Adore

I love Christmas music. I have a playlist on my ipod dedicated solely to Christmas music…and it has been on repeat since mid-November. Last Sunday I went to a church in Pittsburgh. We sang a few Christmas songs. I had almost forgotten how much better it is to sing Christmas songs in church instead of in my car on the way to work. There is something almost magical and entirely holy about singing songs about Jesus’ birth with other believers.

In my car, with my ipod, it’s pretty easy to get lost in singing my favorite songs, and forget the meaning behind them. Forget the fact that these songs are all about the night that started our story of redemption- songs that sing about the birth of a King who ultimately died for the sins of the world. Pretty powerful songs.

As I was marveling at this, we started to sing "Oh Come all Ye Faithful". Part way into it, we stopped as someone shared what was on her heart. She asked us to sing, "Oh come let us adore Him" with an image in our hearts. An image of us bringing a gift this Christmas to our Lord whom we adore.

I could easily imagine giving God a gift- I could picture a beautifully wrapped box with a big bow on it. But I couldn't picture what was inside the box. What do I have that God wants? What gift could I possibly give him?

The definition of adore is to "pay devine honor to" or "love intensely". What would show my intense love? What could I give that would pay devine honor to?

I started thinking of other things I adore- how tightly I hold on to them. I adore having control in my life. I adore succeeding in my job. I adore my family and my friends. I adore Myanmar. Not all of these are bad things, but when I think of what I should be paying devine honor to, none of these come to mind. I think adore has become one of those words we use too easily. God is the only one I should be paying devine honor to.

So this Christmas season, I am going to Adore the Lord by putting Him in His rightful place in my life. He will be the sole thing my heart adores. What do you find your heart adoring this holiday season?

Oh come, let us adore HIM alone!

Come Thirsty

It is currently raining in Sewickley. I am camped out in a Brugger's in downtown Sewickley and prolonging my stay as much as possible due to the fact that my umbrella is currently in my car. Great planning.

It seems rather fitting that the book I brought along with me to Brugger's is "Come Thirsty" by Max Lucado. What a stellar author- one of my favorites. I honestly can't remember where I got this book or when it made it's way to my shelf. But I am glad it did. It seemed to appear just when I needed to hear the words. Come Thirsty. As I started to read this book, I began to realize just how thirsty I was, spiritually.

Lucado compared physical thirst to spiritual thirst in a way that really hit me. Something so basic but just not something I ever bothered to dwell on. When we are thirsty, we drink water. While drinking water, we don't need to explain to the water which areas of our body we need it to penetrate. It knows. Jesus knows the same! He doesn't need my directions, but he needs my permission. Jesus won't come unless swallowed.

Immediately a picture came to mind of a child pursing their lips together and refusing to drink or eat what is being given to them. Then I realized how often I do that with the water Jesus so freely gives. My spirit has been restless lately, and I am sometimes overcome with feelings of loneliness. I chalked that up to it being so difficult being away from family and friends during the holiday season. But the truth is, I need to let Jesus penetrate my heart, be the water to my soul if I ever want to remove the restlessness in my spirit.

It's not that I don't want to drink in the Lord, I just so often let other things get in the way. So here is my new goal- to drink in the Lord as often as I drink in coffee. To stand outside in the pouring rain with my mouth open taking in as much water as possible- in a spiritual sense of course.

I hope you take time out of your day to drink in the water Jesus is offering us. If you do, you are sure to be satisfied.


On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" John 7:37-38

Finding Reasons to be Thankful in the areas I'm not so Thankful for

It's easy for me to forget that last week was Thanksgiving. Working in retail, the Thanksgiving holiday is easily overshadowed by Black Friday (or Green Friday to the retail world..). The week prior to Thanksgiving is filled with anticipation for Black Friday, Wednesday is all about the final prep, and then before I have time to really enjoy Thanksgiving, it's 4am and Black Friday is upon us.

Working in retail, it's really easy during the holiday season to find things to not be thankful for, such as angry guests who threaten to call all the local news stations when you inform them that we are sold out of the xbox we are promoting in our ad (true story). But I am determined to not let the not so pretty side of the holiday season to ruin the joy that can be found in the reason for the season. I just was really unsure how that was going to be possible.

On Sunday I tried out a new church with my friend (yes, a friend!!) Robin. It was a smaller church, a new site that came out of a much bigger church. It only started about a year ago. The worship was good, the Pastor gave a good message via video (reminded me of Calvary:) ). But it was the words of the Campus Pastor as he prepared us for communion that really hit me. He said that coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday he was sure we each had a lot to be thankful for. BUT he wanted us to dwell on something we weren't thankful for- someone who really rubbed us the wrong way, something or someone that was a thorn in our sides, a financial situation, a hard job. He wanted us to dwell on that, and then find a reason to be thankful for that thorn. Woof! It was a convicting thought, and something I want to put to practice now. So here is a small list of some of the things I find myself complaining to God about daily and my thoughts on how I can be thankful for them.

1. Being so far from my friends and family. Not something I find myself thanking God for daily. But here is what I am thankful for in spite of this. I am thankful that the distance has not caused my friendships to die. I am thankful that

my friends are still intentional. I am thankful that the reason we are separated now is because God has called us to different places and we heard and obeyed. I am thankful that my mom is willing to come up for a few days just to spend time with me...and clean! I am thankful that eventually my brother will get over his fear of driving in the city in order to come visit me with Josh. I am thankful that living near the Pittsburgh airport means my family and friends will include staying with me a night in their travel plans. I am thankful that distance does not erase a support group. I am thankful that the distance makes our reunions that much more fun and special.

2. Grown-up job= no myanmar this year. It is really hard to be thankful for the fact that I have a job when it is limiting my ability to travel to see both my immediate family and those who have come to be my family in Myanmar. But here is what I am thankful for in spite of this. First, I am thankful for the fact that my family is willing to give up their comfortable home to sleep on the floor in my apartment in order to spend Thanksgiving with me. Second, I am thankful that while it is hard to not be able to visit Agape Orphanage this year, we are still given a chance to bless them this holiday season. I am thankful we have a way to give them money. I am thankful for the people who have made the decision to bless Agape through giving this holiday season. And I am thankful that even if I were to never visit Agape again, I can hold onto the promise that I will see them one day in Heaven.

3. Living alone...in Pittsburgh. It is quite a transition to go from living with 5 other beautiful girls and having many more live just down the street, to living alone in a new city. It's hard to be thankful for the constant quiet of my apartment and for the lack of companionship as I explore a new city. But there are reasons to be thankful. I am

thankful that the extra quiet brings more time to be quiet with God. I am thankful that a new city brings new opportunities to get involved in a new church, or new small group. I am thankful that I am still friends with the girls I lived with. I am thankful that living apart means we now have more places to visit- new homes to stay in. Mostly, I am so thankful for the time I got to spend living with them and for the ways God blessed us, stretched us, and laughed with us.

Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 107:1

Agape

For the past two years, I have spent a portion of the Christmas season in a place near and dear to my heart- Myanmar. This year, a trip is not possible. My heart hurts knowing I won't be able to see the smiling faces of all the beautiful children at Agape Orphanage this year.

For those of you who don't know, Agape Orphanage has been supported by Calvary for a number of years now. My family has been blessed with the amazing opportunity to go on a few different trips to stay at the Orphanage. No one has grabbed my heart more than all of the children I get to play with on those visits. No city, no country has burdened my heart more and called me to more passionate prayer. Myanmar needs Jesus, and it has been so cool to witness first hand the ways He is starting to reveal himself to a hurting people.

I learn a lot during every visit, but there is one thing that continually grabs me-

their desperate need for God. The people at Agape passionately seek God because he is all they have. They have no distractions, nothing to replace God with in order to experience momentary pleasures. He's it. And they live in that truth.

I was struggling with the fact that I won't be able to go to Myanmar this year. Nothing has brought me more joy than bringing them gifts and praising our King together during the holiday season. But recently, we found out that Agape is in desperate need of funds. They don't have enough money to buy food for the next two months. That makes anything you were recently worrying about seem so trivial, doesn't it?

I wholeheartedly believe that God has a plan for Agape. I believe He is going to use them in powerful ways to reveal

Himself to their people, and to restore the hearts of the lost. I want to get in on that! Don't you? We are a country that has been richly and abundantly blessed...why not share some of that blessing this holiday season? Whether it is through passionate prayer, spreading the word to others, or giving money, would you consider getting involved in God's plans for Myanmar? If not Myanmar, than I encourage you to pray about where God is calling you to give this holiday season. Because I can guarantee it will bring a heavenly kind of Joy that simply putting gifts under your tree can't bring!

The One and Only

Today I started a study by Beth Moore- Jesus- 90 Days with the One and Only. I have never been more excited and more in need of a journey as I am for this one. In Beth's introduction she said, "My chief request of God is that He will supernaturally flood my life with an unending, ever-increasing desire for His Son." I think that's a pretty solid request, don't you?

One of the first questions asked in this study was, what words or emotions come to mind when you hear or speak the name Jesus? I think of the truest depiction of agape love we have, I think of the perfect son of God who died for my sins, knowing full well how many times I would turn from Him.

But catch me on an off day, and my heart won't swell at the mention of his name. My pulse won't quicken, my soul won't sing. In a world with so many purposes, so many passions, it is easy to push the one true purpose, the one true passion, aside. I have no greater purpose than to spend my days falling deeply and intimately in love with Jesus. I don't want to lose sight of that.

What emotions do you experience at the mention of our precious Jesus? In a world of fleeting passions, don't lose sight of the one and only. Rather, allow yourself to be consumed by Him!

Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. Psalm 63:3

Fullness of Joy

For as long as I can remember, my parents have made it a part of their lives, and a part of our family's, to give thanks. From constantly reminding us as kids to say our "thank yous" to asking us to make lists of what we are most thankful for, to simply living out lives that continually look to God with gratitude. Being thankful is one of their favorite ways to praise God. In everything, and for everything, they have taught our family to look to God and give him thanks.

This seemingly simple act is rather hard to live out consistently. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, (it seems to come a lot quicker when you work in retail...) I have been thinking a lot about giving thanks. More specifically, I have been thinking about how resistent I have been to giving thanks to God. I can thank God all I want, but that doesn't mean my job is going to get easier, my family and friends will move to Pittsburgh, or I will find a church that is an exact clone of Calvary. More thanks does not equal easier times. I feel pretty ugly writing that, but in all honesty, after a long day at work, that's often how my heart feels.

As I was reading on my day off, this quote by Cynthia Heald broke my heart:

"Praise and thanksgiving do not magically change my circumstances. They radically alter my viewpoint. Praise and thanksgiving bring me back into the presence of God, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures evermore."

What a great reminder that I was desperately needing. I am not in need of a change in my circumstances, but a change in my viewpoint. Like I mentioned earlier, as a kid my parents would often have us make lists of what we are thankful for. I want to start that again. It's too easy to ask for a change in circumstance rather than a change in viewpoint. My hope is that through making these "thankful lists" I will begin a pattern of recognizing and living in the fullness of joy that are in my current circumstances.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is FULLNESS of JOY; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

Fall=Gr8 Memories:)

There is something about the fall that brings about feelings of nostalgia. I guess it's because fall is my favorite season and I associate so many good memories with it. Last weekend my mom came to visit (and to clean) and we spent some time walking in downtown Sewickley. We walked past a church that had a yard covered with pumpkins they were selling. That brought up memories of a fun Harner Farms visit with my roomie Sacha. Which in turn made me miss her which then made me miss all my friends which then, naturally, made me miss Navs. Obviously, this caused me to change my profile picture to one from Navs Fall Retreat, which caused me to look through all my old pictures, which then through a serious of facebook comments, led me to Meg's blog (http://meghanelizabethbaker.blogspot.com/) which finally led me to this post. Whew. All that to say, this is just a post to remind me of all the good people and good times God has blessed me with. Love you all! Enjoy:)

\