How Worship Brings Peace - Part 1

“Fully to enjoy is to glorify.  In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.” C.S. Lewis

When I first became a follower of Christ, I didn’t really know Him very well.  So when I heard that I was supposed to “glorify” Him, there was a little nagging feeling that He could be a tyrant in disguise just needing someone to tell Him how great He was.  

As I began to get to know Jesus better, though, I saw how completely wrong I was.  The truth was the opposite of what I had thought.   

We are created to worship God.   

If we are not worshipping Him, we will find another someone or something to worship, because it is how we were created to live.  When we do this, life is pitifully out of sync, like pushing a cart with a square wheel through thick mud.  Whatever we choose to worship besides God is vastly inferior. 

God is the Only One completely and wholly worthy of our worship. 

God created us to worship Him because when we do, everything is in it’s proper place.  Little me, Big Him.  

This order to life brings with it an incredible peace.  There are endless things about God to worship!  We could spend our lifetime learning about Him and still never get to the end of all He is.

You worship God when you thank Him for His creation.  When you sing praises to Him.   When you love someone who is not being lovable.  When you obey Him even though you don’t understand why.  When you trust Him enough to be in the moment, eye to eye and heart to heart with your children or aging parent, even as tasks clamor for your attention.  When you seek His face instead of trying to find answers on your own.  When you sit quietly and listen.  When you rest.  When you forgive them...again. When you choose to be content you praise Him that, truly, He has set you boundary lines in pleasant places.  When you choose to be humble before the Almighty God who knows and see all things.  When you fail, and get back up because you trust in His unfailing love for you.  When you forgive yourself...again.          

If you are like I once was, you have a little sneaking suspicion that says, “Why would I want to sit around and worship God?”   

To that, I say, just try it.  I dare you.  

...and it's gonna be worth it!

A few weeks ago, after six months of saving allowance and doing odd jobs, my nine year old daughter, Kylie, was able to get a new black lab puppy.  She was so excited!  Jayley came to our home at 11 weeks, and the adventure began. 

Kylie loves the puppy, and despite all the many messes to clean up, early mornings, and sharp learning curve on how to consistently train, she’s shown incredible perseverance. 

That said, in the last couple of weeks, the puppy began asserting her will much more...unfortunately with her puppy teething teeth!  All she wants to do is bite and chew and nip at everything...mostly Kylie.

One morning last week, Kylie was incredibly discouraged.  After many corrections and re-directions, Jayley latched onto Kylie’s pants and ripped them.  Kylie, exhausted from another very early morning, just sat down and started to cry.  

We talked it through, and Kylie kept saying the same phrase over and over: “It’s just so hard, mom!”  This was one of those moments I knew the Holy Spirit was parenting through me, because I would never have thought of this on my own.

“Honey, you keep saying that this is hard.  And you are right!  It IS hard.  But you know what else is also true?  You can do it.  I know you can, because I’ve seen you do it, over and over again.  So, next time you think it’s hard, you can say that.  But I want you to say the other part too, okay?  I want you to say, ‘It is hard.  But I can do it!’” 

We talked a little more about how God strengthens us, and how He’s been helping her do what she’s done so far.  We remembered that even though she’s tired, God is faithful and He will help her and give her wisdom and encouragement. 

We wrote this out on an index card and hung it in our kitchen: 

It is hard.  BUT I CAN DO IT!

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”  

Philippians 4:13

Later that morning, Kylie came to me and said, “Mom, I want to add something to our card.  I want it to say: 

“It is hard.  But I can do it, and it’s gonna be worth it!”

I just had to laugh.  My sweet girl.  Don’t we all need to hear that?  Life can be really, really hard.  It is not for the faint of heart.  Jesus even told His disciples that in this world, they would have trouble. He did not want them to be surprised by it.  

But, He also said to take heart, because He has overcome the world.  We can do whatever it is God is asking of us, because He has given us, and is giving us, everything we need.  

The Bible is so clear about this, much more clear than I ever realized.  

“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach...No, the Word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.”          Deuteronomy 30:11, 14  (bold mine)

Here is another: 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness...”        2 Peter 1:3a (bold mine)

Everything, friend.  Everything!  We lack NOTHING for this life God calls us to live.  It is hard, but we can do it.     

But that last part that Kylie wanted to add?  Well, I think I needed that one more than any of the others.  

It’s gonna be worth it.  

I think God just created my girl in a way that she really gets that.  We are wired so differently, and the way she sees the world is such a precious gift to someone like me, who will just put my head down and plow through, without any of the joy that comes from remembering WHY I’m doing all this!   

We need to remember that this thing we’re doing is worth it.  All this hard work and diligence and staying the course and struggle against the world, our enemy, and our sin nature...it’s worth it.  It’s not for nothing. We are getting somewhere, and it’s gonna be really, really good!  Because of Jesus, we are on our way to heaven, where we will have uninterrupted fellowship with God.  That is worth it!  

It is hard to walk in this world.  But we can do it!   And it’s gonna be worth it.    

  

What's In a Name?

photo from National Geographic

I started this blog, somethingbeautiful, in honor of my precious sister, Irina.  You can read more about that here, but the inspiration for the name is from Something Beautiful, a song by Need To Breathe.  It was one Irina listened to most often on her ipod.  

What's in the name here, though?  Why name my entire blog somethingbeautiful? 

Because I think that is what our lives here on this earth are all about.  

If we are willing to give God all we have...not just the good, but also the bad, the worse, and the ugly... He will make it beautiful.    

He can because He has the power to do it, unlike any of us.  And, He wants to.  You may not even know Him, but He knows you.  

Did you know that?  

He knows you, and He loves you just the same.  He even likes you.

This is who He is and what He does.  He restores.  He redeems.  Makes new.  Brings beauty from ashes.  

He makes our lives - with all their hurts, disappointments, failures, grief and pain - make sense.  Not because we can say, "This happened because x,y,z", but because even if you don't have the answers, you know the One who does.  

Even better, when we give it to Him, He makes it beautiful, and other people see Him.  They see His beauty and His glory and His love through your weakness, struggle, and pain.  

Hey now, this is my desire

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees.

I'm waiting for something beautiful

Oh, something beautiful

So, that's why I'm here, in this space.  To share with You how, in my messy and broken life, He takes it all and makes it beautiful when I hold it with open hands.   

He is so gracious and kind, friend.  Strong.  Mighty.  Merciful.  Self-existent.  Creator.  Sustainer.  Redeemer.  Restorer.  Matchless. Unpredictable, and yet unfailing.     

Best of all?  Unlike everyone and everything else in this broken world, He.never.fails.  

There is no one like Him!  Do you want to know how I know all that?  Because I have spent the last 10 years of my life with Him and not once,  not once, has He failed me or left my side.  

If you have met Him, you would know.  That said, this is not some secret club.  The invitation is for anyone - anyone - who will humbly accept it for the gift that it is.  

You don't have to have it all together to know Him.  All you have to do is show up, just like you are. 

  

If you're still thinking of this whole thing as a religion....as being about what you "do" or "don't do",  you're missing out.  This is about a relationship with a Person, unlike any person we can see or touch.    

This relationship will change you, and you won't really be able to explain how.  You will just know that when you're with Him, things are different.  You're different.  

In a really, really good way.  

Join me? 

Stay Low, and Stay Close

Hey friends.  This is actually a devotional I wrote for an e-magazine called LiveLiving.   So, that's why you see it has a verse at the top and a prayer at the bottom.  

I realize that from what I write here, it seems like I must really know what I'm doing with this whole simplifying thing.  But let me tell you, I don't.  This is a real struggle for me, especially when it comes to something I did not mention in this article - relationships.  I am blessed to be connected to a lot of people, and I want to love on them all the same!  But, I can't.  I have to learn to follow His lead, and do what HE is telling me to do each day, not what I think I CAN do each day...or even what I SHOULD.  Those 'shoulds' die hard, let me tell you. 

But I see clearly, from much experience, I am powerless without Him.  And - I am no good to the people I love when I try and do it from my own meager resources.  Faced with that truth over and over, and feeling the pain of it, I turn fully to Him, finally. At least I'm trying to :) 

Jesus, He is so kind.  I really never cease to be amazed by this.  It's a kindness I have seen no where else, even from the dearest and most loving people in my life.  It calms me like nothing else can.  He's walking through this with me step by step.  I can be so dense and He is so amazingly patient.     

Next time I write, I hope to share more with you about this journey and all I'm learning "out in the field".  I love you guys!   Thanks for reading my stuff in all of it's wordiness! :)

****************************************************************************

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33  (italics mine)

Simplifying is all the rage these days.  The world around us says that if we just simplify, we will finally have it all together.  There are countless blogs and books about how to simplify your home and life.  There are even people who are able to make a career out of being “professional organizers”.  

These people have some great ideas, and I have taken their advice plenty of times!  They are definitely onto something.   When we don’t make some effort to keep our lives simplified, we are unprepared and end up flying by the seat of our pants.  When that happens, most of our energy is spent making countless small decisions throughout the day.  What should I have for breakfast?  What should I wear?  Which way should I go to work?  How should I reply to that email?  What are we doing this weekend?  How should I spend my free time today?  How should I deal with that ugly text?  Should I subscribe to that blog?  Should I try that new brand of protein shake that people are raving about? Maybe that brand of running shoes will help me.  

The list goes on and on.  We have more choices than we know what to do with.  The world around us gives us many-faceted advice.  If we just schedule more carefully, and maybe use that new app.  If we just work a little smarter.  If we just got rid clutter in our home.  If we just persevered in healthy eating and exercise.  

It is really confusing, because many of these suggestions are not “bad” things.  So, how do we choose?  How do we simplify our lives?     

Fortunately, as followers of Jesus, do not have to live as the world does.  We do not have to depend on its wisdom.  God tells us that simplifying starts by putting our relationship and connection with Him first.  

We must set our hearts to seek the Lord.  

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son and successor, did not set his heart to seek the Lord.  He set his heart on power, and being well-thought of, and even feared.  He lost the kingdom because of it.  

"He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD."

                                                                  2 Chronicles 12:14

We can so easily be deceived into thinking that we are living to please God, but not have our hearts set on Him.  My pastor says it this way: "If you do not intentionally nurture the discipline of seeking the LORD, then your heart will settle on and seek something else."

Um, does this scare you like it scared me?  When I read the story of Rehoboam, the first thing I notice is that his decision to not set his heart to seek the Lord led an entire nation to destruction.      

This really hit me, because I realized anew that my daily choices do not just affect me.  They impact my kids, my husband, my family, my church, my community, and anyone who doesn’t know Jesus with whom I come into contact.  

So I took some time and thought and prayed over this question: What am I really, really setting my heart on?  I realized quickly that my heart was not set on God.  It was set on other seemingly ‘christian’ things, like being a well-grounded mom, being a wife who is truly helpmeet, being a faithful friend, and (ugh)....even being what others would define as "a good christian".

These aren’t bad things, right?  No, not in and of themselves (except that last one!).  But they are not God, and He makes it very clear that anything, anything that I put ahead of Him is an idol, even if it is a good, seemingly Christian thing.  This can be hard to see in an age when our “idols” are not made of wood and stone, but appearance and reputation.    

As hard as this truth was to hear, it was also a tremendous relief, because it automatically simplified things for me like nothing else ever had.  God first, and everyone and everything after Him.  He is the lens through which I see everyone and everything else.   

God simplifies FOR us, if we stay close to Him.  He is not surprised by this Facebooking, Twittering, smart phone world that we live in, just like He was not surprised by the idolatry that surrounded Daniel.  As it was in Daniel’s time, staying close to Him is the only way to navigate through it.      

If you climbed Mount Everest, obviously you would do plenty of research and hopefully a lot of physical training in preparation.  But even with all your hard work and preparation, you would still hire a guide to actually go with you.  

That's how this world is. 

We walk a treacherous path with an enemy out to get us, temptation at every turn, not to mention the sin that still resides in us.  BUT, we also have the Holy Spirit living in deepest, truest part of us, which greatly outweighs all of these other factors combined!  He is our every day, every moment Guide.      

He leads me, in different ways, through the decisions that have the potential to steal all the energy He has provided me on a given day.  As I “stay low and stay close” (as Sylvia Gunter says), I hear His still, small voice lead the way through the many twists and turns of my day.   

*Spend time with this friend*  *Do your work in one-hour increments*  *Yes, that job is my will for you*  *Just be quiet right now while your husband talks.  Your advice is not really what he needs*  *Call your friend.  Right now*  *Pray for your sister.  Right now*  *Sit with Me, quietly.  Refuse to check email.  Make a decision not to look at the calendar or check your  texts before you sit down with Me*  *Its okay.  I know you didn't have time to be with Me this morning.  I knew before you woke up what this day held.  I am all that you need*  *Just hug her right now.  Discipline is not what she needs*  

As always, I fail to listen.  More than I would like to admit.  But God tells me, and you, that He is not interested in perfection.  He is interested in perseverance.  When I fail, His forgiveness is enough.  What if Peter decided that his failure in denying Christ three times was just too much to come back from?  No.  We must get up and try again.  Every step of obedience makes His voice more clear.      

Stay low and stay close.  The world we live in bombards us with messages that say to just do what makes us feel good, spend time on what we like, to follow our heart.  But the world’s ways are the enemy’s ways, and as good as they may look and as deceptively close to God’s ways as they may seem, they are nothing but a cheap imitation of the Real Thing.  We don’t know our own hearts, and we cannot.  But God does.  God knows what we need way better than we do, because He created us.  

God leads us away from the good, to the BEST.  

Father, please help us to really, really set our hearts on You.  If they are not set on you, but on other seemingly ‘noble’ things, will You give us the courage to face this and confess and repent of it?  Bind our wandering hearts to Thee.  Help us to live for Your Kingdom, and not our own.  We praise You today, Father, that it is You who works and wills in us!

Precious, One by One

The Bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people.

In the Old Testament especially, He commands the people to give thanks to Him over and over.  To celebrate and sing of what He has done.

He doesn't do this because He wants to feel good about Himself, because He's not like us.  He has no "need" for us...He just loves us and wants to be with us.  

He does it to help us remember. 
Because we need to remember.   

To remember how faithful He has always been, and that He never changes.

To remember how, time after time, He takes what seems broken beyond repair and restores it to a beauty we couldn't even have pictured if we tried.

To remember how He loves to surprise us with His creative ways of doing more than we could "ever ask or imagine".

I can't remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, so I am really grateful He tells us to do this.  It's why I write things down in my journal, keep track of them on my calendar, set reminders on my phone, put up pictures of people I love.

Being intentionally thankful changes things.  So, with that heart, I hope to begin sharing with you once a week or so some pictures of moments for which I am grateful.    

Because each moment becomes more precious when you take them one by one.  

The adventure of a hail storm- with no damage to the house

Little girls who love things like snails...

...and spiders (as long as they are not crawling on us:)  )

The joy of a little girl who gets to wear her princess bathing suit

My sweet puppy who is always ready to play :)

Kylie deciding she wants to journal...because Rarity on My Little Pony does it

Being surprised by a flower Evie made for me...and thoughtfully taped to my bedside table so it wouldn't fall :) 

May your weekend be blessed, friends! 

Christmas Day 2011

 Our first stop on Christmas Eve was Cammy's, KJ and Little E's Grandmom.  She lives about 6 miles away, and wanted to have everyone over.

 

Grandpa Dave was a trooper, because it's hard for him to make all those stairs.  He got his exercise, that's for sure!  

 Cammy made us a nice spread.  KJ and Little E headed right for the M&M's and goldfish, of course.  

  Cammy's looking lovely today.  I think hostessing suits her :)  And Little E's in her usual spot on Daddy's lap! 

  Grandpa found his spot next to the cheese fondu. 

 I just had to get a picture of the pink sparkly shoes Little E picked.

 I was trying to be artsy with this picture. Didn't quite work out. 

 Caught red-handed with chocolate.   

 Yeah, I know it's blurry.  But it's a moment and I didn't want to miss sharing it. 

 And that one.  Yes, I know I'm still eating.  I have issues. 

And now for Christmas morning........

 The girls were super patient and waited until almost 11am to open gifts.  I am always amazed that they don't fight against that!  Maybe it's just because we have always started later, and that's all they know.  They run downstairs and look, of course.  But then they head back upstairs and watch some cartoons to wait until the Grandparents and Daddy wake up.  Little E kept asking because this was the first year she really gets that she's getting gifts and she was really hyper-excited.  We've had to work with her a lot on how to receive a gift- she struggles with having certain expectations and then not having them be met.  When I say 'struggles', I mean she cries.  We had a big talk before Christmas morning gifts and prayed some, because she had already cried about two gifts she received before Christmas.  Not the best track record.  Good teaching opportunities!  

 Just had to get a picture of those sweet feet of Little E's in her new fuzzy warm socks.  

 KJ made everyone's gifts.  I didn't even encourage her to do that, she just did it.  I realized afterwards that I really should have made her part of the gift giving process this year.  I've been teaching them to receive gifts, but not to give them.  Oops.  She asked, "Why do you write on the package that it's from me when I don't even know what it is?"  A very good question!  She is so good for me.  I love that kid.  Anyway, she made Chloe this sock with a tennis ball in it.  It was a big hit!

 KJ was like a ray of sunshine while we opened gifts.  It really struck me.  She loves giving gifts, and sharing in what people open even if she's not the one who gives it.  She just loves to see people enjoy things.  I love that about her!

 Little E wanted to stack her gifts.  She kept moving them around so they would fit in the pile.  Hilarious! 

 KJ's homemade gift in lovely wrapping, for mommy and daddy :)

KJ got a new book!  

 Chloe wants to be part of the action.  Doesn't she look pretty in her bow? 

 Starbucks gift card from Cammy!  Think he's excited? 

 I got a new bracelet from Grandma and Grandpa!  Sorry I didn't get a better picture of it!  Or keep my eyes open for this picture, for that matter... 

 Pink legos!!  

 After this 'jump in the arms' hug (which is a Little E specialty) she immediately took her Lego box over to the kitchen counter, cleared some space, and began opening and organizing it.  The girl is focused. 

 Chloe's favorite person. 

 Cammy's new David Crowder Band cd.  

 Grandma's new gold hoops. 

 Grandpa smiling about his new FSU t-shirt.  

 Opening up some a new puzzle and game! 

 We tried to pose for this one.  That pretty much never works out. 

 A new shirt!  Love it.  Not sure about the funny look on my face.  

 A new Nook Color!  And Grandma had no idea.  

 Grandpa Dave was SO excited to finally tell Grandma about all the ways she almost found out what he gave her!  He worked really hard to not give it away...which apparently he usually does because he can't resist dropping hints.  Way to go, Grandpa!  

 Daddy got a new heart monitor from Cammy!  Score! 

And Christmas evening................. 

Here is our Christmas spread.  Simple, but yum.  YES- I know the mashed potatoes are missing!! I forgot them AGAIN!  

 Little E's new shirt.  Too cute! 

 Grandma Nan's new apron. Lookin' good! 

 KJ's got her nose in a book.  Like mother like daughter!

 

 Cammy's having flashbacks to "Kirsten, can you please just put the book down?  Just for a minute?"  KJ's stopped long enough to give her a hug.  

 After dinner and clean-up...whew!  We made it :)  Now on to the dessert discussions.  

All in all, a very Merry Christmas :)  Hope yours was too!