cannot judge with certainty and precision what’s wrong. There is a glitch somewhere. Perhaps a blindness going in, a spiritual deadness at heart, or a blockage coming out. Or some combination. Christ doesn’t appear supremely valuable. Or isn’t felt as supremely valuable. Or can’t be spoken of as supremely valuable. Or some combination.
Here’s my suggestion. Instead of dampening their enthusiasm for movies, clothing, apps, and events, let that go as an expression of God-given personality. Instead, model expressive joy in Jesus. Over time, if there is no resonance from their heart with your joy, query them humbly:
I love your enthusiasm for the things you get excited about. You’re so free and expressive about good movies and nice clothes and cool apps. It seems odd to me that you don’t seem to be as expressive about the way you feel about Jesus and what he’s done for us. Have you thought about why that might be?
The point of this query is to help them see that the problem is not joyfully loving good created things. The problem is the apparent absence of similar affections for Christ.
If similar affections for Jesus are not possible, then the specter of idolatry becomes serious. But they may sense this themselves without your having to start with that indictment, if you draw their attention not to the excitement that’s there, but to what’s missing.
We don’t want them to lose their exuberance about anything good. We want Christ to be supreme in their hearts so that all their exuberance comes under him and for his sake. When Jesus is felt as supremely valuable in our hearts, all other values gradually become properly ordered and purified.
May the Lord give you great courage and wisdom as you help people awaken to the supreme value of Jesus."

I think that as Christ followers we need to evaluate our motives and evaluate the content, just like in the area of music, and pray that Jesus will give us guidance in this area.
Let's purpose in our hearts to do just that!

His bondservant,
Charity

Christmas 2011

I know that this might be a little late to do a Christmas post, but, I just figured I would go on ahead and do it :)

This was the most unexpected and interesting Christmas for us a a family. God has been stretching us beyond our comfort zone in the area of trust. I can honestly say that every tear and every wrestling prayer has been worth it. God has grown us as a family in an awesome way.

Our non-traditional Christmas celebration happened on December 26th, at 10pm-2am...Here are some pictures, but oh my, I must say that we all look pathetic and VERY tired :)

Faith and I

The Babies of the family:)

And there they are again! Look at how tired they look, poor things :(

Of course we mustn't forget the family pet :)

Eh, what is this? 

CHEESE!! :)

Oh yeah, punkin' out :) This is not my usual self, I promise! 

Can we go to Scotland know? 

I wonder what this is??

Oh MY WORD!!!! Most awesomest gift! The new NEWSBOYS cd!!

Now its dads and moms turn

Tada!

I will never forget this Christmas as long as I live. It was a time of unexpectedness, but God surely met us where we were.  Hope all of you had a fantabolous CHRISTmas!!

Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!

Charity

Happy New Year!

Dear Friends,

Happy 2012!

Numbers 24:6:
The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and give you peace!

Seek Him, and if you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him.

Forever in Him,
Charity

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I pray that everyone had a great day celebrating Jesus, because HE is the reason for the season. 


Numbers 24:17-19
"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: 
a star shall come out of Jacob, 
   and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; 
it shall crush the forehead of Moab 
   and break down all the sons of Sheth. 
Edom shall be dispossessed; 
   Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed. 
   Israel is doing valiantly. 
And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion 
   and destroy the survivors of cities!”

A Christmas Carol by Samuel Taylor Coleridge-

The shepherds went their hasty way,
And found the lowly stable-shed
Where the Virgin-Mother lay:
And now they checked their eager tread,
For to the Babe, that at her bosom clung,
A Mother's song the Virgin-Mother sung.
They told her how a glorious light,
Streaming from a heavenly throng.
Around them shone, suspending night!
While sweeter than a mother's song,
Blest Angels heralded the Savior's birth,
Glory to God on high! and Peace on Earth.
She listened to the tale divine,
And closer still the Babe she pressed:
And while she cried, the Babe is mine!
The milk rushed faster to her breast:
Joy rose within her, like a summer's morn;
Peace, Peace on Earth! the Prince of Peace is born.
Thou Mother of the Prince of Peace,
Poor, simple, and of low estate!
That strife should vanish, battle cease,
O why should this thy soul elate?
Sweet Music's loudest note, the Poet's story,
Didst thou ne'er love to hear of fame and glory?
And is not War a youthful king,
A stately Hero clad in mail?
Beneath his footsteps laurels spring;
Him Earth's majestic monarchs hail
Their friends, their playmate! and his bold bright eye
Compels the maiden's love-confessing sigh.
Tell this in some more courtly scene,
To maids and youths in robes of state!
I am a woman poor and mean,
And wherefore is my soul elate.
War is a ruffian, all with guilt defiled,
That from the aged father's tears his child!
A murderous fiend, by fiends adored,
He kills the sire and starves the son;
The husband kills, and from her board
Steals all his widow's toil had won;
Plunders God's world of beauty; rends away
All safety from the night, all comfort from the day.
Then wisely is my soul elate,
That strife should vanish, battle cease:
I'm poor and of low estate,
The Mother of the Prince of Peace.
Joy rises in me, like a summer's morn:
Peace, Peace on Earth! The Prince of Peace is born!



Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhma mhath ur!
Charity

Weekend Fun

I had such a fantastic weekend! I got to spends it with my best friend in NC.  My sister Faith went with me because Hannah is her best friend, so ended up working great because I didn't want to drive by myself :) On Friday, by the time we got there it was time to prepare dinner, so we made pizza for pizza/movie night. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, but wow, nothing beats homemade pizza! And for the movie we watched "Polar Express" a sure Christmas classic. Saturday started early, we were up by 7 am getting ready to go into town. Us girls have started a new tradition whenever we get together and that's going to a Coffee Shop to hang out, talk, and drink coffee. There's a fabulous shop called "Dunkin Grind" that we went to. Then we watched Nate test and get his yellow belt in karate. Congratulations Nate!! After the karate test we were off on an adventure to find the perfect Christmas tree, a mission that was very successful ;) Then we went and got some yummy hot chocolate from a quaint country store called the "Mercantile". And back home. The evening was filled with Dutch Blitz tournaments, family fun, and encouraging conversations. Sunday we went to church, and the pastor talked about Jesus being THE good Shepherd, and what a sweet reminder it was to me to know that as the Good Shepherd, He leads me in the way everlasting. We had lunch with some of the Edmondsons friends and had a great time of fellowship. For the ready of the day we just hung out and chilled, a much needed day of rest! We ended the evening by watching Sherlock Holmes, with Basil Rathbone. And the next morning Faith and I returned home.

Thank you sweet friends for the great time we had with you! Your hospitality was/is much appreciated! I look forward to seeing you much sooner than later. Love you, sweet ladies!

In Christ,
Charity

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Friends!

Happy, happy thanksgiving! I pray that it was truly a day of giving thanks for you!

When thinking about what thanksgiving really means, its not about the turkey, nor about the football games, as fun and meaningful to us they may be, I think its soemthing much deeper, it is a season to echo grace. Here is a post by David Mathias from DesirngGod.org that I think is so true and so appropos for this season:

"Giving thanks is no small thing for the Christian. But far too many of us have the wrong impression. Deep down we may see the summons to thanksgiving as pretty peripheral. Giving thanks — whoop dee doo — What really excites me is ___________.  It is tragic when gratitude seems obscure to the very people who have the most to be thankful for. To sinners forever saved by grace, thanksgiving should be significant. Even central. Healthy Christians are thankful Christians.

Central to Honoring God
In fact, Romans 1:21 shows us that thanksgiving is what we were created for, and it is “at the heart of what it means to be a Christian,” says Tremper Longman. Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:21) There it is. Side by side with honoring God is giving him thanks. Don’t underestimate the centrality of thanksgiving. Gratitude is essential in doing whatever we do to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), and thanklessness is deeply intertwined with what it means to “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This no small thing. So Longman gives us this jarring angle: “The real difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that the former gives thanks to God” (How to Read the Psalms, 144). In A Praying Life, Paul Miller adds some similar reflections about the centrality of thanksgiving for the Christian. While it was thanklessness that was “the first sin to emerge from our ancient rebellion against God’ (Romans 1:21), in our ongoing redemption, it is thanksgiving that “replaces a bitter spirit with a generous one” (89–90). (For a strong couple pages on “Cultivating a Thankful Spirit,” see Miller’s Praying Life, 89-91.) Thanksgiving is important—essential—because the Christian life, from the beginning to end, is a life of extraordinary grace.

Created to Echo Grace
Thanksgiving “exults in grace,” writes John Piper. Gratitude was “created by God to echo grace.” We were created by God to echo his grace, and we’ve been redeemed by Jesus to echo his astounding grace all the more. Piper continues, I exalt gratitude as a central biblical response of the heart to the grace of God. The Bible commands gratitude to God as one of our highest duties. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name” (Psalm 100:4). God says that gratitude honors him: “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me” (Psalm 50:23). (Future Grace, 32) There it is again. Note the close connection between thanksgiving and the massive biblical reality of honoring and glorifying God. Thanksgiving is big time.

Echoing Grace Without Nullifying It
But a danger lurks. The Bible doesn’t have much, if anything, to say about obeying out of gratitude. Giving thanks to God for what he has given to us is precious and essential—and so is trusting him for his ongoing provision in the future. Thanksgiving is beautiful, but it can go bad on us, if we try to give it Faith’s job. There is an impulse in the fallen human—all our hearts—to forget that gratitude is a spontaneous response of joy to receiving something . . . . When we forget this, what happens is that gratitude starts to be misused and distorted as an impulse to pay for the very thing that came to us “gratis” [free]. This terrible moment is the birthplace of the “debtor’s ethic.”  The debtor’s ethic says, “Because you have done something good for me, I feel indebted to do something good for you.” This impulse is not what gratitude was designed to produce. God meant gratitude to be a spontaneous expression of pleasure in the gift and the good will of another. He did not mean it to be an impulse to return favors. If gratitude is twisted into a sense of debt, it gives birth to the debtor’s ethic—and the effect is to nullify grace. (32)

Thanks for the Past, Trust for the Future
Thanksgiving must learn to delegate, and not attempt to do all the work itself. Thanksgiving has an indispensible ally named Faith, and they need to stay in good communication. Gratitude exults in the past benefits of God and says to faith, “Embrace more of these benefits for the future, so that my happy work of looking back on God’s deliverance may continue.” (38) And Faith is eager to respond, “Thank you, Thanksgiving, for sending me your impulses of delight in what God has done. I’ll happily transpose those into faith and keep on trusting him. I’ll keep believing in Jesus for more grace.”

More Grace to Come
May God be pleased to fill us to overflowing with thanksgiving for his amazing graces—the greatest of which is the gift of himself in the person of his Son. And may thanksgiving give rise to great hope that the God who has so richly provided for us to date, will most certainly give us everything we need for our everlasting good—and increase for all eternity in showing us “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).
The grace we’ve seen so far is only a taste of the grace that is to come. Have your thanksgiving ready. There will be much more echoing to enjoy."

Psalm 150-
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!


God we thank You for Your nearness to us this season and for always being with us!!

Forever in Him,
Charity

Decisions or Disciples?

Dear Friends,

For today I am posting a devotional by A.W. Tozer:

"Today we need people who dare to question the status quo and say, "Wait a minute here. Where do you find this in the Bible?" The idea that all you have to do is to accept Christ and you are in is a great mistake. It leaves people with the impression that if they accept Christ they have no fight to fight, no warfare, no job to do and no temptations. They are just in. When you accept Christ rightly as your Lord and Savior you are in, but to be honest, you have just started to fight. People get converted and we do not tell them that they must fight all the way through to heaven because of the spirit of degeneration and the tendency to deteriorate. They must fight, pray through, suffer it out and live in praise and worship, because if they do not they will deteriorate. Read the history of the Christian church if you can keep your faith and keep from weeping."

Acts 17:11-
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

A thought:
Winning people to Christ is one thing and extremely important. Discipling them is another. Teaching them God's Word and how to study it for themselves and apply it to themselves. Have we neglected to disciple?


O Lord, thank You for those whom You have used to disciple me by word and especially by example!


His bondservant,
Charity

Obedience or Independence

Hello dear Friends!
I am alive and doing well. My life has just been quite busy for blogging, but I am back :)

I was really encouraged and challenged by today's devotional in "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, and I wanted to share it with you too. I pray that you will be as challenged and encouraged as I was!

John 14:15-
If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Our Lord never insists on obedience. He stresses very definitely what we ought to do, but He never forces us to do it. We have to obey Him out of a oneness of spirit with Him. That is why whenever our Lord talked about discipleship, He prefaced it with an “If,” meaning, “You do not need to do this unless you desire to do so.” “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . .” (Luke 9:23). In other words, “To be My disciple, let him give up his right to himself to Me.” Our Lord is not talking about our eternal position, but about our being of value to Him in this life here and now. That is why He sounds so stern (see Luke 14:26). Never try to make sense from these words by separating them from the One who spoke them.
The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself. Jesus Christ will not force me to obey Him, but I must. And as soon as I obey Him, I fulfill my spiritual destiny. My personal life may be crowded with small, petty happenings, altogether insignificant. But if I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God. Then, when I stand face to face with God, I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed. When God’s redemption brings a human soul to the point of obedience, it always produces. If I obey Jesus Christ, the redemption of God will flow through me to the lives of others, because behind the deed of obedience is the reality of Almighty God.

He deserves our obedience, friends!

All for Him,
Charity

Tears of the Saints

Dear Friends,

I just saw this video, and oh wow! May our hearts be broken with the things that break the heart of Jesus.  Please watch!

Here I am, Lord, send me!

His bondservant,

Charity

The Consciousness of the Call

Dear Friends,

I was so blessed and encouraged by today's daily devotional from Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest" and wanted to share it with you.
May it bless you too!

1 Corinthians 9:16-
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!


"We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person’s life may come like a clap of thunder or it may dawn gradually. But however quickly or slowly this awareness comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural—something that is inexpressible and produces a “glow.” At any moment the sudden awareness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life may break through—”I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. You are not called to preach the gospel because you are sanctified; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a compulsion that was placed upon him.

If you have ignored, and thereby removed, the great supernatural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances. See where you have put your own ideas of service or your particular abilities ahead of the call of God. Paul said, “. . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” He had become aware of the call of God, and his compulsion to “preach the gospel” was so strong that nothing else was any longer even a competitor for his strength.
If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony."

May we stay close to His heart and never second-guess His calling in/on our life!


His bondservant,
Charity

Obsessed

Dear Friends,

I have just finished reading a wonderful book titled "Crazy Love- Overwhelmed by a Relentless God" by Francis Chan (which I would HIGHLY recommend to everyone who desires to grow in the their faith). It is a culmination of all that God has been teaching me and asking of me these last few months...

So what's with the title of the post? The reason being is, each of us have obsessions, but how much different would we be and how differently would we live our lives if our obsession was Jesus (this I believe is the prime objective of the book)? There was a chapter (ch 8, in particular) that convicted me the most concerning this question...
                                                                                                               

Obsessed: To have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic

Profile of the obsessed-

People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them and who can never love them back.

People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.

People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some war or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to Him. (1 John 2:4-6, Matthew 16:24-26)

Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don't make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth. (Luke 14:25-35, Matthew 7:13-23, 8:18-22, Revelation 3:1-6)

A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be "humble enough", and so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known. (Matthew 5:16)

People who are obsessed with Jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving His people. (Matthew 13:44, John 15:8)

People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world. (James 2:14-26)

A person who is obsessed thinks about heaven frequently. Obsessed people orient their lives around eternity. They are not fixed only on what is here in front of them.

A person who is obsessed is characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being.

People who are obsessed are raw with God. They do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sins or their failures. Obsessed people don't put it on for God. He is their safe place, where they can be at peace.

People who are obsessed with God have an intimate relationship with Him. They are nourished by God's Word throughout the day because they know that 40 minutes on Sunday is not enough to sustain them for a whole week, especially when they will encounter so many distractions and alternative messages.

A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with his or her character than comfort. Obsessed people know that true joy doesn't depend on circumstances or environment. It is a gift that must be chosen and cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God. (James 1:2-4)

A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of his life, continually saying "Thank you!" to God. An obsessed person knows there can never be intimacy if he is always trying to pay God back or work hard enough to be worthy. He revels in his role as child and friend of God.
                                                                                                              

How convicting! This has brought me to my knees, because I can honestly say that this does not define my life. But oh how I wish it would!

May we purpose in our hearts as Daniel did, to not defile ourselves with the tainted things of this world and may Jesus become the obsession of our heart through daily intimate communion with Him. Nothing less will do.


Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord,
Charity

Crazy Love

Oh my dear friends,

My heart is overwhelmed when I think about the way we are relentlessly pursued by our Lover, King Jesus.

Oh God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh faints for You as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory. Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live, in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.
~ Psalm 63: 1-5

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee. I long to be filled with longing, I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, "Rise up My love, My fair one, and come away." Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long."
~ A.W. Tozer

May we fall deeper in love with Jesus,

Charity

John 17:6

What a beautiful and wonderful Lord's day today is! We are alive, breathing, and spending time with our Saviour...nothing beats that :)

As many of you know, my hearts desire is to be a missionary once I have completed my training to be a  Physical Therapist Assistant, well, there is one organization that encourages me to pursue my missionary calling and it is Travel the Road, and here is something from their website that really encouraged me today...I guess it is my missionary heart, but I pray that this blesses you as well:

"A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). To say, “I am not my own,” is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The true nature of that life in actual everyday confusion is evidenced by the deliberate giving up of myself to another Person through a sovereign decision, and that Person is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit interprets and explains the nature of Jesus to me to make me one with my Lord, not that I might simply become a trophy for His showcase. Our Lord never sent any of His disciples out on the basis of what He had done for them. It was not until after the resurrection, when the disciples had perceived through the power of the Holy Spirit who Jesus really was, that He said, “Go” (Matthew 28:19; also see Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8). If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). He was not saying that this person cannot be good and upright, but that he cannot be someone over whom Jesus can write the word Mine. Any one of the relationships our Lord mentions in this verse can compete with our relationship with Him. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself, but if that is the case, then, Jesus said, “[You] cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be entirely His. Our Lord makes His disciple His very own possession, becoming responsible for him. “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). The desire that comes into a disciple is not one of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The missionary’s secret is truly being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.”



Be entirely His!
Charity

Another Graduation, therefore Congratulations are in Order!

Well, as you know, Joshua graduated from army basic training in July, his twin brother (but yes of course, my dear brother too) Jacob has graduated as well! After a very trying and grueling 9 weeks, he has come through, and we are extremely proud of him! Poor thing, for a while he was on crutches, because of various things, but I love how his spirit stayed strong to the end and that he has finally made it. So now he is stationed at Fort Leonardwood in Missouri. Just continue to keep him in your prayers.

Much love in Christ,
Charity