"He's Not A Tame Lion"

This is one of my absolute favorite quotes from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (Forgive me if the quote is only in the movie, I couldn't remember whether it was in the book or not). Aslan, the Great Lion, is a picture of Christ. He created Narnia, he is good, and everything must submit to him. He is also "not a tame lion". That is one of the many things I love about this character: you never know what he is going to do next!
Like Aslan, the God that I serve is not a tame God. God is not boring as most unbelievers suppose and as most believers act. I never know what He is going to do next, my life is an adventure! So live life with breathless expectation, seize the day, and worship our untame God!

"To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways; we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should rather be an expression of breathless expectation."

-Oswald Chambers

What's A Girl To Do?

What's a girl to do when it is one of those days? You know what I'm talking about, those days when your face breaks out, you have nothing to wear, you are acutely aware of the fact that you gained a pound, and life just seems plain out cruel in everyway possible. What's a girl to do when those days start stretching into weeks?
In the past couple weeks, wedding stress has turned my face into something that just stresses me out more every time I look at it, late nights have turned my emotions into ticking time bombs, I resprained the foot that I sprained two years ago, and it seems that there are people out there who delight in tearing down the world that I am trying so hard to keep intact in the midst of all this change. In short, I have become a zit-faced basketcase, seriously entertaining the thought that all who look upon me will cringe at the sight and, if that doesn't scare them away, my volatile, irrational emotions will. In tears, I cried to God for answers and He, as usual, delighted to answer me.

Me: "Why God, did you make me like this? How can everyone still care about me and tell me I'm beautiful, especially my fiance? I'm so not! Is everyone really that blind?"

God: What if (God always seems to answer me with a question) I am trying to tell you that you are beautiful through them? What if they are seeing you as I see you? Can you accept that I think you are beautiful in every way? Can you accept that I want others to see you as I do and through them, I am expressing myself to you?

God always knows what to say to get through to me:)

An Infinite God

We usually look at the word infinite and think of something eternal, something that has no end, something that just keeps going beyond all time and space. While this is a correct definition, it only deals with the concept of time. God does exist beyond all time and space, He is boundless and eternal with no end, but what if we expanded the meaning of infinite to include character, personality, virtue, strength, and reason?

Not only is God infinite in reference to time, but also in His entire Person. His love is infinite, His justice is infinite, and His mercy is infinite.

"And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man..." Romans 1:23

Even we as Christians are guilty of this. How often do we look at God and try to understand Him by looking through the glasses of our humanity? No human can be 100% just and 100% merciful at the same time. We may express each of these qualities, but none of us can express them to their fullest capacity, and both simultaneously. We are limited in this, but God is not.

I have noticed, that because we tend to limit God by understanding Him with our finite minds, we tend to latch on to one aspect of God and ignore the others, simply because we cannot reconcile in our minds that God can infinitely be all of them. Some latch onto God as holy and righteous Judge, or as the Father who blesses when He is obeyed and punishes when disobeyed. The thing is, God is infinitely both of them. Another aspect of God that tends to be downplayed in the circles I've been in, is God as Husband and Bridegroom.

This is the aspect of God that loves us with an everlasting love, the God that would lay down His life and die for us. Since getting engaged, marriage is one of those things that has been on my mind, and God has used it to better clarify to me the mystery of Christ and the Church. A husband finds pleasure in his wife, even if she burns dinner or spends a little too much on a pair of shoes. She is the desire of his heart, the one he is passionate about, the one he desires to protect from all harm. A whole book of the Bible was dedicated to the love between a husband and wife. Imagine God feeling toward you as Solomon felt toward his bride.

God is simultaneously 100% all of these. There is no division into parts. An infinite God has no bounderies placed on His nature; There is no dividing line where His mercy ends and His justice begins. They are infinite and boundless; they simultaneously work together 100% of the the time.

If God is love (which He is; 1 Jn. 4:8), and God loves every one of His children, do I have to share the love He loves me with, with every other believer? Is His love divided?

"An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others." ~A. W. Tozer

The answer to both of my questions: no. When you divide a number by infinity, you get infinity. In the same way, when you divide God's love by infinity, you get infinite love that knows no bounderies and no limits.

Movies

After a long week of craziness, the weekend has arrived! Many people like to celebrate with a quick run to their neighborhood Blockbuster Video and by sharing a big bowl of popcorn with their friends. Movie nights are a favorite pastime of mine. I love seeing a movie with my family or friends but when it comes to actually choosing the movie, what is appropriate?

It is not easy to find the answer. The word movie will not show up in any Bible concordance. So, where do we draw the line? Psalm 101:3 says, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes…" The word wicked in this verse could be better translated "without profit" or "worthlessness."

Is it worthless and without profit for me? As individuals, we are each vulnerable in different areas. A violent war scene may not bother me but it may bother someone else; even something that may not affect me outwardly may affect my mind without my realizing it. All things are lawful for me to do, but not all things are edifying (1 Cor. 10:23). For this reason, it is necessary to carefully think about what we are watching instead of treating it as mindless entertainment.

Ultimately, we must each individually decide what God's desire is for us. God's laws are in our minds and written on our hearts. We have the mind of Christ. When we set before our eyes a thing that is not right for us to see, the Holy Spirit will reveal this.

AE Photo Scavenger Hunt

Stapler- A Paper's Eye View

Reflections- "This do in remembrance of Me"

Leap- The Leap of Faith

Fears- Hopelessly Alone

Coffee- Happiness in a cup!

Time- Make every second count

Squirrel- The new and improved hypoallergenic kind!

White Trash- Because nothing says it quite like a stroller propped up against a propane tank...

Date- Countdown to a deadline

Police- Those coffee-drinking, donut-eating, protectors of the community!

Self-Portrait- Enjoying the Spring Flowers

Making A Statement- "Our guns may be silent, but Dixie will never die"

A Memory- Bygone Summer Days

Weather- When it's raining, we often forget to look for the small, yet beautiful, moments.

Broken

Green- "Go Green!"

Music

A Favorite Thing- My Engagement Ring

A Tool- Old Shovel

Funny- Sometimes, the camera angle is the only thing that makes the picture:)

The Chastening of the Lord

Over the last few weeks, I have been memorizing Hebrews 12 for Advanced EXCEL. Several of the verses made me really think about the "chastening" of the Lord. What is the "chastening?"


And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourges every son whom he recieveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
~Hebrews 12:5-11


So, what is this chastening? These verses state that only sons are chastened. Unbelievers will not recieve the chastening of the Lord, only believers will. Is chastening punishment from a Holy God? Most people I know would give an adament "YES!" to that question. But what does the word really mean? And can believers even be punished by God?


Let's look at a few verses and see what God actually says:


Psa 103:12~As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.


Rom 8:1~There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2Cor 5:21~For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.


1Cor 6:17~But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.


When God looks at us, He sees His own righteousness. If we are one with the Lord, how can He punish Himself Who knew no sin? There is no condemnation for Jesus took it all upon Himself on the cross. I think it is safe to say that God does not and cannot punish us for our sins and "mistakes." The price has already been paid. It is finished.

Chastisement is definitely not punishment. So what is it then? The Greek words translated chastening and chastisement mean tutorage, train, instruct, and educate. Therefore, whom the Lord loveth He instructs, teaches, educates, trains. That takes some of the sting out of the word chastening for me.

The chastening of the Lord is simply God's tutorage. He may use the seemingly bad things we go through as tools for His teaching and It may not always be pleasant, but it is not punishment. It is God lovingly teaching us more about Himself and our standing in Christ. If we endure(remain under) chastening(tutorage, education, training) then God deals with us as His sons and daughters(Heb. 12:7a).

Engagement Pictures

So, this is my man:)

The woods where he proposed.


Then we went and sat by the lake...




...and we had sparkling grapejuice and cheese and crackers(yum!).

Pictures of us:)

This is part of the gardens where we were...

And this is the ring! I love it:)