Child-like

Two women. Hand-in-hand. Now girls. Standing together in a green meadow. The tall grass bending and swaying as the breath of God swirled through it. Joy. Pure joy. The sun shone down upon the girls basking in its warmth. They began to run, and skip gaily through the wild flowers and meadow grass still holding hands. Butterflies flitted nearby. Woosh. The girls were enveloped by the breath of God. Laughter--sweet and uncontrollable--gurgled from their lips. They lay down under a tree by a nearby brooke. Still giggling. Unable to contain the joy inside. Slowly the laughter died and peace filled them. Peace that passes all understanding. As they gazed up into the bright, blue, sunny sky they could see the face of God smiling down upon them. He whispered to each, "I love you. I will never let you go. You are my children. I have called you each by name." His voice was like the rushing of many waters. Soft like a gentle breeze. Their hearts rejoiced at the sound of His voice. Their anxious thoughts stilled. After soaking in the glorious moment, the two girls walked hand-in-hand back through the tall grass to the center of the meadow. They turned and faced each other. Vowing to tell everyone they met about this wonderful place. The two girls, now women, embraced each other and parted ways.

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." 

-Matthew 18:3

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." 

-Matthew 18:20

The Perfect Dream

--written on November 30, 2006 (age: 16)

She ran around in a frenzy. No one knew. No one would understand. Finally she collapsed under a tree from exhaustion. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but no one could hear her. She stood up and pounded her fists into the tree, but that only yielded scraped and bloody hands. She sat back down and began to cry. Long, hard, heart-wrenching sobs. The tears streamed down her face. Eventually she fell into a fitful sleep, and dreamed a dream:

She found herself in a beautiful place. Everything was calm and peaceful. In a way, it seemed oddly familiar. Although she knew she had never been there before. She gazed around at her surroundings. She was sitting underneath a big oak tree with a clear, bubbling brook running past it. Many different kinds of birds perched in the tree top and sang wonderful melodies. Squirrels chased each other nearby, and various flowers bloomed throughout the green, velvety grass. The sound of the water gurgling over the rocks made her thirsty so she stood up and walked over to the brook to get a drink. She gasped once she saw her reflection in the water. Her face was swollen and red from crying. Quickly, she washed her face. Then she drank the cold, refreshing water. When she had quenched her thirst, she looked up and saw a man standing off in the distance. He too looked familiar. She quietly drew near to him. He saw her coming and smiled It was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. When she arrived at his side, he told her, "I will never leave you, or forsake you. I have called you by name. You are mine." His voice was friendly and wonderful to listen to. Her heart leaped for joy when she heard it. He continued, "I know and understand all things. I have listened to your screams, and have felt your tears. Do not worry about tomorrow. I will take care of you. I will help you through all your trials. I know how you feel. I too have been through many trials. Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified or discouraged, because I will be with you wherever you go. I will watch over you and protect you. Go in peace."

She awoke and rubbed her eyes. They were hot and puffy from crying. Then she remembered her dream. It had been a wonderful, peaceful dream in the midst of her chaos. She felt a peace that could only come from God. She knew that her heart was resting in His hands. She stood up and walked away to go find her Bible and pray.

Decipher these verses and you may yet decipher me....

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he as made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:4-8)

For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:14-15, 22)

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (Psalm 33:6-9)

In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!"

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." And he said, "Go, and say to this people:

"'Keep on hearing, but do not understand;

keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'

Make the heart of this people dull,

and their ears heavy,

and blind their eyes;

lest they see with their eyes,

and hear with their ears,

and understand with their hearts,

and turn and be healed."

Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said:

"Until cities lie waste without inhabitant,

and houses without people,

and the land is a desolate waste,

and the LORD removes people far away,

and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

And though a tenth remain in it,

it will be burned again,

like a terebinth or an oak,

whose stump remains when it is felled."

The holy seed is its stump. (Isaiah 6)

For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: "Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken." Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. (Isaiah 8:11-17)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:22-26)

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:1-2, 5)

In you, O LORD, do i take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God. I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD. I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. (Psalm 31:1-8)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

Reflecting like the Moon

I don't know if you saw the moon tonight, but it was amazing. As I drove down the highway, the moon loomed straight ahead of me–large, round, and golden. I love looking at the moon on nights like this. When it appears big and yellow, the moon reminds me so much more of the sun than when it is just a tiny, white sliver.  But the moon is still only a small glimpse of the magnificent sun. Tonight, as I gazed at the moon, a thought struck me. I want to be like the moon. The moon only looks beautiful because it reflects the light from the sun. In the same way, I desire to reflect the light of Jesus. I want people to see God's light shining through me. Without the sun, the moon would be nothing. And without the Son, I would be nothing.

I love you more than the sun and the stars that I taught how to shine,

You are mine and you shine for me too.

I love you yesterday, and today, and tomorrow.

I'll say it again and again,

I love you more.

I just finished watching Narnia: Prince Caspian with my family tonight. I really enjoyed it. I love reading and watching the Narnia series because I love how C.S. Lewis portrays Aslan. Aslan can be so gentle, yet he is certainly not a tame lion. During the movie, I was struck by how much Lucy was in love with Aslan. She was able to see him before any of her siblings could. I think part of the reason for that was because she was looking for him. And the when she met him again for the first time in over a year she said, "I've missed you so much, Aslan." Also at the end of the movie when it was time for her to leave Narnia, Lucy looked back at Aslan with sadness in her eyes. She couldn't bear to leave him. He, in return, gazed back at her with soft, understanding. He knew what she was feeling, and yet he also knew that it was time for her to depart for the time being. Lucy trusted Aslan so much. And that trust enabled her to step through the doorway and leave him behind.

Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. He knows the depths of our hearts and has our best in mind. He loves us so much that He chose to come to earth—to be born in a lowly manger—and die for us. He restrained His power and let men pierce Him with nails and erect Him, naked, on a tree for the world to see. He purposed all this to save us from our sins and His righteous wrath.

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." (I John 3:1)

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (I John 4:10)

So often I forget how much Jesus loves me. I need to be more like Lucy: hating to be parted from Jesus; always wanting to be near Him. Missing Him when I forget to do my devotions. Longing to see Him face to face; longing for His return.

So this Christmas season I encourage you to continue to seek Christ. To long for His return. And to meditate on what He has done for you.

Looking to my perfect Savior.

Christi Joy

Personalized Gift Cards

So I thought of a really cool idea the other day...and I think that this might finally be an idea that has NOT been invented yet. It seems like every time I think of a cool idea, it has already been invented. But this time I think I may have actually come up with an original idea.

Okay. So you know how there are personalized credit cards out there now? The ones where you can have one of your own pictures as the background? Well, I was thinking that there should be such a thing as a personalized gift card. Somehow (whether it be online or at a kiosk) there should be a way to make your own personal gift card. A gift card with a hand chosen picture on the front and maybe even a short message. That way when you give the card to a friend it will seem more like an actual gift instead of just a card with money on it. It will show that you care enough to put some time into their gift instead of just quickly picking out some random, pre-printed card. I don't know how easy it would be to create such a thing....but it sure would be cool.

Oh. And if you know of a place where you can create your own personalized gift card, please let me know.

Love

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

I Corinthians 13:4-7

When I read these verses, I realize how much I fall short. I am not perfect by ANY means (just in case some of you maybe thought i was...I am now publicly declaring that I am not perfect :P). I am so self-centered. I want things to go my way, and I become impatient and irritable when they don't (the exact opposite of love). I don't want to serve others; I want them to serve me. Yet, at the same time, I know that Jesus wants me to be patient. To serve others. To be understanding. I want to do what's right, but sometimes I do the exact opposite. It's like what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:

"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." (verse 15)

and again,

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me." (verses 18-20)

Jesus is continually at work in me. He is continuing to perfect me until His second coming. And although it is an agonizingly slow process, God has a lot to teach me on the way. It reminds me of that one song that goes like this:

"He's still working on me,

To make me what I oughta be.

It took Him just three days to make the moon and stars,

The Sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars.

How loving and faithful He must be,

'Cause He's still working on me!"

My love for others will never even be CLOSE to perfect until I reach heaven. But just remember that God's love for us will ALWAYS be perfect. No matter how much we mess up, He will always be there loving us.

Keep your focus on Jesus and He will guide you through each day!

Christi Joy