Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The text message proposal...


Recently a young man (who shall remain nameless and faceless) texted me out of the blue and told me that he was dreaming of marrying me. Since he is a few years younger than me and had never given any indication of this thought previously, it was quite a surprise. I wasn't quick to jump on board though. In fact, quite the opposite. Knowing that he is not converted and we would not be a compatible match, I gently encouraged him to dream about someone else. (Boy aren't I accumulating the crazy text stories? Last summer a complete stranger starts texting me and in the end decides to give his heart to God, and now a marriage proposal text…sorta)

Anyway, I told my team about what happened since I've been praying for this man's conversion, and I was encouraged to at least hear SOMETHING from him, even if it was an "dreaming of marrying you" text. I laughingly also mentioned to my team, that it made me feel kinda good to know that I was "still ok enough" that even a younger guy would think of such. Smile smile!! I was only half serious... Yet I know the reality that when you've been single your whole life (short as it's been, it seems like forever), and you've never really dated, those you cared about looked the other way, and time keeps passing, it IS easy for the devil to plant little seeds of doubt in your mind… "You know, something must be wrong with me! I must NOT be ok!"

However, I had no idea how many girls would identify with my joking remark…many on my team wrote back saying that they'd felt the same way - like something was WRONG with them and they weren't ok! But they weren't the only ones that wrote back. The guys wrote back as well...

One encouraged: "You're a 10 cow woman at least. Don't settle for less cows!" (From the Johnny Lingo movie!) I thought that was so sweet. However another wrote: "10 is considered above average, but a royal wife can be in the hundreds. I would say since you're the bride of the heavenly King, there would not be enough cows on earth for any of you girls."



Not enough cows for any of you girls!!!!

Did you catch that? So beautiful, so profound, and so true!!! And He is right. How could any of us entertain such doubts and such thoughts when we are more valuable then all the cows on this earth and more! We are so valuable to God that He sacrificed His Son. And His Son willingly gave His life to win our love!

So while my comment was all said in fun, it was a good wake-up call for me and hopefully it will be for all of you girls out there that may be having second thoughts about "waiting for Mr. Right." Mr. Right may still be out there and he might not be, but I know ONE MR. RIGHT that has already fallen in love with you…and before you give your hand to any man, be sure to send that man to the bargaining table with Him first.


You are worth loving and you deserve a prince - Not because of any goodness in yourself but because Your prince already gave His life for You!!!!!

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Too tired NOT to pray...


I don't know how it is for others, but I know that when I get tired it's hard to focus in prayer. I'd rather keep things short and simple and get my sleep, knowing that I can think and pray more clearly after I'm more rested. I mean, that makes sense right??

However, God's been giving me a paradigm shift in regards to prayer. But first, He had to remind me that it's ok to get tired…Let me share what I mean.

It's interesting the different misconceptions that sometimes altar our way of thinking. One misconception, that I didn't even realize I had, has been how I've perceived my exhaustion from hours spent in ministry or work. I will have a beautiful time with God in prayer and study in the morning, and then throughout the day as I work or minister to others, I'll find myself growing weary…depending on the task, sometimes to the point of exhaustion. The cycle repeats itself again and again. Often, after intense periods of ministry (whether a weekend speaking event, a mission trip, running the program for an ARME Bible Camp, or some other large task) I'll find myself nearing exhaustion and I'll have to collapse for a day or two. At those times my family will tell me, "You really need to slow down and not work so hard. You're going to kill yourself!" And then, sometimes I'll find myself thinking, "If I was really filled with the Holy Spirit, I shouldn't be getting so tired or weary during times of ministry? What is wrong? What am I missing?"

Just this past week I was reading in the book The Mount of Blessings and here's a paragraph that jumped out at me.

"Jesus days were passed in ministry to the crowds that pressed upon Him, and in unveiling the treacherous sophistry of the rabbis, and this incessant labor often left Him so utterly wearied that His mother and brothers, and even His disciples, had feared that His life would be sacrificed." p. 102

Wow - I guess I knew this, but I had forgotten. Even Jesus got weary….He grew tired. Just like me! Even Jesus family thought He was going to kill himself from over work. (Obviously He worked a LOT harder than I ever will!) But He kept going, He kept working, He kept ministering to others with a supernatural strength. What was His secret??

It's the secret we should know well...

The passage continues. "But as He returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, they [the disciples] marked the look of peace upon His face, the sense of refreshment that seemed to pervade His presence. It was from hours spent with God that He came forth, morning by morning, to bring the light of Heaven to men. The disciples had come to connect His hours of prayer with the power of His words and works….and their hearts were awed and humbled."

As I read, my heart was awed and humbled as well. And it was so encouraging for me to be reminded…that maybe I'm not off course after all. I  just need to keep walking, but also keep going back to the source of living water for new filling. For I am a leaky vessel…a very leaky vessel!

And then the paradigm shift began...

"Jesus was often found in prayer. He resorted to the lonely groves or to the mountains to make His requests known to His Father. When the business and cares of the day were ended, and the weary were seeking rest, Jesus devoted the time to prayer. 

We would not discourage prayer, for there is far too little praying and watching thereunto. And there is still less praying with the Spirit and the understanding also. Fervent and effectual prayer is always in place, and will never weary. Such prayer interests and refreshes all who have a love for devotion…. If Christians would take home the teachings of Christ in regard to watching and praying, they would become more intelligent in their worship of God." Counsels for the Church, p. 293

You see, the difference between us and Jesus is, when we get tired…we go rest. We go to bed, we stop working, we stop serving others and focus on ourselves! We take a break! However, when Jesus got tired, He went to pray… Oh what a powerful lesson and reminder of what we must do when we grow weary. Instead of turning inward to focus on ourselves, instead of pausing our service for others…we need to pause and take time to pray - not just quick survival prayers…but take the hours with Him we need until we are filled and refreshed once again.

One final passage that I think is very fitting here…

"Let us turn aside from the dusty, heated thoroughfares of life to rest in the shadow of Christ’s love, and learn from Him the lesson of quiet trust. Not a pause for a moment in His presence, but personal contact with Christ, to sit down in companionship with Him,—this is our need. Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God. They are in too great haste. With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ’s loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their burdens they return to their work. These workers can never attain the highest success until they learn the secret of strength. They must give themselves time to think, to pray, to wait upon God for a renewal of physical, mental, and spiritual power. They need the uplifting of His Spirit. Receiving this, they will be quickened by fresh life. The wearied frame and tired brain will be refreshed, and the burdened heart will be lightened and encouraged." Signs of the Times,  July 6, 1904, par. 6-7

Some of us may be too tired to pray…but really, we should be too tired NOT to pray. And thus we will grow more like our Lord and Savior every day…refreshed and ready to take on whatever comes our way!