Family Arrived and Faith in the Future

Monday was a great day. It was the day my family arrived. Then Tuesday got here, and I wasn't near as excited anymore. My dad called my brother and I out to the garage to help him get down at least thirty boxes from the attic. Afterwards, we had to move them all into the house and began unpacking.

All of our boxes piled up in the garage

After lunch, a lengthy trip to Super Walmart, and setting up our internet everyone was pretty exhausted. And thus, some nagging ensued, as well as complaining and arguing.

Sometimes, actually more often than not, my family drives me a little crazy. We argue and complain. It's easy to let ourselves become ungrateful. Even though my family has just arrived, it feels like life is the same as it once was a couple of years ago when we lived in the house before. All the cruel, ugly remains of the past seem to have returned. If the members of my family don't do anything to change our attitudes, resentment and anger are likely to build up in these lives of ours and lead us straight into sin. I've always struggled to convey the way I feel to my parents because they often act as if they don't understand and their personalities clash with my own personality. My hope was that things would have changed and relationships between each of us individuals would be perfect, but this life is messy and nothing seems to work out exactly how we think it will.

However, quite a few bloggers have changed my way of thinking and now more than ever, I want to focus on the small moments. They're what matter most because the small moments build on the bigger events, and those build on the eternal future.

The story of Jesus follows that same pattern. Jesus Christ entered the world as an itty bitty baby and even at a young age, as he meditated on God's word he grew in wisdom and knowledge. He paid for all of my sins and all of yours, as well as everyone else's with one act of love: his death on the cross and resurrection on the third day. His action cleansed us of all of our sins and made us right with God and because we have a right relationship with the God of the universe, he's promised us that we can live with him forever if we choose to declare Jesus the LORD of our lives and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. (Romans 10:9)

That's the essence of the gospel and the reason why I believe every moment matters. I'm confident of the future I have in Christ, and I don't want to waste the small moments on the way to living forever with my King. Do you?

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. -Hebrews 11:1

Faithful God

Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. 

-Deuteronomy 7:9

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. -1 Corinthians 10:13


He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! -Deuteronomy 32:4


Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 
-1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Odds and Ends.

First, I would like to thank all of my followers who read, comment, and commit to pray for me and my family. Thank you so much! May God bless you richly.

Switching gears...

I'm excited to announce that this summer I'm a guest blogger for Not of this World, a magazine for missionary kid teenage girls. Courtney does a fantastic job gathering and compiling information to publish a monthly edition of the magazine. I'm so glad I stumbled across the magazine a little over a year ago - it's been so helpful and encouraging! Missionary kids, you should definitely check it out! If you would like to know more about me and hear my testimony, read my introductory post.

What makes me even happier is that my family is arriving in 10 days! They were able to buy a 2002 Honda Accord for their furlough in the States this coming year. Praise God for his provision! I'm glad that my family will living three hours away from Cedarville University. That means that I'll be able to visit 'home' frequently.

On another note, today's my brother Jon's 16th birthday! It's hard to believe that I haven't seen him for a year and this time last year we were the same height. Now he's taller than me!

There you have it! God is doing great things and I praise him for his goodness!

Have a blessed day!

In Christ,
Jessica


Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. -Psalm 37:5-6

Whatever It Takes.

Turn off the computer. Take out the headphones.

Why is it so hard to stop and spend time with our Creator? When the computer is finally unplugged late into the shadows of the night, my head feels weighted down as if a hundred pebbles were sitting on top of it so I let myself lay down and go to bed, but not before I shower and slip on my pajamas. How come I refuse to let sleep overtake my weary body before changing out of the dirty clothes I've worn all day and yet I willingly give up spending precious moments in conversation with my Maker? Morning after morning I rush through my Bible reading so I can turn on the computer or stick in the headphones...but why and for what purpose?

My priorities are so mixed up. I want to change them and so I will. No more letting myself let complacency rule my life. I'm fighting the Enemy and with Christ's help, I will triumph.

First, I intend to pray. Lots. Second, it's time to unplug the computer and turn off the mp3 player. Third, I'll be reading Scripture and soaking in God's words of truth.

Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing is of greater importance than loving the LORD our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength just as Jesus commanded his disciples in Mark 12:30.


Yesterday morning I read Daniel 4 which tells of a dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had. Daniel was overcome with fear when he first heard the dream because God had revealed to him its meaning. But the King told him not to be afraid, so he told the King the meaning after wishing that the prophecy in the dream would come upon Nebuchadnezzar's enemies rather than the King. The meaning foreshadowed that King Nebuchadnezzar would be driven from human society for a time and would have to live among wild beasts, but one day he would receive his kingdom back. Like others would have done, he refused to believe the dream's meaning, and continued to sin by exploiting the poor. 


Twelve months later, the King was looking out at the great city of Babylon and proudly thinking of how he had built the city with his mighty power. God chose that moment to humble him and speaking to him, fulfilled the prophecy foretold of in the dream. When his time living as a wild beast was over, Nebuchadnezzar returned to the city of Babylon and praised the Most High. He realized God's great power and his weakness. The King learned that surrender to God and his will are the only way to live.


All the people of the earth
are nothing compared to him.
He does as he pleases
among the angels of heaven
and among the people of the earth.
No one can stop him or say to him,
‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
-Daniel 4:35


My heart needed a wake up call to show me that God deserves every part of me...for the millionth time. He requires surrender and nothing less. Have you surrendered your whole being to the King of Kings? If not, what are you holding onto and refusing to let him have?


Love in Christ,
Jessica 

Death. Defeated.

This is powerful. Watch and see.

Jennifer posted this today and I thought I would share it with you. Thank you, Jennifer for sharing this on your blog!

Purpose.

Sometimes I lose sight of my purpose. I forget what I was created for. Lately, I've been bored and that's lead me to question life's purpose. I have been reading God's word every day, but I haven't been dwelling on it. I read a passage and move on to the next task, neglecting to ask God to teach me something new each day. Slowly, I've forgotten truths from the Bible that I should never have let go. Tonight I decided to change that. I confessed everything that has been hindering my relationship with God to him and I asked for forgiveness. Then I committed to live according to God's truth. I wrote a prayer in my journal, and the verses below the lines on the pages I wrote on literally leaped off the pages and hit me smack on the head. 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Psalm 51:10, Isaiah 49:13, and finally Mark 9:23 each in turn spoke to my empty heart. You see, I've let truths escape my heart and as a result, it has become filthy on the inside, even though the outside looks clean, just like Jesus' condemnation of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:27. As I spent time in prayer talking to the LORD, He poured so much truth into my heart and now I'm bursting with joy. He gave me purpose and peace. When my prayer was over, I was satisfied, but I just wanted to keep talking to my Creator and never stop. Even now I can't wait to spend more time in his word. God lead me to read James 1 after I had finished praying, since I thought of James 1:5-8 during my prayer. My doubt has been hindering my relationship with Christ. He wants to give me good things, but when my loyalty is divided between Him and the world, how can He? Scripture really struck me tonight and I pray that it stays in this tiny heart of mine. God is the One who gives life to all things. He plants a purpose in our hearts and in the depths of our souls. Praise him for giving us purpose and joy! Seek God and spend time in his word daily. Don't undermine the power of prayer - it's how we build a deep, personal relationship with our Savior.


"So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls." -James 1:21


I leave with you James 1:22-25. Soak in the words and as you do, let God create in you a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within you. I encourage you to read the rest of the chapter, and look up the other Bible verses I referenced above. Let's listen to God's word and obey His laws that set us free!


In Christ,
Jessica


But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. -James 1:22-25

Wait patiently.

Surrender yourself to the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Do not be preoccupied with [an evildoer] who succeeds in his way when he carries out his schemes. -Psalm 37:7 {GOD'S WORD}


It's difficult to surrender ourselves to God and wait patiently for him, but that's what he commands us to do. This summer I was hoping to get a job, but I still don't have one. I could be angry with God, but instead I'm waiting patiently for him to show me what he wants me to accomplish for his glory this summer.


My parents have patiently waited for the LORD for his plans for their lives this year. He told them to leave PNG and return to the US so that some of the evil influences that are currently in my brother's life will be removed and so that my brother's relationship with Christ might be restored. 


My mom and dad could have decided to stay put in Papua New Guinea and do the work that God has given them to do, but instead they have chosen to surrender their wills to God and he has blessed them for their obedience. Our church's missionary house is available for them to live in for a year and they were able to buy plane tickets for the trip to the States. Praise God for his faithfulness and grace in their lives.


There are still needs, but I am confident that God will provide. My parents don't own a car, so they need to purchase one, and I lost my scholarship at college for next semester, (I can get it back for the following semester if I raise my GPA to a certain point), so I might have to take out another loan or my parents will have to help me pay the extra dollars. Please pray that we will be able to pay for all of our needs and that my family will continue to trust God's will. Also pray that I would be motivated to study hard so that I can receive high grades and get my scholarship back. Thanks!


In Christ,
Jessica