The Secret Place

How sweet it is to truly dwell in the secret place with Christ. You have this intimate opportunity to be quiet before Him and with him in his presence of true peace and genuine love. It is our natural tendency to busy ourselves, to produce, to accomplish, but we miss out on so much of what He has for us when we neglect those still moments that he wants to just be with the one he loves. Words get in the way. Our prayerful agendas get in the way. You have direct access to Jesus when you abide in him, and he in you. There is no “tapping in”, or getting into the zone when the Holy Spirit is in you. How do you hear and acknowledge His voice and his love for you? It goes far beyond words and language. Sometimes we are so fortunate to hear direct words from Him when he speaks to us, but he is a creative God of affection who wants to enthrall you with HIS way of communicating. How are you hearing him today? How are you experiencing and acknowledging him? God calls us to get in different postures before him. I see this in John 12 where Mary washes Jesus’ feet with precious gift of perfume. All who were present in the story were among Jesus and spending time with him. Mary was worshipping him with the best that she had, Lazarus was reclined at the table with Jesus, and Martha was serving in the home. During different seasons, different times of the day, different phases of our lives, God calls us to certain postures to experience him. We compartmentalize our lives when we pick up the prayer phone, submit our requests to God, and then hang up until we choose to call him again. What a truly beautiful opportunity we have to simply dwell with him. Experience God in a new way today. He is the creator of Love, and the language of Love; it is the essence of his being.

The Love Languages of God

Quality Time- He longs to be with you. He is satisfied when you come to him, even if you have no words to offer.

Physical Touch – How do you feel God in nature, through the wind, or through the comforting touch of a loved one?

Acts of Service- He is your provider. Follow his perfect example of being a servant leader. He will lead you to serve someone in need. He is loving you and choosing to use you as a vessel.

Words of Affirmation- Get quiet. What is God speaking over you? What does he have to say about you? Do you rest in his approval of you, his child? Do you know and believe that he delights in you?

Gift Giving – He will meet your every need in a holistic way. He’s our provision, he has given us everything that we have. 

A Beautifully Broken World

We have this desire to "fix" people. It's the easy way out, perceived as a simple solution, but will not actually be a reality until Christ returns. Why do we become so uncomfortable by entertaining the thoughts of unanswered questions, and misfortunes of life? We walk a broken earth, made by God and hurt by sin. As a link in the chain, we have infinite opportunities to bring mending, healing, and light into the darkness of our surroundings. There would not be innovative ways of thinking if other people were not dated in their ideas. There would not be an opportunity for people who are comfortably equipped with resources to share with those in need if there were not cyclical poverty issues. The imperfect functionality of the world contributes to its beauty and provision of opportunity. Do you ever wake up in the morning and feel so abundantly and undeservingly blessed by being born into the family you are a part of, in the country you were born in (TEXAS), having the opportunities to become educated and work? You did nothing to deserve that, just as those living under the cruelty of their circumstances do not always choose the life that they are born into either. There is no balance. So, you have to get out of your bed with a heart of thanksgiving and do what you are called to do in alleviating some of the hardships of others, while sharing the greatest blessing of all. God has created a masterpiece in which we have the opportunity to make his glory known. I love the beauty of the world’s imbalance and imperfection. There are many problems to solve and people to help, each giving us opportunities to meet the needs of others in a holistic manner. We are not designed to be mechanical in our worship, but creative in using our passions and gifts to reach out and serve the hurting. Even still we have the opportunity to gain from others who are lacking in what we might consider valuable resources, and even without Christ. If we accepted a mentality that societies would benefit from mutual sharing across classes and cultures, the world could crawl closer to its potential. Questioning is always advantageous and even crucial for personal development, but accepting the conditions of humanity and God’s intentions are also necessary to becoming an effective servant of Christ. Though the hope of perfect heaven remains in our hearts, our present world is in the hands of a flawless creator, providing us with bountiful opportunities to love one another. I believe in justice and advocacy, but my mission is to love people, not to fix them. 

Reaching Beyond Our Ourselves in the Quest for Peace

A relationship with God can be based on so much more than finding a sense of peace and equilibrium within our own spirit based on our circumstances. He does care for you and asks you to cast all your anxieties on him! Sometimes we focus so much on ridding ourselves of the matters that worry us and don't recognize that dwelling on these thoughts consume our minds and distract us from moving forward. Once we refocus our attention outward, peace awaits in the opportunities to bless and serve others. Being "blessed" does not mean that circumstances are situated for your comfort and happiness, but it's an acknowledgement of god's hand within your situation good or bad.