I Will Wait for You: A Poem

A friend of mine shared this with me yesterday, I thought it was very powerful and full of the truth of the Word of God.  Hope this encourages you today. :) God Bless

Completely to You

So what can I say? 
What can I do? 
But offer this heart O God 
Completely to You

This is a beautiful song by Hillsong United entitled The Stand.  As I was getting ready for church yesterday morning I was listening to Air1 when this song came on.  The snippet above is what hit me.  It captured my life at that very moment and God spoke through it.

After an intense weekend full of God-thoughts, worship services, and the emotions of life shared with friends, I realize just how easy it is to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and forget about the one thing that really matters.

As humans, we worship by design.  What we worship is specific to each individual.  The receiver of our worship can range anywhere from sports to boyfriends, music to backpacks, and Star Wars to baking.  None of these things are bad in and of themselves, however the Bible says anything we worship more than God is an idol, and idolatry is a sin.  (Luckily we already knew we were sinners and God has already taken care of that for those who ask!)

For biblical reference:

• Exodus 20:3-4 “You shall have no other gods before me.  You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneat or in the waters below.”
• Matthew 4:10 “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
• Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus replied, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and the greatest commandment.”

Something I hadn’t thought much about until recently, is that even ministry can be an idol if our motives are wrong.  An example of this would be a youth pastor obsessing over how many kids are coming, what they are going to eat, how to get them to listen to the gospel, etc. rather than focusing on God, what he wants for the children, and asking Him to use the event to glorify himself. 

This isn’t cold hard fact, just an opinion, but I think girls are more vulnerable to making people our idols, whereas men are more vulnerable to making things their idols. 

For most women, idolatry easily creeps in to our relationships because of the Genesis 3:16 curse.  Our desire is for relationships, and more specifically our husband.  How many girls do you know that check their phone every 5 seconds waiting for that guy to text them?  Or what about the women who are so starved for love (like many of us) that they reach out for whatever male figure they can cling to.

We all have idols in our hearts.  This week I was convicted about chasing God’s plan more than God himself.  In high school one of my big idols was popularity and acceptance from other people.  But what’s your idol?  What are you not letting God control in your life?  Is there something you deem as more important than the creator of the universe?  Something coming in between you and your walk with God?  Take some time to examine your heart today and lay down any idols you might have.  Let God be God. J he does have it figured out ya know!

For a great bible study on idols I recommend: No Other Gods by Kelly Minter

Alisson's Story-3

 (Continuing from Alisson's Story-2)

The next day I was having lunch with some friends from church. I told them what was on my heart and how God was moving. Sadly, they told me I was crazy and that Tate was perfect for me.

Yes, Tate would have been perfect for me, if he had been God’s perfect choice.  But I was beginning to realize he wasn’t much of a spiritual leader at all...

Now, the reason my “church friends” didn’t understand was because they weren’t currently digging into the Word themselves. (I urge you guys when seeking Godly counsel, be wise who you go to and make sure they have scripture backing up their thoughts on that subject.)  

After hearing this from my friends I became sick to my stomach! I was deeply hurt by what they were saying! As soon as I came home I started digging deep into Gods word! I read verses like Psalm 20:6-7, Mathew 6:33, and Proverbs 3:5-6 all which told me to TRUST and SEEK God!

 A few hours later I started having trouble with my heart. I’ve had problems with me heart for about two years now, but no cardiologist knows what’s wrong with me. Normally this is when Tate would comfort me. He would tell me everything was going to be ok and he would hold me in his arms. This made me very uneasy about everything, all I knew was I wanted Tate and our old relationship back. I didn’t care anymore.

So I called Tate and we talked. He knew something was wrong and I had told him about my heart and what I was going through with him not leading me spiritually! 

Before I called him, I was so upset I wrote him a letter and read it to him over the phone to him. It said:

Tate, where do I begin, you make me so frustrated! I have so much anger inside of me I feel like I’m about to burst from the inside. Why can’t you change? Why is it so hard to talk to you about God? Why can’t you lead me spiritually? I feel miserable; I just could never admit it to myself! I told you once already how important it is to me to be lead spiritually. I need to be lead spiritually and you need to be in the Word. I love you so much …..You have my heart…..But God doesn’t agree! I miss you all the time…I miss your hugs, your kisses, and your arms wrapped around me for security. But I don’t need security from you, I need it from my Lord. Tate, I am falling to pieces…

Then I asked him to pray for me and for us, he answered with words I will never forget.  He said, “If you want a man like that then you are going to have find someone else!”   Rapidly my thoughts began to run wild, this is the same man who just told me he was deploying to Libya in 6 months and begged me not to leave him. This is the same man who I had asked to lead me spiritually and he said he would work on it and rededicated his life 2 months later. This was the man I was thinking about marrying! How could he say that?  Did he know how badly he just hurt me? I was crushed.

He told me how stupid I was and said things I’d never even heard my worst enemy say.  He told me I was worthless and that I would never have a bright future. When I got off the phone I went to see Julie. I walked in her room and she immediately knew what had happened. She met me, gave me hug and then we sat down and talked...

(More to follow...)

I don't know about you, but I too have had a similar experience to this.  In high school I called my serious boyfriend to tell him I was going to follow hard after God.  He laughed in my face and told me he was sleeping with my best friend at that moment.  Sometimes we trust people just because they are conveniently there.  At the time I felt like it was the end of the world.  I felt like I was completely alone, but that's when God stepped in. :) 

Is there something that's been cutting in to your time with God?  Has he laid it on your heart to give up something or someone in order to better follow him?  Have you experienced the freedom in letting go?  Or the pain of disobedience?

Lacey's Post

Let God Write Your Love Story

Hi, my name is Lacey Oxford, and I want to share with you some important aspects of dating that God has laid on my heart to tell teenage girls as they date and prepare for marriage.

As a teenager myself, I never really dated because I was too busy with sports and other things. I had some boyfriends in High School, but nothing ever too serious. As I began college and started longing for a relationship, I began to get really impatient. It seemed as if all the good guys were taken. However, if you don’t get anything else out of this blog, my best advice to remember is that “Love is patient!” (1 Cor. 13)

I was in Salt Cellar one day and came across a book called When God Writes Your Love Story. It was the perfect guide that I used to RE-prioritize my life, be patient, and trust in God’s greater plan for not only my dating life, but life in general. I believe there are 5 very important key issues that the book mentioned and I would like to share them with you.

1. Heart Matters- First, ask yourself where is your heart at. You have to have your heart right with God FIRST, before you can give your heart away to another guy. It is crucial that God be at the center of your life, your partner’s life, and your lives together.

· “Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12

2. Who’s the Captain of your Love Boat?- If you want a God-written love story you must lay a foundation for it. You cannot base your love life on the sands of foolishness and pride that will eventually be washed away, but you must let God be your solid foundation. Let Him be your rock, your anchor, and the captain of your love boat, because His plan is PERFECT!
• For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
3. Give God the Pen- This point is pretty self explanatory. If you want to see amazing results, give God the pen, and let HIM write your love story! We can try to plan our own way of life, and try to make things happen in our own timing, but God has the ultimate decision. His plan will unfold in His timing, we just have to be patient. It will always result in a happy ending, when you trust HIM with your love life!
• “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9

4. Hold Out For Higher Standards- Once again, we see that patience is key. Holding out for higher standards is what I struggled with daily. I was ready to settle for less, just because I was desperate. But God had a greater plan for me. He convicted me to make a list of everything I wanted in a guy (be logical here), and to never settle until I found someone that met EVERY requirement. I would encourage each of you to do the same. It really helped me to remain patient, and know that if a guy did not meet every single standard I had written down, then it was not meant to be. Sometimes we just have to stop trying to work everything together for ourselves, and BE STILL and let God work!

· “Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

5. A Forever Kind of Love- After getting your heart right with God first, letting Him be the captain of your love boat, giving Him the pen, and holding out for his higher plan, you will begin to see results and will be prepared for a forever kind of love. However, you must realize that this forever kind of love is not going to develop over night. Relationships take A LOT of prayer, even before you even meet “Mr. Right.” I would encourage you to start praying now for your future Christian relationship, and LISTEN to God as He reveals His plan for your dating life.

· “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” Colossians 4:2

It’s never too late to start fresh, and begin letting God write your love story! I pray that you would let God create in you a pure heart, and transform you into the young, Godly women He wants you to be. Never give up or get discouraged. Place your hope, faith, and trust in God, and if He is writing your love story, it will be BETTER THAN A FAIRY TALE!!

Thank you for letting me share with you. I hope you enjoyed it. I am always here if anyone needs a prayer warrior or anything else at all. May God Bless Ya! J

Lacey's Post

Let God Write Your Love Story

Hi, my name is Lacey Oxford, and I want to share with you some important aspects of dating that God has laid on my heart to tell teenage girls as they date and prepare for marriage.

As a teenager myself, I never really dated because I was too busy with sports and other things. I had some boyfriends in High School, but nothing ever too serious. As I began college and started longing for a relationship, I began to get really impatient. It seemed as if all the good guys were taken. However, if you don’t get anything else out of this blog, my best advice to remember is that “Love is patient!” (1 Cor. 13)

I was in Salt Cellar one day and came across a book called When God Writes Your Love Story. It was the perfect guide that I used to RE-prioritize my life, be patient, and trust in God’s greater plan for not only my dating life, but life in general. I believe there are 5 very important key issues that the book mentioned and I would like to share them with you.

1. Heart Matters- First, ask yourself where is your heart at. You have to have your heart right with God FIRST, before you can give your heart away to another guy. It is crucial that God be at the center of your life, your partner’s life, and your lives together.

· “Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12

2. Who’s the Captain of your Love Boat?- If you want a God-written love story you must lay a foundation for it. You cannot base your love life on the sands of foolishness and pride that will eventually be washed away, but you must let God be your solid foundation. Let Him be your rock, your anchor, and the captain of your love boat, because His plan is PERFECT!
• For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
3. Give God the Pen- This point is pretty self explanatory. If you want to see amazing results, give God the pen, and let HIM write your love story! We can try to plan our own way of life, and try to make things happen in our own timing, but God has the ultimate decision. His plan will unfold in His timing, we just have to be patient. It will always result in a happy ending, when you trust HIM with your love life!
• “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9

4. Hold Out For Higher Standards- Once again, we see that patience is key. Holding out for higher standards is what I struggled with daily. I was ready to settle for less, just because I was desperate. But God had a greater plan for me. He convicted me to make a list of everything I wanted in a guy (be logical here), and to never settle until I found someone that met EVERY requirement. I would encourage each of you to do the same. It really helped me to remain patient, and know that if a guy did not meet every single standard I had written down, then it was not meant to be. Sometimes we just have to stop trying to work everything together for ourselves, and BE STILL and let God work!

· “Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

5. A Forever Kind of Love- After getting your heart right with God first, letting Him be the captain of your love boat, giving Him the pen, and holding out for his higher plan, you will begin to see results and will be prepared for a forever kind of love. However, you must realize that this forever kind of love is not going to develop over night. Relationships take A LOT of prayer, even before you even meet “Mr. Right.” I would encourage you to start praying now for your future Christian relationship, and LISTEN to God as He reveals His plan for your dating life.

· “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” Colossians 4:2

It’s never too late to start fresh, and begin letting God write your love story! I pray that you would let God create in you a pure heart, and transform you into the young, Godly women He wants you to be. Never give up or get discouraged. Place your hope, faith, and trust in God, and if He is writing your love story, it will be BETTER THAN A FAIRY TALE!!

Thank you for letting me share with you. I hope you enjoyed it. I am always here if anyone needs a prayer warrior or anything else at all. May God Bless Ya! J