Is He enough?

Hello there! I'm groovin' to Enough by KB.  Have you heard it?  Let your ears devour the words if you've never heard it...



Is God enough?  During my reading of Psalm 73 I could really identify with David's words.  At times it seems like the wicked are doin' JUST FINE!  Seems like thangs are all gravy and all good for them and here I am, a child of the King, GOING THROUGH!  I know that the Lord is sovereign and in control and that Psalm 37 (hey! 73 and 37!) complements this Psalm and builds me up!  The Word says in Psalm 34:19 that "Many are the afflictions of the righteous BUT" (!!!) [Church of God in Christ version] "the LORD (!!!!!!) delivers him out of them allllllll"! HE REALLY IS IN CONTROL!  He's got it!  No matter what things look like the Lord will work it all out for His glory and for our (Christians') good.  As believers we will go through various trials and such (that's a given; the enemy is trying to thwart us!) and life in general will have its ups, downs, and all-around heart-aches along with the joys and happy things.

And ya know what?  He is ENOUGH.  I am reminded of the words "You're more than enough for me" from a popular Christian song.  Glory to His wonderful Name.  He guides me with His counsel...and I have none in heaven but Him (personal paraphrase of Psalm 73:24-25).  My prayer for myself is found in the latter part of verse 25, that "there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you." Lord, help me to desire NO ONE or NOTHING more than I DESIRE YOU!

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever

                                                               -Psalm 73:26 (ESV)

Desire Him.

Til next time,

U.M.

P.S. I was not trying to endorse any denomination or organization over another by mentioning the Church of God in Christ (COGIC).  Their preaching style just really emphasized my point REALLLLLLY well at that moment. :) Thanks, U.M.

Is blogging over-rated?

Hello there!  Ya know, just when I thought that blogging was over-rated...I began a new entry. Ha-ha-ha!  I've read that blogging is so popular because it connects people.  It provides a sort of community.  I write something, you read it. If you respond with a comment or a criticism we can enter some sort of dialogue with one another and share experiences.  In a sense, we can help each other.  Right?  Hopefully so.  My intent in writing this blog is to express some things and to help you (the reader) and myself.  Shall we?

For instance, take the picture shown here.  I know it may look a bit corny but check it out.  All these people of different backgrounds (and let's use our imaginations here), different socio-economic statuses and such...all connecting and reaching out to each other.  In a perfect world, that's how it would work.  From a biblical perspective, that's how the church should look.  Different people all working together and reaching out to people who are not believers.  A community of believers.  Sharing things with each other.  Praying for one another.  Being open and honest about life and what the Lord is doing in their lives.  Being honest about their sin and their heartache and their failures.  Encouraging one another.  Building each other up.  Rebuking one another when necessary.  Communing with their God each and every (yes EACH and EVERY) day.  Abiding in Him.  Trusting, believing, and expecting God to do HUGELY, AMAZING things. Sharing time and space with one another AND with people who need to know the love of Christ. Who need to hear the Gospel.  To see it lived out.  To see Christ through us.  Don't just blog or read blogs because you enjoy them or because you want that sense of community.  Blogs are over-rated.  Establish and work on community in real life.  And post comments about the community building you're doing with other believers to reach a dying world for Christ.

Til next time,
U.M.

Green with Envy

Hello there!  Do you live on the East Coast like I do?  If so...YOOOO...did you feel that earthquake or the tremors from it?  That was ridiculously startling!  Whew!  I was sitting on the bed when that mattress began wobbling and I thought, "Oh no! Is this THE DAY?!" I started asking for forgiveness and ALL THAT just IN CASE I'd forgotten to confess something. Ha-ha-ha!  He's still coming back one day...I'm just glad it wasn't that day! But we should actually eagerly await the return of Christ and especially the rapture before the Tribulation...

Then today came and I looked at my news feed on Facebook and saw all these seemingly exciting things that were happening in the lives of my friends and I became envious.  While things are picking up on the missionary front and my life has been satisfyingly busy at the moment, I still found myself envying my friends' profile pictures in exotic places and the "cool people" it seemed like they were hanging out with and how happy they seemed to be.  With pictures and news of weddings, engagements, babies, statuses about how happy some were to be married or how some had enjoyed the day with his/her significant other, family vacay photos, road trips and such...I began to think that my own life was hum-drum and a bit...*gasps!* boring.  I even kind of mentally rolled my eyes a little and thought, "They can't be THAT happy." Then I thought, "What am I doing?! Why am I thinking this?!" I also asked the Lord to forgive me for envying others. I'm happy that my friends are enjoying their lives and the things/opportunities God has blessed them with!

I also started to think about the many goals and dreams the Lord has placed in my heart and mind.  So many that I almost feel like I will need TWO lifetimes to do all of those things.  But ya know what?  The God who gave me those goals and dreams knows exactly how long my life will be and what things I really will accomplish.  I praise Him for giving me those desires.  Even if I don't accomplish them all on this side of glory, I know that He will still be glorified.  Maybe I'll just have to write all of them down so that many other people can see the vision and become a part of what God is doing in my life and what He can do in theirs...

Til next time,
U.M.

Longing

Hellooooooo 'der!  Just about all summer I've wanted to go to the beach.  To lounge, read a magazine, eat a packed lunch, maybe ride a tandem bicycle with a buddy, splash around in the ocean, build a sand castle, watch the sun set, look for an opportunity to share the Gospel, ya know, the usu-well...ha-ha-ha. I've longed to go but never made it.  It's not too late.  I even thought about getting up MAJORLY early one morning and maneuvering down to the shore.  Still haven't made it.

Thinking about my longing for the beach makes me wonder...why don't I long for my heavenly home this way?  I should long for heaven MORE than I long for the beach.  Heaven - the place where I can be with my Savior, my God...without a care.  The place where there are no more tears.  No more dying.  No more heartache.  No more sickness.  No more disease.  WOW.  Lord, I pray that you would increase my desire and longing for You and the place You've prepared for me...

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:1-4). 

Glory to His MATCHLESS Name.   This is where I should long to be.

Til next time,
U.M.