God is {HOPE}

This is part my blogging series "Challenge Filled February"
I'll be blogging every day about who God is
To start from the beginning click HERE


4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Today at work was CRAZY.
From seeing co-workers off, to newsletters, to curriculum orders, to packing boxes for my bosses who leave tomorrow for the Simply Youth Ministry Conference, to Youth Pastor calls... the list could go on.
I had to run an errand in the late afternoon, so I hopped into the stylish LT mini van and flipped on the CD player to discover one of my co-workers left a CD in there.

And not just any CD

but a All Sons & Daughters CD

(someone I've been listening to on Pandora a lot recently)
Take a listen to this song - Brokenness Aside

Yes my friends
God is HOPE

and he lays our brokenness aside

and makes us beautiful.

God is {FRIEND}

This is part my blogging series "Challenge Filled February"
I'll be blogging every day about who God is
To start from the beginning click HERE

9As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

John 15:9-17

I've read this passage over and over again - even meditated on it the summer I worked at camp because verse 13 was our theme verse
And please don't take this next statement the wrong way because I try to really value what my God did for me by giving up his Son to the painful death of a cross -
but even more valuable than verse 13 to me is

verse 15

That God lets me in on the plan. 

Jesus did not try to hide why he was there on earth. He told the disciples daily what the plan was. Sure, sometimes it was through cryptic stories, but others he outright told the bold harsh truth:

I must suffer

I love that daily, He is speaking to me and telling me, as a friend, what he has planned.
Some days I'm not looking or listening, but that does not mean that God is speaking any less.

We start each work day in a time of worship together as a staff. Over the past two months we've been reading through the Psalms and then talking about ways we've seen God. Honestly, it's been a little tough lately. But I keep going, and I keep listening to my co-workers speak of the ways God is letting them in on His plan.

So to finish this out for tonight I'm just gonna use some words penned by one of my new favorite blog finds

Because beneath frustration and imperfection I believe in the goodness of our moments and our lives, especially the kind that take some fighting for.

How are you hearing from God today?

God Is {GRACE-FULL}

This is part my blogging series "Challenge Filled February"
I'll be blogging every day about who God is
To start from the beginning click HERE

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

Ephesians 2:4-9

Alright, if you have been tracking me every day of "Challenge Filled February", then obviously you know I've skipped a couple days. But I have a good excuse - mostly...

my parents were in town for the weekend. And it was wonderful.

But that's not actually the reason that I didn't blog

(Because I was home before 9 every night - so obviously there was time).

No, the reason is because I've been mulling a situation over in my head. Something that happened the night I picked my parents up from the airport.

My parents flew into Midway International Airport - which if you know Chicago, then you know it isn't in the worst, but it certaintly isn't in the "best" part of time. There are often people standing along side the road begging for money. Nothing new in my life, this goes on in OKC also. However, that night there was a woman who seemed desperately in need. She wasn't just standing there staring blankly at the drivers while she held her cardboard sign that accomplished all the pleading she could muster - no she was going and getting in the driver's space. Banging on glass and PLEADING.

"Please, I need help.

Please, my car broke down and I've got kids.

Please we just need bus fare.

Please I'll send it back to you."

Pounding on glass and insisting that I roll my window down - pleading and begging for help.

Caught off guard and completely uncomfortable - I know what I think my Father feels about these people - liars. But my heart still goes out to her. I've got $10 cash in my purse, should I just give it to her? I'm refusing, trying to make my feeble unsteady voice heard above her pleas. She's not going away, the semi-truck behind me is getting impatient and all of a sudden it's a green light and the cars in front of me have disappeared  but she's not going away. Even though I'm surrounded by metal on four wheels I feel trapped. So finally, I let myself do it. I lie. I act like I don't have that cash that I could so easily replace with a swipe of my small plastic car. I tell I would, but I just don't have any money on me. And she finally backs off. I'm so ashamed I can't even look at her face before I drive off.

I haven't stopped thinking about her. All weekend, my mind returns to this woman who is looks in such desperate need. I have no idea what her story is - truth telling or lie spinner just for a few measly dollars. And I know it's not for me to judge. But still, I sit and wonder - would God call me a better Christian if I had taken the minute to love this sinner (like myself) and offer a few dollars. I guilt myself into thinking God will love me more if I let my pockets run free-er. That I could have shown this woman love just by throwing cash at her and making the pleading stop rather than lying to make her go away. 
I think this, that is, until I read my verse on grace for the day.

"for my GRACE"

"not of your works" 

"so no man can boast"

God is FULL of GRACE!

And he loves me - no matter what. I have no answer for situations like the one I found myself in on Thursday night. I know it won't be the last time I encounter people in such a way. Some I'll give money to, and others I'll avoid for my own comfort (both emotional and monetary). And I'll rest in this truth 

10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,

 which God prepared beforehand, 

that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

I am created for works that God prepared before hand. Yet no matter what choices - I am saved by his GRACE

So go forth today and know that God has created you to do something 

- and at the same time, no matter what - 

he is FULL of GRACE 

and pouring out over you because he LOVES YOU!

God is {PRAISEWORTHY}

This is part my blogging series "Challenge Filled February"
I'll be blogging every day about who God is
To start from the beginning click HERE

1Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise him in the heights!

2Praise him, all his angels;

praise him, all his hosts!

3Praise him, sun and moon,

praise him, all you shining stars!

4Praise him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

5Let them praise the name of the Lord!

For he commanded and they were created.

6And he established them forever and ever;

he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

Psalm 148:1-6

What do you have to praise God for today?

God is {STEADFAST}

This is part my blogging series "Challenge Filled February"
I'll be blogging every day about who God is
To start from the beginning click HERE

6The Lord lifts up the humble;

he casts the wicked to the ground.

7Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

make melody to our God on the lyre!

8He covers the heavens with clouds;

he prepares rain for the earth;

he makes grass grow on the hills.

9He gives to the beasts their food,

and to the young ravens that cry.

10His delight is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,

11but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,

in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Psalm 147:6-11

Timer Set: GO!

So I started this month by giving myself a time limit because it forced me to put something on the page and STICK WITH IT. I was having great difficulty in being satisfied by my blog writings. As the month has progressed though, that time limit has not been as necessary.

And in fact today it's absolutely unnecessary.

Because all I want to reflect on today is that God is STEADFAST.

Reflect on that with me:

God is

STEADFAST.

and check out this great post from one of my co-workers that talks about the bountifulness of this STEADFAST LOVE