Purpose.

Psalm 138:8
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

On running. And running. And running.

During small group last night, we talked about the ways in which we take time out to consider God and His awesome glory. Everyone had different answers. Nathan remarked that he saw God while he was overseas fight for our country, that while he was in these third world countries, there were moments in the dirt and grime that God revealed Himself and His beauty shone through. Kristin remarked that her grandfather once said that he knew for sure and certain that there was a God when he saw the Grand Canyon for the very first time. Chelsey said that she was in awe of God's detail in the process of pregnancy and birth (especially in light of all the pregnant women in our group.)

For me, it is when I run. Not that He doesn't reveal Himself in other ways and not that I only contemplate His glory when I run, but there is something about running that is so incredible. God designed my body to be able to persevere and push through 1, 2, 3, and 8 miles. He made my muscles strengthen and gave my lungs the capacity to fill and empty as I take each step. The fact that my body responds to the activity is amazing to me. Everything changes. Weight, muscle mass, the percentage of fat, etc.

I love that God is a God of detail. I love that He made my body to work the way that it does on purpose. He knew exactly what He was doing. I love that He created a beautiful world for me to observe while I am running (and an iPod to listen to courtesy of Anthony).

I want to be better about meditating on God's awesomeness. It is what we (I) are (am) called, as Christians, to do.

Psalm 143:5
I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

Life to the max!

Psalm 139:1-6

God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I'm an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I'm never out of your sight.
You know everything I'm going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can't take it all in!

One of those days.

Today has been one of those days. You know the days. There are ups and downs and seems like there are more downs. It all seems to pile on at once. And then you find this:

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Philippians 4:6-8

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding [the wonders of His Person] more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power out- flowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers]; and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death.

Philippians 3:10 AMP

What time I am afraid I will trust in Him.

When I was a little girl, the verse in the blog title was one that I learned in Cubbies, a club organized by AWANA, a church group. I have always repeated that verse to myself when ever I am scared, whether it be because of a storm, quiet houses, dark roads late at night, or arriving home to an empty apartment.

There are other verses that have become crucial to my feeble mind. "Be ye kind one to another. Tender-hearted, forgiving one another." Mom used to use that one when we were arguing or bickering about something. "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." A great life verse and one that I repeat to myself on a regular basis. "The King in enthralled with your beauty. Honor Him for He is your Lord." Whenever I start to feel gross and ugly, I say this one over and over again.

While we were at camp, Eve encouraged us to find our "life verse." She noted that it could change for each season in your life and was just whatever spoke to your heart at the time. As I began to think about it, the women in our group began to share theirs. "By His Grace, I am who I am." "I am the vine, and you are the fruit." "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper and not to destroy. Seek me and you will find me."

As God's word was spoken over me, I knew what my newest life verse was meant to be. Psalm 86:11 says "Lord, Give me an undivided heart." As I poured over the scriptures in a rather constant state for four weeks, I found that I kept coming back to this verse and my heart was consistently coming back to contemplate it's meaning.

I will be the first to admit that my heart is divided more often than not. My focus is not always where it needs to be and I fail to just live out the life that God has given me with intention. I fail to be content, joyful. and faithful and instead suffer from a ungrateful heart, a complaining spirit, and a general discontentment with my situation. I long for an undivided heart. One that is focused Jesus and His love for me.

Any thoughts? What is your life verse?

The Road to Frontier, 2009-Day Six

Thank you for your prayers for these Columbus Young Life kids and leaders. Know that they are appreciated and that I am praying that you would not grow weary in your petitions to God. Please pray that today would be glorifying to God and that He would continue to pursue these kids like only He can do!

Ephesians 3:14-21

A Prayer for the Ephesians

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

The Road to Frontier, 2009-Day Five

Today marks the half-way point! Five days and counting. Please continue to pray. Pray for sleep for kids and leaders alike. Pray for continued zeal. Pray for the power of God's love to wash over these kids in a way that they have never felt or experienced. Pray that God's word would touch them deeply and they would see that to walk with Christ is to live life to the ULTIMATE!

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the ultimate.

The Road to Frontier, 2009-Day Four

Please continue to pray for these precious, precious high schoolers as leaders seek to minister to their hearts. Pray that God would cover them with His love and pour His spirit into their hearts! Thank you, prayer warriors!

2 Thessalonians 3:1

Request for Prayer

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.

They are still there...

It's Sunday and I will bet you anything that it's a beautiful, glorious day in the mountains.

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving thanks.

¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

² Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

³ Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Goals and Resolutions

Goals are good things to have and can be helpful. I resolve to wear make up once a week. I resolve to spend more time in the word. I resolve to keep my room clean. (Ok...I admit that one might be a stretch, but it's worth a shot.)

One goal that I have is to memorize more scripture. My goal for this week is Ephesians 3:14-21. This was read at Kimble and Matt's wedding and I absolutely loved it.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

On blooming where planted.

I am not a patient person by any means. I would rather buy plants that have already bloomed and arrange them prettily in front of my house than plant the seeds and wait for them to grow. I would rather go into Chick-fil-a and place my order than go through the drive through and have to sit in line even though it will probably end up taking the same amount of time. I'll do anything to make myself feel like I am actually DOING something when I become anxious about a situation. I make lists and phone calls. I write blogs and I analyze every possible scenario. I get the opinions of far too many people. I think about it until I cannot think about it anymore. All of this is a show of my lack of a virtue called patience.

I have found that with impatience comes discontentment. I hate seeing these two words written out. There is something about the "im" in front of patience and the "dis" in front of contentment that makes me cringe. But I digress. With impatience comes discontentment. And I find myself in a seemingly constant state of both. College is a fine example of that. I have changed my major six times. Music and Theater, Theater, English, History, Political Science, and then Journalism and Photography. And the thoughts of what I will do with all of these change from day to day. I'll do theater! I'll be a politician! I'll be a lawyer! I'll run for office! I'll be a college professor! I'll be a journalist, a photographer, a pre-K teacher, a missionary, a Young Life staffer. You name it, I want to be it. Aside from a fire-fighter, a ballet dancer, and a stripper, I have probably aspired to pretty much everything.

I am a planner to a fault. I like to know what I am doing every moment of every day. I schedule to a tee and often to the detriment of my poor sleep deprived body and the disappointment of friends and family. I like to think of myself as a fly-by-the-seat-of-pants kinda girl, but alas, that is only a dream. Often, I find that it doesn't really matter what the plan is as long as I have a plan. One plan keeps me going until the next one comes along.

My latest string of plans have been about as wide spread as you can imagine. I applied to the University of Texas in Austin for admission (for which I was denied), applied to Mission to the World for a year long mission trip to Peru (on which I am currently waiting for the process to pick up a little speed...great...waiting), and am currently in the process of working on a back up plan for the possible failure of my world traveling adventure. This plan involves moving into a cheaper housing situation (possibly known as my parent's home), getting a job, and going to school full time (by full time, I mean as many hours as possible). There is a lot that goes into all of this and a lot of decisions that need to be made pronto. Again, the patience thing (or lack thereof) is getting in the way.

However, I feel God working in me as I go through this unsettling time. While my life is full of uncertainty as far as my earthly plans go, I find that my certainty and faith in my heavenly Father only grows. He is constantly removing parts of my life that have no business being there and replacing them with moments, people, and situations that can only come from Him. When it seems like there can be no reason for various situations that arise, He gently reminds me that I am His and He is mine. His plan is in action and His promises are good. I can call on Him day and night. He never sleeps. He longs for me to call out to Him in the darkness.

"Hey God. You there? Because I am."

I am a refuge in times of trouble. I care for those who trust in me.

"Yeah, I know that."

Do you, Theresa? Are you really trusting in me?

"Maybe..."

You do not have because you have not asked me.

"Help me in my unbelief."

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.

It is so easy to write this down. To pretend like I have all the answers. Please hear me when I say that I do not have all the answers. I worry and panic. I stress out. I don't always ask. However, I know that when I do ask, He willing gives it to me. As I lay in bed last night with the beginnings of what I knew was panic, I cried out to Him for a peace that passes all understanding and He gave it to me. As I worry about my apartment, money, summer and fall plans, boys, jobs, and a host of other things that feel so important, God is gracious. From weekends in Birmingham, to conversations with James Rockwell, car rides with Craig, the sweet-sometimes silent- company of my sisters, loss of jobs, awesome sermons, dinners with Banks, financial uncertainty, the sound of baby chatter, trips to Frontier, time with Young Life kids and leaders, car trouble, the silly laughter of little girls, and sleepless nights, God is gracious. Through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, His mercy endures forever. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I will praise Him for He is worthy of praise. He does grant me peace. I know that His plan is there and I am trusting, though not perfectly, in Him.

I don't have patience and contentment because I haven't asked for them. I struggle on blooming where I am planted because I am so concerned with moving on to the next thing, that I disregard the possibility that God could be calling me to be still for the time being. My prayer is that I would grow in patience and contentment. I covet your prayers as God begins, or rather continues, to work on these areas of my life.

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

Psalms 116:1-2

Past, present, future...

I have had several events over the course of the past few days which have pointed out to me the rapid speed at which we live and die. "Ugh!" you say. "What a morbid thought!" Nope. I don't think so. Hear me out on this one.

In one weekend, there was announcement of pregnancy, a wedding, and a death. Each event brought thoughts to my mind. The most powerful, however, was the funeral (shocking, I'm sure), although the wedding was a close tie. I want to focus on the funeral though.

The funeral was for Mrs. Sharon Niedrach who died Friday night. I wrote a post about her just a few days ago. Mrs. Sharon had planned out her funeral to a tee. She planned it down to how long the pastors could talk. I loved how each song, bible verse, and each charge to the congregation was clearly Mrs. Sharon. She was in each moment. She wanted the service to glorify God. And I know that it did. It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful funeral service I have ever been too. Although, as I was telling my dad, it was all because of the person. Mrs. Sharon was a beautiful lady. She was beautiful because of her faith. It defined her and that was obvious to everyone who knew her.

As I sat there between my dad and my friend, Matt, it struck me more potently than ever before that this was a woman that I want to imitate, even in death. As the service went on, I was awe struck at the worshipful nature of the service. God was most certainly present and glorified in all that was said and sung. Mrs. Sharon's desire for her funeral service, a celebration of her life, was that the focus be on Jesus Christ. As her sweet friend Marilyn said, "Sharon is not the hero of Sharon's story; Jesus Christ is the hero of Sharon's story." This is because of His grace and mercy in her life. She was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. She proclaimed it with gladness.

Another thought that hit me was that, while death is not something that I have thought about for myself, it is not something that I totally fear. As a Christian, there is nothing for me to fear in death. I know where I am going. When I said that I want to imitate Mrs. Sharon in death, I mean that I want to long to be with my Savior as she longed to be with Him. While she was sad that she would be leaving her loved ones for a time, she was more than willing, happy, and ready to spend eternity at the Father's feet.

Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

Verse of the day.

...even if you have been banished to the most distant nations, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. Deuteronomy 30:4

Sharptop Cove

Four days and counting until we (Greater Columbus Young Life) leave for Sharptop Cove.

As most of you know, I am a Young Life leader at Shaw High School here in Columbus. This weekend, we are taking our high school friends to Sharptop Cove in Jasper, Georgia right above Atlanta. I covet your prayers as we continue to sign kids up for camp, drive up on Friday afternoon, spend the weekend solidifying relationships, sharing the Gospel, and then as we come back on Sunday afternoon.

So far, Shaw as around 27 kids signed up. I have complete faith that God is going to place the kids He wants on the bus. Please pray that these kids would be open to the Gospel message, that God would work in their hearts, that He would place a yearning, burning desire in their hearts for Him, and that these kids (the girls especially) would open up and share with with me.

Please also pray for me as I spend the weekend with these girls. That the words that come out of my mouth during Cabin Time would be God's, not mine; that I would be in God's word and within understanding distance of Him; that God would minister to my heart and refresh my spirit as I seek to minister to these kids; and that I would surrender to myself to Him.

I love you all and I am so grateful for the prayer warriors that God has provided me with.

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." -James 5:16b

"I sought the Lord and he answered me..." -Psalm 34:4

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours."-Mark 11:24

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you..."-Colossians 1:9

"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus! Amen!" -1 Cor. 16:23-24

"For I am not ashamed..."

"You have God's permission to not have to go through life building a fan club for yourself."

This awesome quote came from my good friend, Brad Baker, who stole it from his pastor. So, if there was any question of credit not being given where credit is due, there shouldn't be now.

I was having a conversation yesterday in which I asked if I was going to be made to sound like some crazy, religious fanatic (don't ask) and the reply I received was "Oh, you don't need my help in that area." After the initial sting and shock, my eyes welled up and I had to force myself not to let the tears fall down my cheeks. Some back tracking occurred from my conversational partner, but the words had been said and their weight was heavy.

It's the next day now and while the weight is still heavy, my thoughts are not as negative as they were. I do not have to go through life building a fan club for myself. I don't need the approval of men to know that I have found favor in the sight of the one who gave His life for me. Being what I like to call "sold out on Jesus" is not something to be ashamed of. Romans 1:16 says "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believe..." Why should someone's intended insult of my faith result in tears on my part? Allow me to share the following passages:

2 Corinthians 12:10- That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Thessalonians 1:4- Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

1 Peter 2:23- When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

The last one is speaking of Jesus. No retaliation, no threats. He simply placed His trust and faith in the One who sent Him here in the first place. I'll go ahead and admit that while I didn't retaliate or make any threats, the reason was more from the fact that I was blindsided from the comment rather than my trying to be more like Jesus.

Ok, so I'm a Christian. And while this is the first time that someone has vocally attempted to insult me without beating around the bush, it will most likely not be the last. My prayer is that the next time it happens, I react much in the same way I did this time, only without the shock (since Paul tells us not be surprised when we are persecuted/insulted for the Gospel message) and with the mindset that I am in good company if I am being accosted for my faith.

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be continually in my mouth." -Psalm 34:1

Another steal...

I have some fantastic friends who love me well. They send me great articles and other types of literature to read and learn from. The following article was sent to me a few weeks ago. The message hits home for me and also sheds a great deal of light on the subject of race. Enjoy!

Did Moses Marry a Black Woman?

By John Piper

A biblical view of interracial marriage and why it matters for the local church to take a stand.

Moses, a Jew, apparently married a black African and was approved by God.

We learn in Numbers that "Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman" (Num. 12:1). A Cushite is from Cush, a region south of Ethiopia, where the people are known for their black skin. We know this because of Jeremiah 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian [the same Hebrew word translated "Cushite" in Numbers 12:1] change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil." Attention is drawn to the difference of the skin of the Cushite people.

In his book From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race, Daniel Hays writes that Cush "is used regularly to refer to the area south of Egypt, and above the cataracts on the Nile, where a Black African civilization flourished for over two thousand years. Thus it is quite clear that Moses marries a Black African woman" (71).

In response to Miriam’s criticism, God does not get angry at Moses; he gets angry at Miriam. The criticism has to do with Moses’ marriage and Moses’ authority. The most explicit statement relates to the marriage: "Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman." Then God strikes Miriam with leprosy. Why? Consider this possibility. In God’s anger at Miriam, Moses’ sister, God says in effect, "You like being light-skinned Miriam? I’ll make you light-skinned." So we read, "When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow" (Num. 12:10)

God says not a critical word against Moses for marrying a black Cushite woman. But when Miriam criticizes God’s chosen leader for this marriage God strikes her skin with white leprosy. If you ever thought black was a biblical symbol for uncleanness, be careful; a worse white uncleanness could come upon you.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

To the opposing views on interracial marriage, I would add my own experience. I was a southern teenage racist (by almost any definition). Since I am a sinner still, I do not doubt that elements of it remain in me—to my dismay. For these lingering attitudes and actions I repent.

Racism is a very difficult reality to define. Our pastoral staff has been working on it for years. Presently, we are most closely committed to the definition given several summers ago at the Presbyterian Church in America annual meeting: "Racism is an explicit or implicit belief or practice that qualitatively distinguishes or values one race over other races." That is what I mean when I say I was a racist growing up in Greenville, South Carolina. My attitudes and actions were demeaning and disrespectful toward non-whites. And right at the heart of those attitudes was opposition to interracial marriage.

My mother, who washed my mouth out with soap once for saying, "Shut up!" to my sister, would have washed my mouth out with gasoline if she knew how foul my mouth was racially. She was, under God, the seed of my salvation in more ways than one. When our church voted in 1963 not to admit blacks, when I was seventeen, my mother ushered the black guests at my sister’s wedding right into the main sanctuary herself because the ushers wouldn’t do it. I was on my way to redemption.

In 1967, Noël and I attended the Urbana Missions Conference. I was a senior at Wheaton. There we heard Warren Webster, a former missionary to Pakistan, answer a student’s question: what if your daughter falls in love with a Pakistani while you’re on the mission field and wants to marry him? With great forcefulness he said, "The Bible would say, Better a Christian Pakistani than a godless white American!" The impact on us was profound.

Four years later, I wrote a paper for Lewis Smedes in an ethics class at seminary called "The Ethics of Interracial Marriage." For me that was a biblical settling of the matter, and I have not gone back from what I saw there. The Bible does not oppose or forbid interracial marriages. And there are circumstances which, together with biblical principles, make interracial marriage in many cases a positive good.

Now I am a pastor. One quick walk through my church’s pictorial directory gives me a rough count of over two hundred non-Anglos. I am sure I missed some. And I am sure the definition of Anglo is so vague that someone will be bothered that I even tried to count. But the point is this: dozens and dozens of them are children and teenagers and single young men and women. This means very simply that my church needs a clear place to stand on interracial marriage. Church is the most natural and proper place to find a spouse. And they will find each other across racial lines.

THE CHALLENGES AND BLESSINGS OF INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE

Opposition to interracial marriage is one of the deepest roots of racial distance, disrespect, and hostility. Show me one place in the world where interracial or interethnic marriage is frowned upon and yet the two groups still have equal respect and honor and opportunity. I don’t think it exists. It won’t happen. Why? Because the supposed specter of interracial marriage demands that barrier after barrier must be put up to keep young people from knowing each other and falling in love. They can’t fellowship in church youth groups. They can’t go to the same schools. They can’t belong to the same clubs. They can't live in the same neighborhoods. Everybody knows deep down what is at stake here. Intermarriage is at stake.

And as long as we disapprove of it, we will be pushing our children, and therefore ourselves, away from each other. The effect of that is not harmony, not respect, and not equality of opportunity. Where racial intermarriage is disapproved, the culture with money and power will always dominate and always oppress. They will see to it that those who will not make desirable spouses stay in their place and do not have access to what they have access to. If your kids don’t make desirable spouses, you don’t make desirable neighbors.

And here is a great and sad irony. The very situation of separation and suspicion and distrust and dislike that is brought about (among other things) by the fear of intermarriage, is used to justify the opposition to intermarriage. "It will make life hard for the couple and hard for the kids." "They’ll be called half-breeds." It’s a catch 22. It’s like the army being defeated because there aren’t enough troops, and the troops won’t sign up because the army’s being defeated. Oppose interracial marriage, and you will help create a situation of racial disrespect. And then, since there is a situation of disrespect, it will be prudent to oppose interracial marriage.

Here is where Christ makes the difference. Christ does not call us to a prudent life, but to a God-centered, Christ-exalting, justice-advancing, counter-cultural, risk-taking life of love and courage. Will it be harder to be married to another race, and will it be harder for the kids? Maybe. Maybe not. But since when is that the way a Christian thinks? Life is hard. And the more you love the harder it gets.

It’s hard to take a child to the mission field. The risks are huge. It’s hard to take a child and move into a mixed neighborhood where he may be teased or ridiculed. It’s hard to help a child be a Christian in a secular world where his beliefs are mocked. It’s hard to bring children up with standards: "you will not dress like that, and you will not be out that late." It’s hard to raise children when dad or mom dies or divorces. And that’s a real risk in any marriage. Whoever said that marrying and having children was to be trouble free? It’s one of the hardest things in the world. It just happens to be right and rewarding.

Christians are people who move toward need and truth and justice, not toward comfort and security. Life is hard. But God is good. And Christ is strong to help.

There is so much more to say about the challenges and blessings of interracial marriage. Suffice it to say now by way of practical conclusion: At my church, we will not underestimate the challenges of interracial marriage or transracial adoption (they go closely together). We will celebrate the beauty, and we will embrace the burden. Both will be good for us and good for the world and good for the glory of God.

John Piper is the pastor for preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the author of many books. Go to www.desiringgod.org to learn more.

Isaiah 43

The singing portion of any church service is usually my favorite part of worship. I love music. I believe that it plays such a vital role in our lives and that makes it an incredibly important part of worship.

I attend St. Andrews Presbyterian Church and it has been a joy to be a part of a congregation with a pastor who appreciates the music aspect of worship the same way that I do. We sing a variety of hymns and songs, many older and more traditional hymns that have been given newer tunes. We also sing bible passages that have been set to music.

The words below are to one of my favorite songs that we sing. I had some trouble finding a soundbite to include here on the blog, so if you want to hear the tune, you are going to have to ask me to sing it for you.

Isaiah 43

1. When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you,
And the waves will not
Overcome you.
Do not fear,
For I have redeemed you,
I have called you by name,
You are Mine.

Chorus: For I am the Lord your God
(I am the Lord your God),
I am the Lord your God (I am)
The Holy One of Israel
Your Savior
For I am the Lord your God
(I am the Lord your God),
I am the Lord your God (I am)
The Holy One of Israel
Your Savior
I am the Lord (do not fear)
I am the Lord (do not fear)
I am the Lord (do not fear)
I am the Lord (do not fear)

2. When you walk through the fire
You’ll not be burned,
And the flames will not
Consume you.
Do not fear,
For I have redeemed you,
I have called you by name,
You are Mine.
(Repeat chorus)

Goodby Old Year! Hello New Year!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

I hate new year resolutions. I think that they set us (or maybe just me) up for failure. You decide that you are going to run every day and eat only healthy foods. Or you decide that you are going to read this ridiculously long list of books, dust every Friday, go vegetarian, fill up the gas tank when it hits the halfway mark, give yourself a clothing budget, and keep your laundry under control. Yeah, right. Like any of that is going to happen. Let's face it, you get to the end of the year and you see that you have not even half way completed the list or you have forgotten exactly what it was that you resolved to resolve.

I want this year to go a little differently. I know, I know. I am about to go against everything that I just said. However, instead of setting absolute goals for myself, I am noting things in myself that I would like to work on. No set mark to reach. I just want to see some progress in myself.

• Jesus. He is already my number one priority. However, I want to be within understanding distance of Him. I want to live more like the new creation He provided me with. I want to stand in awe every morning and fight with a passion to stay on a spiritual high.
  
• Details. I am not a very detail oriented person. I see the big picture and it's hard for me to focus on the how, so much as the goal. I would like to become better at the details.
• Fitness. I know, talk about stereo-typical. But, seriously. I love to run and take spin class. I really do. I just need to get motivated. This time last year I was a gym junkie. I would like to get back in the groove.

That's it really. I am not saying that is all I need to work on in me. However, one step at time AND I want to be able to reach January 1st, 2010 and be able to see the progress I have made in the past year.

Here's to 2008 and everything that it embodied and here is to 2009 and the graciousness I pray God will give to each and everyone of us.

The 2nd Annual Garcia-Garvin Christmas Shopping Weekend

As I write, I am sitting in the living room of one of my best friends, Kathryn G. I came up to her home in Atlanta yesterday afternoon and plan on heading home tomorrow.

This has been a good weekend for me. Good girl time, good quotes, and a lot of thinking, both on the road and in quiet moments. Time with my sweet friend, Kathryn, is always fun and I treasure our friendship.

I serve an awesome God who pursues me relentlessly. The ride up to Atlanta was productive God time and my thoughts were and are stayed on Him. It is times like these, when He consumes my thoughts, that I know He is pursuing me and working in my heart. He has used this weekend and this Holiday season to pull me even closer into His loving arms. His love and mercy are evident to me as He humbles my heart and shows me my imperfections and my unrighteousness. I am in awe of His grace and greatness.

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. -Psalm 34:3

Praising God in all you do.

Psalm 148

1 Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights above.

2 Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars.

4 Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.

6 He set them in place for ever and ever;
he gave a decree that will never pass away.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,

9 you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,

10 wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,

11 kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,

12 young men and maidens,
old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

14 He has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his saints,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the LORD.

Our sermon this morning was based on this passage of scripture. I thought that my pastor did an excellent job of explaining it's meaning and I want to share.

The psalmist talks about how each part of creation praises God by existing in the manner in which He created them to exist. As Pastor Douglas put it, the same goes for humans. We praise God and glorify Him by doing what He created us to do to the best of our ability and in His name. It is so simple. According to the shorter catechism, man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. I believe that God gave each of us unique gifts and ways in which to glorify and praise Him. So, whether you are a dentist, actor, plumber, lawyer, real estate agent, student, or a stay at home mom, God has given us each the opportunity and ability to praise Him. That is why He created us. To glorify and enjoy Him forever. I think that the beauty of the gospel is the simplicity of it's message. Whatever we do, it should be done in God's name and to the best of our ability.