Loving you deeply, through prayer.

Photo credit: You Na

How Deep the Father's Love for Us - Phillips, Craig, and Dean

Today, I'm praying for this group of women (pictured above). Each one is a dear sister and future colleague. I could go on about how God has been opening our timid, injured, or calloused hearts; and allowing us to share in each other's deepest struggles and richest blessings. But I've gushed about my girls on this blog already (I think), so I'll save Part 13958 of that for another day.

Today, I feel an urge to pray for you girls.

Thanksgiving for your words and prayers for me - the gentle way you point out my need for Christ. The thoughtfulness with which you ask me the hard questions. The love that you show, even when I am hard to love.

Prayers for the personal "bondages" that we all identified last week: the things in life that prevent you from fully enjoying God, and from obeying His word.

Prayers that you will truly believe...

• That health is a blessing, but it is far better to be sick if it will drive us to Jesus.
• That success is a blessing, but that we will praise God in times of poverty or  failed careers or thwarted life plans - if it will turn our eyes to the pure, holy, everlasting promise of heaven that we've inherited.
• That friends, family, husband - companionship - is a blessing, but that we would embrace and cherish loneliness if it will increase our longing and desire for a deeper relationship with Jesus. The one who never fails us, and never leaves us.

And that at the end of this race, when we stand at heaven's gate, I will see you there; and we will all share in a wondrous, joyful, unspeakably amazing celebration with Jesus Christ. Until then, let's press on. =)

Inspired today.

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Not that y'all haven't noticed, but I've been getting [back] into the blogging thing lately.

I don't just have my own blog, though. I also follow countless cooking blogs (kitchen inspiration!), friends' blogs (babies, marriage, faith, life. I love.), and random Christian strangers' blogs.

Each is a source of inspiration, encouragement, and challenge. Get into that kitchen and try something new, Esther. Share your faith more often with your friends, Esther. See how God worked through this stranger's difficult times and transformed her faith, Esther. One of the best "wasting time" activities, in my opinion.

Today I was encouraged by this woman's blog. I respect her so much for the difficult things that she went through, because of a deep trust in God that rose up from her suffering. Her faith is so real. Faith that is strengthened and made even more secure by pain - that is the kind of faith that reminds me of how powerful, loving, and REAL our Lord is.

Check out her blog, if you have time. More blog recommendations to come in the future :)

A Life-Changing Move

California... Back in elementary school, we briefly lived in La Mirada, California while my parents attended Talbot Seminary at Biola. It was a poignant 3 years for sure, but many of my memories are sadly faded and replaced by more vivid ones from Mongolia, Germany, and adulthood. I hadn't been back since the year we left - 1998 - so you can imagine how ecstatic I was about this trip.

We loved the beaches, the palm trees, the weather, and catching up with old family friends (mine). But I realized something that weekend, as we drove past my family's old apartment and my elementary school. The "me" in California was drastically different from who I have grown up to be. My personality, experiences, dreams, and worldview - none of these were crucially shaped by the years I spent here. What kind of woman would I have become, had we stayed in California? I can't even begin to imagine, because the experiences I had in Mongolia and Germany stand in stark contrast to what I think would have been my experiences as a teenage girl in California.

I might have lived in more comfort, had more opportunities, known what it's like to grow up with the same friends and have a true sense of home. And I'm confident that God would have still made Himself known to me.

But I would never have stepped foot inside a ger (Mongolian yurt); never met our Mongolian friends who lived with much less, yet showed such joy in God; never gone to boarding school with other MKs (Missionary Kids) from Turkey, Mali, Russia, Ghana, you-name-it; never felt the harsh reality of people suffering from pain, poverty, and hopelessness.

What happened in Mongolia, Germany, China, Venezuela, Ithaca - that's what ultimately made me who I am today.

I was heartbroken when I graduated from Escalona Elementary, knowing that I wouldn't be at Huntington(?) Middle School with my friends in the fall. My little 10 year old heart hurt that I couldn't audition for our middle school cheerleading squad, beat Robert at handball every Sunday, have  anymore sleepovers with Ylan. If only I knew what blessings and growth were in store for me! If only I knew how irrevocably the next decade would shape me!

Faithful is our Lord. Faithful in my life.

So, friends, hold onto this promise that God gave His children: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

Hubs and I don't even know what country we'll be in 15 years from now. But this we know for sure: that the One who saved us and loves us has it all planned out, and it's greater than any future we could build for ourselves.

I, for one, am thankful I never had a chance to become a cheerleader. Who would I have become??

With all joy and peace

source: Pinterest

Let me share something with you. I may be a fully grown, married 24-year old woman; but at my very core I'm still a shy, timid little girl. A girl dealing with insecurity and low self-esteem. A girl that struggles to place the fullness of her hope and joy in her Father. 

And yet, God chose me to be His daughter. He decided that I would be a recipient of His incomprehensible, unquenchable, amazing grace. Do you know just how huge that is?? Our God is a perfect, pure, holy God. No one can be as righteous and holy as Him. I am a sinful, broken girl who doesn't deserve a single speck of His love or forgiveness. But God didn't just grudgingly give me a little bit of Himself, he freely gave all: through His only son Jesus, an overflowing stream of forgiveness, love, eternal life... and joy! Such deep, satisfying, soul-quenching joy. Have you experienced this before?

Knowing this should fill my heart with an overwhelming desire to get to know my Savior and His Word more intimately; a desire to tell others about this peace I've found, which I haven't found in any other pursuit of this world; and a firm sense of security in my identity, because Christ loved me just as I am. And sometimes, it does!

But sadly, there are other times when I forget the goodness of God's grace. There are so many things my world tells me to do: to find identity in my strengths, to spend my life seeking things that will pleasure me. Being the sinner that I am, I foolishly try to chase these dreams. But they're all such dead-end pursuits. I come out feeling more insecure and unsatisfied.

It's in those times that I desperately need to remember what God has done in my life, and throughout history. On a daily basis, I need to remind myself of the Gospel. So although I write this partly to share with you God's work in my life, I also write this for me: when I'm overcome with discouragement and insecurities, I will read this and remember God's faithfulness.

So I'm going to write out my testimony here, gradually and part by part. I never want to forget what the Lord has done for me, and how He's allowed my heart to experience such peace, joy, satisfaction.

For now, though, I end with this: my earnest prayer for myself... and for you.

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.  
- Romans 15:13