"Sometimes you’re the only Bible that people get to read."
"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down."
"Sometimes questions are more important than answers."
"Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” "
"Sometimes I wish I were a kid again; skinned knees are a lot easier to fix than a broken heart."
"Sometimes the answer to prayer is not that it changes life, but that it changes you."
"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." [Dr Seuss]
"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." [Lewis Carroll]
Friday, October 29, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
He doesn't see things like we do
God sees everything differently than man does. how encouraging is that? not that we're all completely far gone and incapable of seeing things from His perspective, but the things we get caught up by and so often consume us, causing us pain and strife ... they're not even what He is looking at!
1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Corinthians 4:5 "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God."
i'm afraid i spent a lot of years wasting time on trying to figure out what God wants by looking at what other people do. comparing my spiritual walk to theirs and modeling things off of people instead of just getting at God's heart. the times i just pursue, obey and enjoy God ... when i am just myself with Him ... are the absolute sweetest. but the times i have felt most discouraged and confused are when i take my focus off the Lord and look at everything around me. then i become overwhelmed by circumstances, disappointed with who i am in comparison to who others are, or jealous of what other people seem to so easily achieve.
i love knowing that God sees my heart. i love that in the midst of criticism or feeling like i somehow need to prove myself - i don't have to! there is no pressure because God sees the movements of our hearts and that is what He'll judge us by. this also reminds me of the importance of guarding my heart too. because letting junk into our heart and keeping it there does more damage than the stuff that shows up on the outside. the outside sin or struggle is always a result of what's going on inside.
there are things inside of you that you're afraid to tell other people. there are honest cries of your heart that you feel like a mess or a failure and wonder how that will ever shift. there are dreams inside of you that you don't think are possible ... or brush aside because they seem selfish or silly ... but God sees all of that. He sees every intent in your heart, every struggle and every question, and every sincere desire to follow Him. i believe that He sees the ways you have been judged by others and how that has affected you deeply, and He wants you to know that He doesn't judge like that! He doesn't see you the way that people do, or the way you perceive other people to see you! in fact, He sees you in a much better way than you even see yourself and He loves you way more than you imagine.
i should've written that last paragraph in the first person, but i'm too lazy to go back and change it, or maybe too embarrassed? but i hope that somebody out there in internet land will read this and connect with some part of what i wrote and realize the depth of God's love for them and the reality of His ability to bring your dreams to the surface. no matter what! (and not only to the surface but into fruition!) along with the wonder of living face to face with God and resting in knowing that He knows and loves your heart!
mike bickle teaches on david's revelation of the heart of God, and david truly had a life-changing perspective here, because he recognized this reality that God does not see things the way that man does. david was neglected by his own family, but it didn't matter because God chose him. knowing that God saw him differently caused david to see everything differently - his heart, life and the people around him ... all for the better. God never cut david off when he messed up (big time - hello adultery and murder! but hey, there i go judging by man's standards) because He saw his sincere heart. david was called a man after God's own heart. i've always been fascinated by that - what greater compliment could someone be given?! even in failure, God sees the movement of the heart and still sees SUCCESS. crying out to God was always the beginning of victory for david and it can be for all of us too - easy enough, right?
1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Corinthians 4:5 "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God."
i'm afraid i spent a lot of years wasting time on trying to figure out what God wants by looking at what other people do. comparing my spiritual walk to theirs and modeling things off of people instead of just getting at God's heart. the times i just pursue, obey and enjoy God ... when i am just myself with Him ... are the absolute sweetest. but the times i have felt most discouraged and confused are when i take my focus off the Lord and look at everything around me. then i become overwhelmed by circumstances, disappointed with who i am in comparison to who others are, or jealous of what other people seem to so easily achieve.
i love knowing that God sees my heart. i love that in the midst of criticism or feeling like i somehow need to prove myself - i don't have to! there is no pressure because God sees the movements of our hearts and that is what He'll judge us by. this also reminds me of the importance of guarding my heart too. because letting junk into our heart and keeping it there does more damage than the stuff that shows up on the outside. the outside sin or struggle is always a result of what's going on inside.
there are things inside of you that you're afraid to tell other people. there are honest cries of your heart that you feel like a mess or a failure and wonder how that will ever shift. there are dreams inside of you that you don't think are possible ... or brush aside because they seem selfish or silly ... but God sees all of that. He sees every intent in your heart, every struggle and every question, and every sincere desire to follow Him. i believe that He sees the ways you have been judged by others and how that has affected you deeply, and He wants you to know that He doesn't judge like that! He doesn't see you the way that people do, or the way you perceive other people to see you! in fact, He sees you in a much better way than you even see yourself and He loves you way more than you imagine.
i should've written that last paragraph in the first person, but i'm too lazy to go back and change it, or maybe too embarrassed? but i hope that somebody out there in internet land will read this and connect with some part of what i wrote and realize the depth of God's love for them and the reality of His ability to bring your dreams to the surface. no matter what! (and not only to the surface but into fruition!) along with the wonder of living face to face with God and resting in knowing that He knows and loves your heart!
mike bickle teaches on david's revelation of the heart of God, and david truly had a life-changing perspective here, because he recognized this reality that God does not see things the way that man does. david was neglected by his own family, but it didn't matter because God chose him. knowing that God saw him differently caused david to see everything differently - his heart, life and the people around him ... all for the better. God never cut david off when he messed up (big time - hello adultery and murder! but hey, there i go judging by man's standards) because He saw his sincere heart. david was called a man after God's own heart. i've always been fascinated by that - what greater compliment could someone be given?! even in failure, God sees the movement of the heart and still sees SUCCESS. crying out to God was always the beginning of victory for david and it can be for all of us too - easy enough, right?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
part two ...
this is part two of "sh*t chelsea's dad says." because while the book about someone else's dad is incredibly hilarious (so much so that i've already dedicated a post to that), i'll always be partial to my own dad's antics ...
"never drink whiskey chelsea."
"why not dad?" [this could easily seem like a strange question for a girl to ask her dad when he tells her not to drink, but keep in mind that my dad has always been openly baffled by my lack of interest in smoking and drugs.]
"that's what they gave to the indians to drink. and then they stole all their stuff and ruined their lives. so you don't even want to touch whiskey, because we've got indian in our blood and you never know what's gonna happen to you when you mess with that stuff."
"sometimes i'm so tired i have to get up in the middle of the night and take a nap."
"you should've brought me an iced tea."
"oh i would've, but i thought you told me you weren't allowed to drink that in here?"
"well it just has to be caffeine free. and diet."
"i thought you don't like caffeine free diet iced tea?"
"i don't. but i'm getting used to it. you can get used to anything if you do it long enough - even hanging."
[picture mortified/disgusted look on chelsea's unable-to-be-filtered-animated face. dad laughs and decides to go get sodas instead ...]
"are you sure you don't want a soda chelsea?"
"nah i don't like soda."
"you are healthy, aren't you? after i live long enough, and my body is completely shot, then i'll start eating and drinking healthy."
"dad i want you to write a song about me."
"about you? my daughter?"
"yes, me!"
"alright."
"okay, just start singing it."
"she was little but feisty ... ... it's gonna be hard to find something that rhymes with that chelsea."
"never drink whiskey chelsea."
"why not dad?" [this could easily seem like a strange question for a girl to ask her dad when he tells her not to drink, but keep in mind that my dad has always been openly baffled by my lack of interest in smoking and drugs.]
"that's what they gave to the indians to drink. and then they stole all their stuff and ruined their lives. so you don't even want to touch whiskey, because we've got indian in our blood and you never know what's gonna happen to you when you mess with that stuff."
"sometimes i'm so tired i have to get up in the middle of the night and take a nap."
"you should've brought me an iced tea."
"oh i would've, but i thought you told me you weren't allowed to drink that in here?"
"well it just has to be caffeine free. and diet."
"i thought you don't like caffeine free diet iced tea?"
"i don't. but i'm getting used to it. you can get used to anything if you do it long enough - even hanging."
[picture mortified/disgusted look on chelsea's unable-to-be-filtered-animated face. dad laughs and decides to go get sodas instead ...]
"are you sure you don't want a soda chelsea?"
"nah i don't like soda."
"you are healthy, aren't you? after i live long enough, and my body is completely shot, then i'll start eating and drinking healthy."
"dad i want you to write a song about me."
"about you? my daughter?"
"yes, me!"
"alright."
"okay, just start singing it."
"she was little but feisty ... ... it's gonna be hard to find something that rhymes with that chelsea."
Monday, October 11, 2010
i love, i love ...
i love the way the stars were falling out of the sky when i was driving home last night. they felt so close. like i was back in the midwest. i've never been in the midwest, but i love the way i compare real experiences to the way i imagine future experiences to be. like comparing things to europe and africa all the time, even though i've never been there. i love the way i was tracing the stars like designs in the sky while i drove then swerved back to reality when i remembered i'd already been pulled over on that road before and should probably focus. even i would be embarassed to hit a pole and say it was because i'd simply become too enamored by the stars to fully concentrate on the road. kinda sounds like the little girl i saw at work with a cast on her arm who explained to me , "oh, i was chasing a butterfly and i tripped." her mom rolled her eyes and held up her arms to me as if to say 'what are ya gonna do?' and i laughed cause i could see my mom and me in that mom and daughter.
i love laughing with my mom. ohhh we are crazy together. and apart. i love the way i am not so afraid of becoming like my parents anymore. i guess i thought they were weirder than me when i was growing up - who was i kidding?! i've inherited quirks from both of them and created my own, amplifying that supposed weirdness and embracing it. much to my friends delight and chagrin. delight when it means that the things i do yield wonderful results - or so i like to think. i'll ask anyone for anything and it has been known to get us shortcuts, lifeguards phone numbers, things crossed off our life lists, discounts and freebies, or at the very least some hilarious conversations. i love when i spouted off a bunch of typical chelsea gibberish the other weekend and one of my best friends shook her head and said something like, "you know, people say that you have to drink to have fun, but listen to you. you're completely sober right now and i've never heard anyone say ANYTHING like this ..." i don't know if a 'you're welcome' or 'i am so sorry' would have been the more appropriate response, but it didn't matter - because i just laughed.
i love laughing with my mom. ohhh we are crazy together. and apart. i love the way i am not so afraid of becoming like my parents anymore. i guess i thought they were weirder than me when i was growing up - who was i kidding?! i've inherited quirks from both of them and created my own, amplifying that supposed weirdness and embracing it. much to my friends delight and chagrin. delight when it means that the things i do yield wonderful results - or so i like to think. i'll ask anyone for anything and it has been known to get us shortcuts, lifeguards phone numbers, things crossed off our life lists, discounts and freebies, or at the very least some hilarious conversations. i love when i spouted off a bunch of typical chelsea gibberish the other weekend and one of my best friends shook her head and said something like, "you know, people say that you have to drink to have fun, but listen to you. you're completely sober right now and i've never heard anyone say ANYTHING like this ..." i don't know if a 'you're welcome' or 'i am so sorry' would have been the more appropriate response, but it didn't matter - because i just laughed.
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