Just Keep Swimming...

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

So lately I have been thinking about a passage in Philippians chapter 3:7-14. In fact it kind of reminds me of Dora in Finding Nemo...oh, I'm going somewhere with this worry. Things in my life have not been going exactly how I would like them too. In fact they have not gone anything like I would have planned them to in the past couple of weeks. I am okay, don't get me wrong. I don't want you to think I have been down and depressed or anything because that is NOT at all how it has been. BUT, it has not been all that ideal that is for sure. It makes me think of the scene in Finding Nemo with Marlin and Dora..........

Dory: Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you've gotta do?

Marlin: No I don't wanna know.

Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.

Marlin: Dory, no singing.

Dory: [continuing] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho. I love to swim. When you want to swim you want to swim. Marlin: Now I'm stuck with that song... Now it's in my head.

Dory: Sorry.

:) That just makes me smile...It reminds me of the next part of the passage in Philippians...

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Life is not always gonna go as we planned...sometimes it is going to get us down. Lately I have been losing things that to were in important. I have been losing some really great friends and it is really hard but I have to remember that those things, although great, are near rubbish compared to the things of the Lord. And my eyes, along with my brothers and sisters in Christ, should be on the Lord Jesus Christ..."forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." I find the word straining interesting. I like to look up the definitions to words so that is what I am going to do! :)

Straining: "to stretch beyond proper limit"

It won't always be easy and sometimes we might have to do things we do not enjoy and give up things we do. Sometimes we might feel like we are not going to make it and we may feel like we want to give up but the prize is at the end and once we reach that goal it will all be worth the strain!

So all you bloggers out there...and my TWO followers just remember this..Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me."

I pray that I can be like Paul and be encouraged that the while it would be better to be with Christ it is necessary for me to be here now with you and that together we can be of encouragement to one another as we press on together. Have a WONDERFUL day my blogger friends..."just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."

Just Stop Flapping!

Another week is starting...I think that is so easy for us to get into a routine. We know it is Monday and we just "do". We do without even thinking at times. I woke up this morning, went to the gym, ran back to my dorm to frantically get ready for class, drove over to QT with Em to get a 20 oz fat free french vanilla latte and a special K peanut butter and chocolate meal bar and before I knew it we were sitting in the car stalking people to their cars so that we could get a parking spot outside of spellmen and not be late for our 10:00 class. Just another Monday....what makes this Monday different from last Monday, or the last? Do I wake up and just take a second to stop running around and thank God for giving me another Monday? I had a midterm today...pretty sure I aced it. Thank you Professor Beckerle for wanting to see your students succeed! :) I was out of my 10 class by 10:10..I don't have class till 11:00 and for the first time today I was able to just stop. Stop and think. Stop and listen...thank you God for talking to me through my busy and hectic day. Thank you God for waiting for me while I push you to the side because I know I do this way to much.

It is so easy to get tired. I don't mean just physically tired...although I think that is very easy as well. But have you ever just felt emotionally tired? Or mentally tired? Or even spiritually tired? I have been thinking about the verse in Isaiah 40. I posted it on the top of my page.

Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

I always remember my friend Cristina reading this verse to the girls at THRBC. She explained it a way I had never thought about it. She said that, eagles do not fly like other birds, they don't flap their wings but rather soar. Flapping their wings would use incredible amounts of their own strength and endurance. Instead they sit on a high ledge and wait for the right wind currents to come. When the time is right, they take off and soar upward. Effortlessly, because they have waited for the right time. What a lesson for God's children to learn. How often do we waste strength by jumping out too soon and 'flapping our wings', instead of waiting for God's timing. Waiting is not a popular concept in these days of instant everything! But when we wait on the Lord - wait for His timing - wait for His answers - wait for His direction, then we can soar to new heights and fly to new places.

The verse also says that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will run and not grow weary. We don't have to do anything but put our hope in Him. How awesome is that? My prayer this week would be that you would take that challenge with Him of putting all our hope in God. That we would not continue to flap our wings, getting no where but that we would just stop and let God carry us through, allowing us to soar through this week and this life.

...He is in always listening.

So I have a new favorite song. It is Listen to Our Hearts by Steven Curtis Chapman.

How do you explain, How do you describe, A love that goes from east to west, And runs and deep as it is wide? You know all our hopes Lord, you know all our fears. And words cannot express the love we feel. But we long for You to hear

Chorus: So listen to our hearts (oh, Lord, please listen)Hear our spirits sing (and hear us sing)A song of praise that flows (a simple song of praise)From those You have redeemed (from those You have redeemed)We will use the words we know To tell You what an awesome God You are But words are not enough To tell You of our love So listen to our hearts

If words could fall like rain From these lips of mine And if I had a thousand years I would still run out of time So if You listen to my heart Every beat would say,“Thank You for the Life, thank You for the Truth, thank You for the Way.”

I was reminded of this song tonight when I got a text message from a good friend of mine, Carrie. She doesn't read my blog so she didn't know that my last entry was about peace and that I had said that was something that I felt like the Lord was trying to teach me lately. But what I found so cool was the way the Lord showed His sovereignty tonight through a simple text message. Carrie sent me a verse in John, chapter 16 and verse 33. It says, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have over come the world." How awesome is that? First I am just thinking how cool is it that Jesus has already over come not only the trials and tribulations that we face daily but He has overcome this world that we live in. We don't have to worry anymore! And then I thought about how much I needed to hear that verse...I had not been verbally praying to God about anything at the time. In fact, sadly the Lord was far from my mind as I was trying to retain as much information as I could for my exam while trying to divide my thoughts about my own tribulations I was facing. God was listening to my heart when I wasn't even trying to talk to Him. Isn't it amazing the way the Lord knows everything we need at every moment of every day? I just think that is so neat. He is so faithful. :) I just wanted to share those thoughts with you before I snuggled into bed...ahhh...can't wait.

Goodnight*

On the search...

According to Webster's online dictionary peace is defined as, a state of tranquillity or quiet or harmony in personal relations.
Job 22:21 says, "Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you."
Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
Romans 15:13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

The bible speaks of peace all through out the old and new testament. God is described as a God of peace. Romans 5:1 says that we can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . Romans also tells us to live at peace with everyone as far as it depends on us. But what is peace really? Do you ever feel like you are always on the search for it? Life gets hectic and busy and a moment of peace seems so far away and so unattainable at times. I find myself on the search for peace all the time. I am looking to follow the Lord's will in the fall, "Lord God give me peace about a decision." I have conflict within myself with people, "Lord, help me to live in peace with this person." So much of our life is spent looking for something...looking for anything to give us peace. Why are always looking? Why are we constantly on the search? When I am racking my brain and going to every friend of mine for advice and counsel and hopefully a peace over my life I am quickly reminded that God is a God of peace. He tells us in His word to be still and know that He is God. Someone times I just feel so foolish knowing that this peace that I am constantly on the search for is right there in my Lord Jesus Christ.

That is just something that the Lord has been teaching my lately. I am so thankful He continues to teach us things daily. :) I have so much to learn still...