May the God who give endurance and encouragement give you the sam attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. — Romans 15:5-6

The past few weeks have precipitated a lot of conversations surround the hashtags, #blacklivesmatter, #bluelivesmatter #alllivesmatter. 

And I am here to not make a stand on the subject, but to speak from what I believe to be a Christian perspective on the matter. 

When I started thinking about all of the different stories I have read or seen in the news, all of the posts I have seen on social media, and even the conversations I’ve had with friends and acquaintances, I realized how many different stances there were to take regarding this topic. 

Most of the time you can look at differing opinions as a spectrum you have one extreme on one side, and another extreme on the other. 

While I think there are extremes in the current stirrings of violence in our country, I have come to picture all of the different opinions and stances and arguments in the form of a sphere. 

All around the subject, there are different view points, that make up this sphere. The outside are the most extreme (perhaps even violent) arguments about the violence. Then the “inside” of sphere is made up of the many other arguments that are maybe less harsh and easier to swallow, and thrown in there randomly are those apathetic people who have chosen for whatever reason to not face the issue at hand. 

But at the center of the whole sphere, I see Christ. 

I see him loving each and every person regardless of their arguments. 

I see him weeping for the lost lives caused by the sin of our broken world. 

I see his heart breaking as his people (those who proclaim Christ as Savior) argue with one another. 

I see him moving – reaching out his arms to hold each person who is feeling hurt, confused, angry, sad, or defeated, waiting for them to fall into him. 

I see his righteous anger at the injustices that have ensued. 

I see his perfect justice coming. 

I see his mercy already here. 

My one prayer in all of the chaos would be that each person, wherever they might land in that sphere, draw closer and closer to Christ so that with ONE mind and ONE voice we may glorify our God and Father. 

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ — Acts 17:24-28

Photo Credit: http://www.therebelution.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/christ_the_center.jpg

I often let my thoughts run away from me and I can get caught up in believing lies that Satan tries to make seep into my brain. Even now as I am writing this, I am over thinking each of my thoughts and wondering how what I am saying will come across to each person and if I should share this or that about myself and my life and/or thought processes. 

I think it is fair to say that at some point we have all let our thoughts go to places that are not honoring to Christ whether that be negative self-talk, thoughts of lust, or hate, or coveting, you name it, our thoughts go there. 

For me the thoughts that are not honoring to Christ are the ones where I think that I am less than what God has created me to be, or that I have made a mistake beyond forgiveness.

Recently, I discovered a verse that has become a great tool for combatting these thought patterns. 

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5

The last bit has really stuck with me and been my way of facing the thoughts that do not bring glory to Christ head on and thinking of what it means for those things to become obedient to Christ. 

Sometimes, when these negative thoughts come along, it is easy to think of a truth from scripture to combat it, or to think of a way to make it honoring to Christ. 

Other times I don’t know what to do with it, but I pray that God will reveal it to me. 

And various other moments, I don’t even have the capacity to do that, and I just write it down and come back to it later. 

I can’t tell you yet that it is a magic bullet fix (and I don’t believe that such a thing exists), and I don’t know what sort of difference it is making at this point, but what I can tell you is that I know that becoming more focused on and obedient to Christ will cause a change in whatever area of your life you apply it to. 

So, I encourage you to take those thoughts captive and find ways to make them obedient to Christ with me as we move together on a journey toward becoming more like Christ each day. 

Through some conversations with friends tonight some great wisdom was spoken about time. I got some good perspective that I hadn’t really thought of before.

One friend said: “Well if you look at your life and say you live at least 80 years. Spending even 5 years doing something is such a small fraction of that.”

Huh. Good point. It seems like a lot now, but in the grand scheme of things it’s really not.

The other friend passed on some wisdom she had learned from someone else, saying: “You can do anything for one year!”

How true! I think back to a year ago and cannot believe that… well, that it was a whole year ago. But in our 80 year example, that’s so small!

It’s hard to think about right now, because I am 27 and 5 years seems like a heck of a lot of time because that’s roughly 1/5 (some might say 5/27) of my life! But when I am 80 and I look back, that one year of doing whatever will be only one of many.

Any years can be really good, and they can be really bad. They can mean something, and you can do a lot or a little, but you can do anything for a year.

Now think about things in perspective of eternity. I know because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that I will get to live eternally with him.

One year out of eternity. 1 out of infinity. You really can do anything for a year.

This is not to say that the time we spend here doesn’t matter, but at the same time we shouldn’t worry so much about how long this or that is taking, or why this hasn’t happened yet.

There is eternity and eternity starts now. We should take hold of the moments we have and not wait for someone else to do something or for this or that to change, but take hold and change it ourselves for the Kingdom of God.

Most Thursday nights I sit down with my laptop and sigh dramatically about having to write my blog. Tonight was no different.

In my most whiny voice, I said to my roommate, “UGH! What should I write my blog about!”

“Chickens! The miracle of child birth!”, she exclaimed. “No really, you should write about obligations and the blessings that come from following through with them.”

…

I should have known she would turn it real in 0 seconds flat. What she said tugged on my heart. Here I sit each week with a platform to tell people about how God is working in my life, and I continuously complain about it. I mean people read this blog. Like 4 people, but people! Human beings who I have the opportunity to be a voice for God to work through.

God called me to write this blog, and it was my new year’s resolution to be obedient to that call. And God has not been silent in it. I have seen him work in the ways that I have been moved while writing, how I have been challenged by the things He places on my heart to write about. But more than that He has moved in the hearts of people through my words. I know this because of the comments, the texts, the Facebook messages that I have received after posting.

Jesus, I thank you for the ways that you have moved through and in this blog, and I pray that you continue to work on my heart and the hearts of the people through it. 

I think it was fitting to have this blog right in the middle of the year – I have been doing this for almost 6 months! I will choose not to forget about the ways in which God has moved! Here’s to 6 more months of blogging!

 

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me (Paul), I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. — Romans 12:3

There are a lot of verses like this in the Bible. Don’t think more of yourself that you ought. Living in a culture that is self consumed and focused on independent lives, I can’t help but see the truth in it.

But I think there is a flip side to the Romans verse above. The very end part where it says “Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us”.

What is the faith that God has given us? That we can trust him because of who he says he is and what he is has done and that is forgive the world of its sin and death through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Okay. Good. Now that we’re on the same page let’s get a little more theoretical. The Romans 12 verse talks about not thinking you are better than you really are – which let’s be honest (which the verse says to do, so let’s go there), we all need to remember and hear from time to time. Some of those times might be closer together for some of us than others.

But what about not thinking we are less than we really are? I struggle to even write about this because I don’t want to sound like a feel good hippie who just wants talk about how God is Love and that is all the matters. Because I know that God is also wrath and perfect justice. Without his justice, we wouldn’t need (or have) his mercy.

But let’s take some samples from scripture. Keep in mind that these were written by the same God-inspired human.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. – 1 Timothy 1:15 

Okay. There’s Paul definitely not thinking he is better than he really is. We all have our moments where we think we are the worst of sinners. Great. Next verse:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8

Wait a second. While we were still sinners – the WORST of sinners, Christ died for us?!

Sometimes we get stuck in 1 Timothy 1 there – we are the worst (insert weakness noun here). We think don’t deserve love and we forget about Romans 5. If we get stuck there in 1 Timothy 1, we are not being completely honest in our evaluation of ourselves. Yes, we are all the worst of sinners…BUT (and it’s a big one), while we were still being the worst, Christ decided to give his life.

So… We are loved. We are cherished. We are important enough to God to sacrifice his sone for us. We are worthy.

So dear friends, be honest in your evaluation of yourselves and do not think you are better than you really are, but do not think you are less than you really are. Hang on to the to the truths in scripture that tell us how to keep humble. Start with these verses here, and comment below with your favorite.

Lately I’ve been in a bit of a hole. Not because I fell in there, but because I’ve been hiding out in there from the realities of the world and of relationship and of the things that I’ve said and done that make me cringe to even think about them.

Naively, I have been thinking that I was hiding out from God in this hole as well. But really there is no hiding from him. Some might find that scary, but I find it comforting.

There’s no need to hide – he already knows. He knows my heart and my thoughts and the things that I’ve done and the hole that I’ve been hiding in. And he desires

I am awestruck just thinking about the power of God in that way – that at any given moment whether I’ve spoken it out loud or not, he knows.

This morning I was listening to worship music on my way to work, not really because I wanted to, but because I thought I should. The song Grace So Glorious by Elevation Worship came on and I was brought to tears by the Glory of Jesus.

The first verse of the song says:

“Beneath the cross of Jesus Christ, no shadow remains for shame to hide, redemption shown for all to see, perfection bore our penalty with a grace so glorious.”

Climb out of your holes, friends, and I will begin to climb out of mine. His Glory is too bright for hiding, and there is no shadow left to hid in after what Christ has done.

I have been redeemed.

I am holy.

I am royalty.

I am a daughter of Heaven.

I am forgiven.

I am loved.

When you know Jesus and who he is and what he has done for you, his precious child, you are too. There’s glory waiting on the other side.

 

Recently, I was talking with some friends about some heavy things that some of their family members were going through. We were talking about how hard it is to be away and care deeply about what is going on, and not being about to “do anything” about it.

We came to the conclusion that for those particular situations, even the people who are near by can’t really do anything about it either, and sometimes we just have to be okay with the fact that there’s nothing that we can do.

I’ve been ruminating on this conversation and have been noticing that people say that a lot – “There’s nothing we can do.”, “What can you do?”, “Welp, there’s nothing you can do.”

While there may be many situations in our lives that are out of our control, there are no situations that are out of God’s control. And while we might not be able to change anything, He can.

BUT, there is something that we can do. Pray. Praying isn’t my natural first response – normally it is doing. But when you’ve felt like you’ve run out of options, and there’s nothing left – you can always pray.

It doesn’t matter what the situation – Our Heavenly Father longs to hear about it – and even if you don’t know how to pray, just call out His name, and he knows your heart, my friends.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. — 1 John 5:14

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. — Jeremiah 29:12

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. — Hebrews 4:16

He listens to us, and there is power in prayer. There IS something you can do about it. It’s never too late, or too soon to pray.

Hi. My name is Kitty. Today I will be writing Jami’s blog. You’re welcome world. Things I love; food, eating food, looking at food, watching humans eat food, going outside, eating grass, eating rabbit poop, stabbing people with my talons, Penny, punching Penny in the face, bullying Penny, sleeping, using my eyebrows to get what I want, annoying others, people aggressively patting my head, running around naked, and most of all my mom (at least that’s what I tell her).

Hello. My name is Penelope Jane, but you can call me Penny, Penelope Cruz, Penne pasta, penn state, pumpkin spice latte, pendulum, or peñata. Things I love include, my mom, outsmarting Kitty, my mom, breakfast, dinner, treats, my mom, our friends, night night, my mom, wine, long walks in the woods, that one ugly tennis ball in the dog run that mom never lets me take home, my blanket, barking at every single sound that comes from outside of the apartment, my mom, naps, cuddling, sitting on the back of the couch, PAKOUR!, my mom, and most of all my my mom.

We like living with our moms. And cuddling with each other. Sometimes we fight over toys, but Kitty usually wins because she’s a bully. When our moms are away at work, we face time with each other in our crates and scheme to keep our moms on their toes. Penny is the brains, Kitty is the brawn, but one thing we’re both really good at though, is peeing on the carpet.

Our moms think we are pretty cool, and we are glad to have them as our moms.

Actually I (Penny), really have to pee, and my mom’s not listening to me, so we have to go now. And Kitty just punched my in the face… typical.

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Kitty and Penny

 

I have never been very good at receiving – help, or gifts, or compliments, or anything that you are supposed to receive, really.

It’s not that I don’t like or appreciate the gifts that people give me, they just make me feel uncomfortable – like I don’t know what to do with it.

Friend: Hey Jami, you are really pretty. 

Me: Haha… oh. Okay. 

Me inside my head: JUST SAY THANK YOU AND TAKE THE COMPLIMENT, JAMI! 

I have learned a lot about accepting and receiving the things that people give. I have learned to think about it from my own perspective and how I would feel if someone didn’t receive the “gift” that I was giving them – I would be sad/upset that they didn’t take it. I usually put thought (whether it be a little or a lot) into giving somebody something, and I get sad or frustrated when someone makes an effort to avoid it. So why would  I refuse someone else the opportunity to give me something that they put thought into (whether a little or a lot), and cause them to be sad or frustrated or whatever negative thing that they might feel?

JUST RECEIVE THE GIFT!

When I was on bed rest for 6 weeks in East Africa, far away from my team, I had to learn to accept help from the friends, acquaintances, and strangers around me because I often could not help myself. I definitely think that was a good thing that came out of a terrible situation.

Two examples:

1. Today, I offered to get someone a soda because I was going to go get one for myself.  She tried to give me money (a $10 at that), and I said, no thanks, this one is on me! And she tried to fight me on it. I told her, “You get to be nice to people all the time, let someone be nice to you! Just receive!” I cannot count the amount of times she thanked me for the silly little soda today. A gift with very little thought behind it.
2. Think of it another way. After Adam and Eve sinned, God orchestrated an unimaginable plan to bring us back to him through the life, death, and resurrection of his only Son. He asks us to receive the gift that he has given to us, and often we say we don’t need it, or try to give something back for it (think $10 bill), or live ungratefully. But he patiently gives us opportunities to receive. A gift with a lot of thought behind it.

So my friends, as hard as it is to receive, remind yourself that you were thought of, that you maybe don’t deserve it but they want to give it to you anyway, and JUST RECEIVE IT!

Above all remember to daily receive the love, blessing, and grace that our Heavenly Father gives us new each morning with thankful hearts!

And if you haven’t received Christ’s amazing love, He is holding it out, waiting for you to put out your hands and receive, and I am praying that you will do just that.

 

It’s likely that at some point everyone has experienced the grief process. What a lot of us do not realize is that grief can be attached to things other than the death of loved ones.

People have grief over a friendship torn apart, ending a chapter of life (think moving, graduating, etc.), the loss of a job, etc.

They also call it a grief PROCESS for a reason. It is just that. It is not simply a feeling you experience and then move on. It is a long-term series of emotions and thoughts that you have while you still have to try and live a “normal” life.

I’ve experienced grief attached to ending my previous job in new ways this week. I realized how much I loved that job and how sad it makes me that I don’t get to do it any more.

It’s been almost 3 months since I left and I am still not “over” it. I just am not. And I don’t know if I ever really will be, because it is something that meant so much to me. And that’s okay. 10 years from now, I might still have a moment where I get a little teary over it.

It’s okay to let your grief run it’s course no matter how long it takes. But I feel that it’s important not to let it take hold of your heart and your spirit and not to let it drag you down into a miry abyss. That’s what the enemy wants you to let grief do to you.

Even Jesus wept over Lazarus dying (I have also heard speculation that he was crying about the reality of death in general, but regardless…) even when he KNEW that he would raise him from the dead.

It’s okay to feel, my friends. Jesus was fully human and felt the whole range of emotions from his righteous anger while flipping tables to his compassionate weeping over the reality of the death of his friend.

I think partly this blog is to tell myself that it’s okay that I am still crying over something that happened 3 months ago (which really isn’t a terribly long time, I know), but I think I want you to know that you can feel too.

But while you’re feeling always remember the hope to which you have been called at the cross where someone else’s blood was shed for each and every one of your transgressions. Without this important piece it will be easy for you to sink into that seemingly bottomless chasm (this is the Google definition of abyss…powerful, huh?).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. — Proverbs 3:5-6