Week 47 --- Luke 1:5-7

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.


I love the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. It might be up there as one of my favorites in all of scripture. The story goes that Zechariah got to go to the temple for his yearly duties as a priest. While he was there, his name was drawn out of a hat (or whatever they drew names out of back then) that signified that he got to go into a sacred place and light incense. This was his once in a lifetime chance to do this.


Back to the scripture above, where it all starts, we learn that both Zechariah and Elizabeth are good people. They try to do what's right. They observe the Lord's commands --- and at this point they would have been observing Old Testament laws, which would keep a person pretty busy trying to keep up with--- but even with their desire to do things right, they didn't have any children and this was a huge problem.


My favorite part of the scripture is just after the verses above when Zechariah is in the temple.


¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”


I read somewhere that when Zechariah went in to light the incense he would have without a doubt prayed for the coming of the Messiah. It had been like 800 years since God had spoken to them, and they anxiously prayed and awaited his return. So this is where the story starts to really touch my heart, because I think that when Zechariah had his one chance, his one opportunity in his lifetime to pray in the temple, he was praying for Elizabeth. I don't think he even knew what to pray for her, but he knew that she had tried to do everything right and life still just hadn't worked out for her.


The story goes on to tell us that Elizabeth, who's like 80, gets pregnant and has a son. John the Baptist. After a lifetime of difficulty, God provided. I love that Zechariah's name means "the Lord remembers"


The point that hits home for me with this story is that nothings happened naturally for Zechariah and Elizabeth. While all their friends are having kids, they can't. While all their friends are having grandchilren, it's still just the two of them. I can relate with people that don't come by things naturally. And I'm not saying I have it rough, I'm just saying that if there's a difficult or hard way to do something I usually pick that, and even outside of my own decisions, I don't generally fall into great situations naturally.


But that's where it gets really cool. Since life doesn't happen naturally for these guys, they get the unbelievable and uncomparable opportunity to be a part of God providing for them supernaturally. Does that make sense? God will provide. The Lord remembers. In a life of situations that feel hard and unfair, the Lord remembers.


I've been thinking about this a lot this Christmas season. I keep hearing the song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and there's a certain line that I can't shake.


Next year all our troubles will be miles away...


I can't stop thinking about the people that are going through this Christmas, just hoping that next year will be a little easier. If you are one of these people, I love you. And the Lord remembers you too. My sweet single friends that know what it feels like to fall asleep alone on Christmas night, or make the humbling drive home to the family events alone. The girl that works for me that didn't know her family member that just got out of jail will be attending family Christmas this year. People that just need to put a little more distance between this year and the hard memories that are still painful to think about. The Lord Remembers. I can't promise you that next year will be better, but I can promise you He'll never forget you and how you're feeling this Christmas.


Through a random random twist of fate (or possibly Jesus lining up exactly the moment I needed this Christmas) I found myself chatting with the family of the President of Columbia's second in command secret service officer. Random huh? They brought a traditional dessert that I've had a few times in Mexico and it always makes me smile.

Apparently there's a song in Hispanic Folklore that says something like, "Rice with Milk ... I want to marry a man that can sing...." LOL! Serve it up... :)

 My dad has begun a ministry that reaches out to International Students, and Columbia has an exchange program with the university in Kearney where they send a lot of their police officers and intelligence personnel to help them learn English. We invited this non-English speaking family to our house for Christmas Eve lunch --- there family of 4 was excited to have another brother and sister visiting from Columbia for the holidays, so we had Mom, Dad, 2 kids and the brother and sister of the mom with us. They had two little girls and we tried to keep them entertained while the adults talked.

I was sitting on the floor with the kids and their mom and we tried our best to communicate through her broken english and my limited spanish. I asked about her family in Columbia and what they would be doing for the holidays. She told me that they would not be able to come visit because they had already used the visas available to them to come to the US earlier that year. She shared with me that her sister had died 5 months ago due to an infection she developed during her pregnancy.  She pointed over to the woman at the table and she told me that it was much harder for her because she was her twin sister and today was their birthday. In my best spanish I told her that I am praying for her today.

We got the little girls together in the kitchen to put a little "sopreza" together for the birthday we didn't know about --- and by sopreza I mean sticking 3 birthday candles in a christmas cookie and singing as we carried it out. As we finished the song, the tears flowed.

Celebrating your first birthday without your twin sister on Christmas Eve in a faraway country? I need to know that the Lord Remembers us in these moments.


When her sister was telling me this story she could not stop herself from saying "but our God is very big" and "we have strong God". She's the one on the end here...

And I think I can see the peace on her face. Next year all our troubles will be far away? Who knows. But if in the midst of a painful painful year, I could speak as confidently as she did (in a second language) that God provides.... I think that's the experience of a lifetime.

I have loved thinking about Zechariah and Elizabeth throughout the busy holiday season. I tend to feel pretty sorry for myself around Christmas, but their story has been a constant reminder that God provides. That even if things don't come about naturally, that just means that God has an opportunity to intervene supernaturally. I also love her name.... cause it's my name too :) If I could share in even just a tiny fraction of her faith and legacy through our common name, what a blessed woman I would be.

It's getting late on Christmas Eve and my eyes are starting to close on their own. I hope you do have yourself a merry little Christmas. I hope faithful friends who are dear to you, gather near to you, once more. :) Have a wonderful day friends!! Hope to see you all soon!

Beth

Week 46 --- Colossians 3:12-14

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.


I'm spending quite a bit of time with clothes these days.

So......Illustrations of wardrobes and garments ring so true to me. I get it. Isn't it interesting that the God of the universe can speak in ways that our simple minds can understand??


I have this dress that I bought a few years ago. It was way too expensive and way to extravagant, but when I put that thing on I felt like a million bucks. So I bought it. I now am constantly on the look out for outtings or events that would necessitate such a fancy thing, and I rarely come up with anything, but boy when I do, look out.


I wore the dress on my 25th birthday I think. Maybe 26? No I think it was 25. Anyway, I put it on and stood in front of the mirror and it occurred to me that this just might be the best I'll ever look. Which I know sounds morbid, but I felt great about my figure, I loved the dress, I was tan and my hair was even cooperating. I understand that as you get older it's harder to stay in shape the way you want, which I'm figuring out all too quickly, so I just had this content acceptance of enjoying how I looked on that day.

I can't believe this is the best picture I have of the dress that night?! You can't even see my beautiful dress. You can see the cutie snow-boarder I was in love with at the time ... :)


Love is the garment that fits. It's all-purpose and brings out our best. It's that thing that you wear that you feel good in. Now, I am also aware that sometimes love does not feel great or fit well at all, but this scripture tells us to never be without it. I think love is the thing that when you put it on you know it's for something special. There's value and worth in wearing love.


I work in a job where I watch women stand in front of a mirror and just beg for someone to tell them they look good. Fishing for compliments for someone to notice them. Staring at themselves just trying to tolerate whats looking back at them. It's hard to see some days. God love em, sometimes they bring a husband or boyfriend along to just stand there and be miserable and I have to wonder if these men are being punished for something? I know nothing about relationship dynamics, but I know I'm not going to ask a poor guy if these jeans look like they'll stretch and if he could please go find another pair for me in a 4 tall in a huge store of 800 jeans that all look the same to him. LOL. It's people watching at its best.


What we wear is unfortunately such a big big deal to us. Which is why it's so interesting to me that God uses the illustration of putting on love like a garment.


I had a difficult conversation with a friend the other day. We hadn't spoken in awhile and I had some things I just needed to let go. I walked away from the restaurant and sat in my car and thought to myself --- man, forgiveness feels good. I know forgiveness is hard, and it feels like giving in sometimes, and you wonder if people will think less of you because this person wronged you and maybe you're just caving. But God forgave me of so so much. And I think he asks us to extend that to others. Even when it doesn't make sense.


I look hott in my forgiveness outfit. (oh yes, that was hott with two t's) It fits. :)


With that same train of thought, if forgiveness is something that feels good on my shoulders, and flatters everything, then bitterness is like pants that are way too tight. They cut you in half and make you just want to die anytime you sit down. That's what it feels like. Its probably making you more miserable than anyone else.

I'm not really sure what dressing in compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, and discipline looks like, but I'm interested in figuring it out. I really like this scripture. I like that it starts out talking about your new life. I like that with Jesus, everyday is our new life. That means a daily opportunity to wake up and put an outfit together that says something about us. Sometimes I reason in my mind that I cannot go to work today because I have nothing to wear. Please please do not miss out on this life God has brought you to because you think you have none of the above listed things to wear. This verse tells us that God picked out this wardrobe for us. He'll help us get there. Phew. :)

Week 45 --- Mark 10:51-52

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Lord, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

First of all, I have been living in a world where we hold hands and pray for someone to have restored sight, much like this scripture. My mom has had lots of trouble with her eyes, and this has brought about several surgeries over the years. This past month they discovered a hole in her retina which was causing her to not see things clearly. To correct this they inject a nitrogen gas bubble into her eye, and then she lays face down for 14 days so that the gas bubble will "float" to the back of her eye and apply pressure to the surface, pushing the hole closed. It is a patience-requiring, pride-swallowing, uncomfortable siege towards healing.

Sometimes when God asks us to walk by faith and not by sight, he really really means he wants you to walk by faith and not by sight. Isn't it so wildly amazing and crazy that I asked the same man to restore my mom's sight, as Bartimaeus did in that verse???? I know that's pretty much the basis of our belief in the Bible as truth, but I still think it's pretty amazing that the same God that gave Esther strength, and Bartimaeus faith and Bathsheba forgiveness is the same God that gives me strength and forgiveness and hope. Crazy.

 It seems to me that anytime blindness is mentioned in the Bible, it's always an opportunity for Jesus to perform a miracle. It's sole purpose in being mentioned is to set the scene for God to be glorified. What other obstacles look like that in our lives? The only reason I'm going through this is to set the scene for God to show up and receive the honor for making things right. Hmmmmmm.

All of the equipment that my mom rented to get through this process came from a company who's slogan is "Face Down for a Brighter Tomorrow"... Implying the journey of being face down is providing healing and hope for better eye sight in the future.  

Face down for a brighter tomorrow... I've been struggling a lot lately with believing in the goodness of God. It sounds so awful to even say it out loud. I realized I had a problem when a friend was driving in bad weather on icy roads and asked me to pray for her. I said yes, but in my mind I thought I am the last person you want to ask to pray for something. God will probably teach me about patience or strength by letting something happen to you. I just had this awful feeling that God is not going to do what I ask, He's going to find the hardest way possible for me to learn something. Which is not bad, but it's not fun either.

Once I pinpointed these thoughts going through my head it just broke my heart. And I'm sure it was a slap in the face to God too. But it's how I really felt. I shared with a few friends that I'm tired of finding the silver lining, of looking for the good in the crappy --- I would just like something genuinely and simply good to happen. Not even something big, just something good! I'm still praying through a lot of this. There are so many scriptures that talk about the goodness of God, and a lot of times His goodness is mentioned with His mercy. Not diving into that yet :) Still thinking about it...

So face down to a brighter tomorrow. Goodness of God. Lots of rambling tonight. But I think it might all be related. And this may have all come together for me at a little outting I like to call The Concert Event of a Lifetime.

Oh yes. The Judds Farewell Encore Tour. Not to be confused with The Judds Final tour that occurred 15 years ago. My mom said it best-- that this was "A Once, no Twice in a lifetime opportunity. And we were there both times" She took me to that first tour when I was a kid and it was the first time I'd ever been to a "real concert" :)

As we walked in and started taking pictures with our 'awesome' t-shirt and waited for the show to start I had this feeling of goodness come over me. When the music started I could not help but smile. And I fully and completely understand how lame and random this love of the Judds is --- much like my secret love for this show --- however I just need to own it. My face hurt from smiling so much. That's the best kind of goodness I think.

We put this outting on the calendar so Mom would have something to look forward to after being face down. Even though we had to go through something to get to this point I think it still counts as something good. Maybe making it even more sweeter. To come through something and stand on the other side of it knowing that God's strength and protection helped you get there --- I think that's a taste of His goodness.

So you know that I stood with the entire audience, and you know that I put my hands up in the air, because when they sing Love Can Build a Bridge, you really believe it! And as I stood with my Mom giving each other looks back and forth because we just knew they would end the show with this and we just knew it would be spectacular --- I had this feeling of thankfulness and goodness that this week we're standing here together when the last time I saw her she was still face down, hoping for a brighter tomorrow.

Propping up your awesome Cowboy boots on the empty seat in front of you? Icing on the cake. ;)

The second part I love about this verse is Jesus' question at the beginning.

What do you want me to do for you?

I've been trying to pray whenever the thought enters my head--- that God I want to see your goodness. I want to experience things that leave me know doubt in my mind that you want good things for me. What can you do for me? You can give me the strength to remain confident in that--- even when I don't feel it. You can give me hope to tell others of the goodness I've experienced --- even if I don't fully understand it.

Looking forward to sharing some thoughts on Christmas in the coming weeks! Hope you all are doing well! Beth

Week 44 --- Jeremiah 5:22-25

Should you not fear me?” declares the LORD.
“Should you not tremble in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
they have turned aside and gone away.
They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear the LORD our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’
Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.



How are you with boundaries?


I was at the Gulf of Mexico a few weeks ago and my first instinct is to be impressed by the beauty and size of the water, but maybe the truly amazing part was the sand under my feet.

The water may be amazing, but the sand creates the boundary of how far the water can go.

So much of scripture gives us examples of boundaries. Things we should or shouldn't do. Man, even the first instructions God gave Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden --- you can have all this, just don't cross this boundary with this tree. And they did it. And we do it. All the time. What the heck.

I feel a twinge of guilt in reading this scripture this week. The line about their stubborn and rebellious hearts might be about me. I am quick to push the line and take things to where I think they should go, not where God has guided and directed me.

Are you the kind of person that parks on the side of the red line that you are supposed to?? It's a simple rule .... a very simple boundary....

What if you're wearing your favorite peep-toe shoes in the newly freezing winter weather? And the red line is this far away....



I don't like rules! Especially ones that inconvenience me. In fact, in this instance I parked illegally until I had received the maximum amount of warnings and the next step was getting towed --- and I will now follow your little rule. Turns out rules that result in $200 towing fees grab my attention a little quicker I guess.

I think the boundaries God creates for us are undoubtedly designed for our good. He wants what is absolutely best for us. And I'm pretty sure it's so painfully obvious to Him, that it's got to be frustrating when we don't follow His direction.

There is this trash compactor at work. I put cardboard in this thing like once a week, so we spend some time together. For those unfamiliar with this process, the place where the stickers are is a door that opens and you put your boxes or cardboard pieces in, and then a huge metal "crushing mechanism" squeezes it all together into compacted trash.

Here's the thing that interests me. On the front of this contraption is a sign that says Do Not Enter. There used to be a sign that said "Do not climb in the hopper"

There is not a darn thing that would make me climb into a trash compactor. It's so obvious. The sign seems so funny to me in that there's a need to even say it?? Do not climb into a big metal piece of machinery that's sole job is to crush things. Check. Not climbing in.

But that's how I think the sins that are boundaries that we push have got to look to God. Do not climb in the trash compactor ----  do not have sex, do not try to control everything, do not cling to the things of this world -- they're all boundaries, but we push them. God says a clear and powerful no. And we give a long list of whiney excuses of why it's ok for us.

Do you drive the speed limit? Probably not. We've determined that the socially acceptable policy is to go about 4 mph over. When we approach the speed limit we don't say to ourselves to slow down and keep it well below the directed speed, just so we can be sure we don't cross it. We fly past it and justify why it's ok, because we're just a little bit over.

I do have that stubborn and rebellious nature that the verse talks about. It's not my first instinct to fall in line and follow rules. I challenge them and break them, and then look around in confusion as things don't work out perfectly.

There's good news though. There always is with Jesus.

Life on the sand is pretty great. The balance of living the life God wants for you, a life of free will with the guide of his boundaries and direction, is perfect. It's what He wants for us. The end of this verse tells us "He gives autumn and spring rains in season and assures us of the regular weeks of harvest" He takes care of us. He provides for us. His guidance is good and his boundaries are for our benefit. In Matthew 11:30 he tells us "For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” God that I would respect and submit to the times that you tell me no. That I would not question, but that I would trust.

The whole time I've been writing about God's boundaries and the times that God says no, I have been giddy excited and just rushing to get to the part where God says yes. Can you feel the chills? There is so much he says Yes to for us.

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

I heard a speaker say one time that all of God's anwers are Yes and Amen in Jesus. It makes me smile.

God forgive me. Yes and Amen!
God teach me. Yes and Amen!
God create in me a clean heart. Yes and Amen!
God use me for your purpose. Yes and Amen!
God be patient with me. Yes and Amen!
God I don't know how to love like you, help me. Yes and Amen!

See where I'm going??? It's great! Seek after His purpose, His guidance, His direction, His will and the anwers are always Yes and Amen! (In my mind, the Yes and Amen is shouted and resounding. It's a victory. It's not just mumbled, it's an exciting thing.) :) :) 

Oh friends, this got long. Thank you for reading my thoughts. I love you all and appreciate your encouragement in my life. 

Beth 

Week 43 --- Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I've been studying with an amazing group of ladies for a few weeks now, and we have been wading through task of addressing our thoughts. And I'm not talking about what we think about current events, or what we think about issues and debates --- we have been trying to figure out what our thoughts look like towards ourselves. What do you say to yourself on your bad days? What do you think about when you're feeling like you can't do anything right? We're learning that the things we think about --- and the way we speak to ourselves is incredibly important.

I started this journey of figuring out how I talk to myself a few summers ago. I was meeting with two great friends and we were desperately trying to figure out what this study meant for our lives. I remember the study prompting us to figure out 3 lies that we tell ourselves. Now these women that I was meeting with are two of the strongest, kindest, bravest, God-chasing, wonderful women I have ever met, and in an honest moment all three of us shared that we think we are not good enough. Uggggggg. Just typing it hurts my heart. In that moment I was so confused, because I knew that I was pretty sure that I was not good enough, but how could they feel that way too? It turns out a lot of us feel this way. I struggled with not feeling good enough to do ministry, not good enough to be taken seriously, not good enough to be loved.....the list could go on and on ---- but there is truth that shines the light on everything I just said and that is that it's all lies. But isn't that alarming that the way we think about ourselves so easily falls towards the negative?? I think tacking the word "enough" on the end of something is the perfectionists perfect storm. It's pretty, but it's not pretty enough. It was a nice evening, but it wasn't nice enough. They should like this gift, but is it thoughtful enough? See where I'm going? We could exhaust ourselves permanently just worrying about the "enough". Here's some good news. Jesus never asked us for perfection, our love for Him and our desire to be with Him is what gives us value.

We have some opportunities to get our thoughts in line with this truth. That's what we are trying to figure out in the bible study I'm in now, and I think part of the conclusion we've come to is keeping our minds sharp. One idea we had was to memorize the verse that I've posted this week. The Bible gives us a list of things that are helpful to think about. Who doesn't appreciate the simplicity of a list???? Thank you! Just tell me exactly what to think about. Love it. 

I'm still working on memorizing it completely ---- but I have a pretty good grasp of what the words are that I'm supposed to be thinking about. I don't do them in the right order, but I've been trying to think about an example of each thing when I'm stressed or nervous or dwelling on something that I have no business thinking about or worrying in general. I'm taking those thoughts captive by replacing them with things from this list.

Something that is True:

Jesus loves me. He thinks that I am worth it. He took a risk on me, and would do it again and again. He loves me without make-up, when I'm an insecure blubbering mess, when I'm stubborn and mean, and when I'm terrified and lost. It's true. And that's something to think about.

Something that is Noble:

Hahaha so I know I have probably overstated my love for Robin Hood --- but on my vacation last week this movie happened to be playing off and on on TV throughout the trip. It was like a little gift. :) I've always been a sucker for chivalry. A man fighting for what's right. A man fighting to defend me. That is noble and honorable. There's a scripture that talks about how Jesus lives to intercede for us. He LIVES to step in and fight for me. That is a noble thought. It also challenges me to look for noble characteristics in men around me. Men that are respectful, kind and acting with integrity. All noble thoughts.

Something that is Right:

Something that is right --- I struggled with this one. When I think of right, I think of fair -- and then my thoughts go straight to how ridiculously unfair life can be --- see how quickly I jump to the negative?? yikes. Something right is knowing what the right thing to do is, and doing it. It might not be popular or widely accepted, but doing the right thing, is a good thing. I also think of how fearfully and wonderfully made we are and how Christ makes us "right" simply by loving us. We are unique and special by His redeeming love -- there's a certain rightness to our wrongness if you know what I mean? :)

Something that is Pure:

"...as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."  The East to the West is incredibly far. :) I was so struck by that when looking out at the horizon and not being able to see where it ends. That's how high and deep and wide and huge his love is for us. He takes our trangressions (which are the sins that we knew better, and did them anyway) and separates us from them as far as the east is from the west. He is what makes us pure. Purity. A good thing to think about. 


Something that is Lovely:

Time spent with a friend. It's just lovely. Time spent away relaxing and recuperating. A calm before the craziness of the holidays. It's wonderful. Also Chik-fil-A waffle fries and Diet coke on the beach are pretty great too. :)

Something that is Admirable:

The single life is hard my friends. And I am so thankful for my friend Lindsey that I have to go through this with --- it's good to have someone that understands the hard parts.  It's incredibly lonely, it's pride-swallowing, it's self-doubting, it's heart-breaking ---- but dressing up and looking amazing and holding your head high on your 30th birthday as a fully-loved and blessed woman --- that's admirable. Love you Lindsey.

Something that is Excellent:

A really good book. I love TV and movies and internet as much as the next person. But a book that you can't put down.....ahhhhhhhh.... it's great. Maybe even excellent. These books are particularly fun --- the middle picture is an awful look for me, but I'm trying to convey the suspense I'm feeling while reading these page-turners!

Something that is Praiseworthy:

He knew I'd be standing on the beach at this moment on this day. I think Jesus puts things in our paths to catch our attention to see if he can get us to smile. He is so good to us and so worthy of our praise.

Do you want to play along??? If you're struggling with your thought life or want a challenge, add a few of your good thoughts to this post. Don't feel like you have to do all the words listed, but it's kind of fun to think of examples of the things that scripture tells us to think about.

Hope everyone is having a good week!!! Beth

Week 42 --- Ephesians 4:29

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

Week 41 --- Hebrews 6:19-20

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf."

this is from my Florida Beach trip--- more pictures to comes soon :) :)

I can't ignore the hope that keeps coming up in my life. In fact, 2009 was my year of hope. It guided me through a crazy crazy year. Let me give you a little tour.... 

It all started with Luke 24:20 ---^"The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel."

Does that just hit your heart?? "but we had hoped" ... how many times do we hope for things that don't work out the way we planned? I got this new job, and I had really hoped it would change things.... I had hoped this relationship would be better.... I had hoped you'd change your mind.... It's such a cycle, we put our hope in things on earth that have no power to heal or help us. I listened to a man speak on this passage and he absolutely changed my way of thinking. He said that we all think of hope as being something very future-based. We're looking forward, which me might call hopeful. Or we're hoping for good things to come. Here's where is gets amazing --- he challenged us to think of hope as something that's already happened, which is more something in our pasts. Not that hope doesn't influence our future too, but if hope is something that has already happened, that takes the pressure off the cycles of hope and dissappointment we get ourselves into. Our hope is in Jesus who died on the cross to save us from our sins, that hope is permanent and unchanging, it has happened and with that as our past, nothing can shake us.

The full message is amazing, and if you are in a place where you feel a little hopeless, take the 30 minutes to listen to this:

(still trying to get the link to post ... check back for this soon!)

2009 continued on after I redefined my idea of hope and I found myself in the Appalachian mountains working with some students in the poorer areas of the state of Kentucky. I was helping one of the students put together a devotional thought to share and we were talking about hope. We were sitting in a kitchen area with lots of people coming and going, we were asking others what they thought about hope and if there were any ideas or scriptures that really spoke to them. The man that runs the mission there (Hi Kevin!) had walked through earlier and we had asked him these same questions... he came back a little later and confidently told us "and hope does not dissappoint" Romans 5.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us,

Romans 5 is now one of my absolute favorite passages of scripture and I could read that whole chapter everyday just to remind myself of what Jesus has done for us and what he wants to do for us. I kind of named the blog after that chapter in fact.

So I know that hope is something that I have in Jesus, and I know that his word tells me that His hope will never dissappoint me. Aren't we all looking for something to cling to that will never disappoint us?? Hope. Hope in Jesus. Hope because of Jesus.

So this year I'm reading through some past Bible studies I have done and I come accross a lesson on the Tabernacle of all things. The Tabernacle from the Old Testament is often one of those scripture passages that we skip over, it's hard to understand and there's so many details that we just don't get. I have discovered that the Tabernacle in summary is a picture of God's incredible desire to be with us -- it was constructed so that the Israelites would have a place where God could dwell.

Well so many New Testament scriptures tie to this and that is where I find my verse this week.

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf."

The author spoke to the connection that there is between hope and soul. She challenged that when we really feel sick, right down to our very souls, it's most often because we find ourselves feeling hopeless. I've been thinking about this and I really believe its true.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul

Mind -- Makes me think of loving God with my thoughts, how I think, my intellect, my reasoning. (This one is the hardest for me...)

Heart -- Makes me think of feelings, it's a choice to love, but loving with your heart is an emotional thing for me, it's a protective, secure and affectionate feeling toward God.

Soul -- Here's where I'm not as sure. I think loving the Lord your God with all your soul has to do with belief. Do you believe that was He says is true? Do you believe God? More than just having a belief of Him? I think our belief that He is who He says He is provides a great amount of hope. I defenitely think hope and soul are closely tied.

I'm spending some time at the ocean this weekend. And let me just tell you, the waves never stop. Aren't we all looking for an anchor, firm and secure, that is constant throughout never-ending waves? I don't foresee life suddenly getting easier and free of white-capped waves, so the solution is finding the anchor.

Let these verses just wash over you and see if you find a little hope for your soul... :)

Psalms 42:5

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Psalms 62:5

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

my hope comes from him.

Psalms 119:81

My soul faints with longing for your salvation,

but I have put my hope in your word.

 

Psalms 130:5

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

And in His word I do hope.

Proverbs 24:14

In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul.

If you find it, you will have a bright future,

and your hopes will not be cut short.

Hebrews 6:19

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us...

Week 40 --- Proverbs 19:20-21

Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a woman's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

Listen to advice and accept instruction.....why is that so difficult?!?

When I read this verse I'm really challenged by the "many are the plans in a woman's heart" ---- and wondering why scripture doesn't just come right out and say "beth, why don't you stop trying to control and plan everything" I think the hard part of this is that it's hard for me to picture what life looks like when I give up control. I listened to a fantastic lesson on this by Andy Stanley called "The Best Question Ever" if you're looking for a little mid-week pick-me-up teaching :)

(If you like that clip, you can find the whole series on a free itunes podcast -- it was life changing for me)

But back to the issue of control. I've been thinking a lot lately about the my issues of pride. I was telling a friend about my thoughts on pride, and I said that I think all sins might be traced back to pride -- which apparently other people have already noticed, haha "pride is the root of all evil" etc. So my thoughts were not new or ground-breaking, but at least they are starting to get really real to me.

I was so blessed this past week. Sitting in a group of Christian women, as people really start to open their hearts to each other. I think when someone shares a truth and is fully expecting stones to be thrown at them, and instead receives understanding and grace and love -- man, we're gaining some ground there. And by we I mean us and Jesus. Praise him!

The life that God asks us to seek after is one that trusts that His purpose will prevail. His purpose. Just let that weight come up off your shoulders. You do not have to run the show. You are not responsible for keeping everyone happy. You are not able to save yourself, even if you try. His purpose is that we would love Jesus and live a life that makes other people want to know him more too. All this time and energy we spend on stuff that just makes us feel more drained and more empty at the end of the day -- can you just let it go???

Less pride. More purpose. :)

Week 39 --- Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

I think I've mentioned I'm a student of anxiety....it's something that just plagued me for the longest time. I think it was fed by insecurity, fear, and hopelessness but wherever it came from it got to me for a long time. I've decided that anxiety is just part of a train, so go with me -- I think it looks like this:

What if? --> Anxiety --> Fear --> Dread ---> Miserable Beth

I start with a 'what if' situation or even just a nervousness about something. I allow myself to consider all the possible things that could go wrong. All the possible things that could happen and hurt through any given situation. I base none of this on fact, I base it on what if.

This leads to anxiety, and praise Jesus, this is where I recognize it now, and stomp my feet [i'll explain this in a bit :)]. If we are walking with the Lord, this is where we give Him our unknowns, and if His spirit prompts us to really be at unrest about something, we can take action on that. But usually for me it's my insecurity about work, or about relationships, or about a conversation, and not something that has any reason to give me anxiousness. I read a book a few years ago called "Calm my Anxious Heart" and now that I think about it I'm going to dig it out and review it again.... a part that stuck out to me was her illustration about what to do when anxiety "flares up" She was traveling by secret train, alone in a foreign country to meet with Christians that were experiencing religious persecution to lead a bible study. She revealed that she had felt quite a bit of anxiety in those moments....you think????? I remember reading that thinking, Lady, my anxiety is different than your anxiety. I'm needing to know what to do with the feelings I have on an every other day basis...what if I don't have enough money....what if no one ever wants me.... I'm not traveling by secret train in the dark of night...I'm just trying to get through my very normal day. If anxiety is unchecked it just gets worse.

And this brings us to fear. I think once we allow ourselves to consider all the terrible options, and even let those feelings start to overwhelm us it brings us to a point of legitimate fear. This is where it starts to interfere with really leading the life that God wants for us. Do you know that in scripture it tells us more than anything else "do not fear" or "do not be afraid" or "fear not". More than it tells us to love or to trust it tells us not to be afraid. That's big. It's like Jesus knew we would encounter this :)

Dread is the final stop of the train. This is where I have convinced myself that my notions and nervousness, my moments of heart-beating faster concern, my fears of whatever --- I now believe it -- and I'm just waiting for it to happen. Can you hear the misery in that?? Friends this is no way to live. Get off the train!!

I mentioned that I stomp my feet when I get anxious and let me tell you why -- I have a verse that I say anytime I feel even the slightest bit of worry. I fully believe saying it out loud gives it even more power and usually this is enough to settle my soul. If in fact I still feel anxious, I stomp my feet and say the verse out loud. It says in the Bible that the God of peace will soon crush Satan underneath our feet -- I believe that anxiety and worry come straight from Satan and he uses them to mess with our minds --- and I tell him that he is under my feet! That he's not going to get me on this one! I stomp out of frustration and I take it out on the devil, and it works!!

I had an evening of worry and anxiety come out of nowhere a few months ago and my best friend called me in the middle of it. I was crying and inconsolable. I told her I'd been marching back and forth in my little apartment saying scripture aloud and stomping my feet. I'm sure I appeared crazy to anyone who would have seen me, but friends I have victory in Jesus over anxiety and worry! Who cares what it looks like!? :)

Search my heart and know my anxious thoughts. God, help me know the root of why I'm worried about something. Test me. Help me. I like that this verse implies that anxiety is offensive. It is, isn't it?? :) I think that if the train that starts with worry and anxiety and ends up at dread is going one way, the exact opposite direction is headed towards a life everlasting. He'll lead us there. Search my heart God, know my struggles, help me get where you want me to go.

Week 38 --- 1 Timothy 1:15

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."


Haha -- do you find yourself needing unlimited patience as much as I do??


What an encouraging thought -- that even in our most challenging moments, not only does Christ forgive and heal and love us -- but he uses it as an example to others of His unlimited patience. Oh if my failures would be used for someone to see Jesus' mercy--- I think I start to see his redeeming power through that.


I had never heard this verse before. I was at a church in Virginia a few weeks ago and the pastor taught on several meaningful verses, but this is the one I walked away with. Paul thought he was the worst of sinners -- which is funny, because I thought I had that competition pretty much wrapped up for the worst sinner. "But for that very reason, I was shown mercy" -- does that just make you love Him even more? We look at our failures and say we are a lost cause, He looks at our shortcomings and sees an opportunity to show his incredible mercy. We tell ourselves we aren't good enough, He looks at us and patiently shows us He loves us. 


Found some oldies but goodies on my camera this last week --- look at this family! Don't you just love em? This is at a dive restaurant somewhere between my parent's house and the State Fair. We had not considered how many small town businesses shut down on Sundays, and this was literally one of the only places open.

Mom and I rockin out at the Martina McBride concert :)

Week 37 --- Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The phrase in this verse "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith" is one of my go-to verses. Someone once challenged me to picture Jesus above me, holding my face in both of his hands saying 'just keep looking at me' -- 'don't look at what they're doing or listen to what they're saying' -- 'just keep looking at me'. Anytime I'm stressed about things that are happening in my life, I think about the verse and fixing my eyes right on Jesus.

I was so encouraged when I went to look up the exact reference for this verse, because it also includes the phrase about being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. And let me tell you, I have a great cloud of witnesses. I think that scripture is probably referring to the angels and christians that have gone before us in this statement, but I think it can also mean the friends and support we find around us on any given day.

Last month, I did something that was so hard for me, but with the shared strength of my friends rallying around me, it wasn't as scary. I needed to have a difficult conversation with someone. I had a friend praying in the parking lot of the place it would occur in the next day. I had another friend pick me up and drive me there and pray with me before I went it. I had yet another friend pick right up afterwards and pray guarding thoughts for my mind in the hours after I was done. So many people just surrounding me with love and support --- kinda makes you feel like you can throw off everything that hinders you and run with perseverance huh? :) 

I've been thinking about our cloud of witnesses a lot lately. I think if we don't find ourselves in the middle of this, we should drop everything and find one. We are designed to need one another and I'm pretty sure Satan could not be any happier than when he finds us off on our own -- isolated--- and without a cloud of witnesses surrounding us. I know I am most vulnerable when I'm left to my own thoughts and to be honest, pity, sometimes. Ugggg. Just some thoughts. 

I recently went on a little East coast adventure :) Here are some highlights ... 

If you are going to get yourself up at the crack of dawn to catch a flight, it is so darn wonderful to have something to look forward to during your travels. My "something to look forward to" is Caribou Coffee at Minneapolis International and an ipod full of Dr. Quin episodes. Perfection I tell you. :)

 

Francine Rivers. You stayed away so long!! Carrying this 20 pound book around in my purse may have given my back permanent trauma, but it was so worth it to have a page-turner to look forward to for my down time.

First stop in the south. Chik-fil-A. Milkshake and Waffle fries. :)

 

This is my friend Jeanne and her daughter Jessica. We are very much like modern day pen pals and don't get to see each other very often. Part of my trip was visiting her and her family and seeing their new home and catching up. Such a blessing! Shared experiences and digging through life to find grace--- we have so much in common and I'm so thankful for this friendship that came from such an unlikely place. It's that cloud of witnesses again and I am so thankful!

 

"Chocolate Drink" Not milk, drink. HAHA --I'd never tried Yoohoo. Lot's of firsts on this trip :)

 

Sitting on the beach with my book, ipod, diet coke and sour gummy worms. Such a great day -- the clouds rolling in messed with my plans a little bit, but still a wonderful time to listen to the waves and relax.

 

Spending time with my Dad. He was working for quite a bit of the time we were out there, but our windshield time in the car was so great. Dreaming about life and ministry. It almost breaks my heart how much my dad loves me. We drove for an hour to eat breakfast by the ocean and he had been looking forward to that for several days. When we got to the little cafe he insisted I sit on the side of the table that looked over the water, even though he'd been the most excited about eating on the beach. He's so good to me.

 

While I was away, I missed a very special day for another very special person in my cloud of witnesses. My friend Autumn and her husband and family came into my life exactly when I needed it most. I think God has a hand in the timing of those things :)