Mother Dearest : )

I know this is a week late, but last week Friday (the 17th--aka my mom's birthday) I was leaving for YATEC. So a belated list of things I love about my...

M is for modest and not just in the clothing department. My mom is very humble and I can't think of a time when she put her own needs before others. I love it when my dad compliments her in anything because she kinda blushes. : )

O is for optimistic. I love that my mom's natural demeanor is cheerful and upbeat. I can't remember the last time I've heard a complaint come out of her mouth. She's just good at seeing the good in people.

T is for talented. My mom is super creative...in home decor, scrap booking, cake decorating, you name it!) My mom is a really good chef & baker. My mom is good at picking out the perfect gifts for people. My mom is talented at balancing a full schedule. My mom is good at caring for her family. My mom is really talented at being a mom. My mom is not talented at texting. : )

H is for heartwarming smiler. If you've ever talked to my mom, I'd be willing to bet that she smiled at you almost immediately. And not just one of those "I-should-smile-to-be-nice" smiles, but a smile that's genuine and sincere. That warms your heart. She's got a one-in-a-million smile and she's always willing to share it with others. This quote by Mother Theresa makes me think of her: "Remember to smile, always. Smiles are infectious. And the more it costs us, the more precious it is. Smiling is our first act of love. It's a sign of our love for God."

E is for encourager. My mom is good at writing little encouraging notes or emails. She tells me what she appreciates about me. Just showing that she cares about me is encouraging. I'm not sure if my mom has ever put me down. All of her characteristics naturally encourage me.

R is for relaxed. I mentioned this for Christa, too, but it's true. My mom is not your typical mother-worrier. I know she cares about us, but I think it's just because she trusts in God so much that she can't worry. My mom is also very submissive and a great example of how to be a loving and respectful wife. : )

The only picture I had with my mom on the computer. Sad : /

My sister :)

Just a little acrostic of some things that I love about Sista Christa :) Happy 24th Birthday!! Love you lots:)

C is for contagious. My sister has a really big heart filled with love for a lot of people. She's passionate about helping. She's passionate about justice. She's passionate about people from other countries. Her passion is contagious--thanks for letting me catch it, Christa! ;)

H is for hearing. Also known as listener. My sister is good at listening to me and really hearing what I have to say. Then she's never afraid to offer me her advice/feedback. :)

R is for relaxed. Christa is very carefree and does not worry about a lot of things. I think we both take after our mom in that. I don't know what I would do with an uptight sister. I think we both agree that life is better when it's happy-go-lucky. :)

I is for inspirational. As a younger sister, of course I want to copy everything that my cool, older sister does. But not only is she inspirational to me, she inspires so many others. Her love for the Lord and willingness to give anything and everything to Him is inspiring because it's exactly what Jesus did!

S is for sacrificial. My sister is living half way around the world, away from friends and family, trying to raise her own support, and teaching in a university that will probably never comprehend how big of a gift she is to the school. Christa knows what it means to lay down her life for her neighbor. She sacrifices a lot and gets very little thanks. She does it out of faithfulness to God.

T is for talkative. If you've ever had a conversation with my sister, you know that you'll never have to worry about an awkward silence. Christa has a bazillion questions for you and she genuinely cares about the answer. My sister is really good at making you feel like you're the most important person in the world.

A is for abider. My sister follows Jesus' words in John 15. She abides in Christ and He abides in her. This is why she produces much fruit. And when you produce much fruit, you are Jesus' true disciples. That brings true glory to the Father. (John 15:8)

Quite the girl, huh? I understand if you want her to be your sister...but sorry! :)

"You Do It!"

Another Diamond Column...

“It is not so much that prayer changes things as that prayer changes us and then we change things. We can’t ask God to do Himself what He created us to do ourselves.” -- Oswald Chambers.

      Isn’t it so easy to just ask God to help the poor? to heal the broken? to feed the hungry? We think that by interceding on behalf of those in need, we have done our part and can move on with our day. But God has different ideas—they might not be as easy, but they bring a whole lot more satisfaction. The kind that goes way down deep and can only come from doing the work of our Lord. He has given us the amazing privilege of taking part in His work, and yet we so easily pass up the opportunities and opt for a simple prayer instead. Don’t get me wrong—I don’t want it to undermine the power of prayer, but God has empowered us to do so much more than pray. That’s why I think Chambers hit it right on target by saying that prayer changes us so that we can go change things.

    Take an example from the Bible. In Mark 6:30-44 we read the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. We’ve all heard the story…Jesus had been teaching the crowd for a while and the disciples suggested that they were probably getting hungry. They asked Jesus to send them away so that they can get something to eat. In some sense, they were interceding for the crowd to be fed. But Jesus wants to give the disciples an opportunity to take part in His work. So He says, “You feed them.”

    Not surprisingly, the disciples don’t get it. Thinking practically, they ask, “With what? We’d have to work for months in order to earn enough money to buy food for all these people.” But Jesus tells them to gather all they have and give it to Him. By asking about the need to be changed, they were instead changed by God to be able to go out and do the work themselves. Once they gave all they had to Jesus, He stepped in and performed the miracle.

    I believe the same is true today. When we recognize a need and ask God to fix it, I believe He is still telling us, “You do it.” Because of His incomprehensible love, God refuses to do what we are capable of doing ourselves. We are so fortunate to have a God that lets us take part in this stuff.

     So my challenge for you is to be open to recognizing the needs in our world. Once you ask God about them, be prepared for God to transform you so that you can go out and do it yourself. Then take a step back and marvel at the satisfaction you receive from being able to take part in God’s work. 

Think Outside the Box

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us…” Ephesians 3:20. Read that verse again. Really let it sink in. Do you understand what it means to have a God who does more than our human brains could ever come up with? With all our head-knowledge, of course we know that verse to be true, but do we really comprehend it?

I know I personally fail to comprehend that on a regular basis. I have a tendency to put God inside a box. I put expectations on Him for what I would like Him to do, where I would like Him to go, and how I would like Him to do it. Of course, it’s not intentional. If I was conscious that I was doing it, I would never dream of putting God in a box. I’m getting better at catching myself, but often it takes me getting a little disappointed when God hasn’t answered my prayer the way I wanted before I realize that I’ve done it yet again.

In fact, I think we all tend to do this because of our natural human self that prefers comfort. We set expectations on God because we want to know what will happen so that we can prepare. Not to mention we subconsciously think that our way will work out best. Obviously, that’s not true, and thank God that He is so patient that He doesn’t get upset when we try to get Him to do what we want again and again.

I’m learning to anticipate more what God will do rather than expect. I am finally learning to let it sink in that God is able to do so much more than my brain could ever imagine. That way I don’t get disappointed when God doesn’t do what I expect Him to. Instead, He surprises me and awes me by doing things like only He can.

I’ll admit that I have set expectations on God for what I want Him to do. I have expected Him over and over again to work in a certain way at a certain time and at a certain place. But I’m through with that. From now on, I am thinking as far outside of the box as my brain is capable of. I am only anticipating what God will do in His own way. I can’t begin to imagine the ways that He will move, and frankly I don’t really want to imagine it. God has and will continue to step in and move in ways that He knows best and that best work according to His purpose. Will you join me in great anticipation and prayer for God to move in ways that are immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine?