At this time of year we often reflect on the previous year and remember things we did, accomplishments we've made, etc... but I want to challenge you to focus on what Christ has done in and through you this past year rather than what you have done.

How has Christ worked in my life this past year? A few ways:

1. He has sustained me in school...I could not be entering my last semester of Dental Hygiene school without Him.

2. He has granted me the ability to memorize the book of Colossians and part of Philippians so far...just wanting to know my Savior more, and it's only from Him that I am able to do this.

3. He has blessed me with great friendships with people who love Him and cause me to love Him even more.

4. He has given me the ability to trust in His sovereignty through difficulties in life...next year will bring big changes, but Christ has been faithful and will continue to be faithful through all circumstances.

 I said last January that I wanted to look back over 2012 and see how much more precious Christ has become to me. As I look over this past year I know I have grown in Christ in some ways, but I also see many areas in my life that can definitely use more growth. My prayer for 2013 is that I seek Christ in everything, that I grow in the areas I am lacking, and that I am more conformed into the image of God's Son.

I would love to know what Christ has done in your life this year.

I have also been reflecting on this song, "Nothing That My Hands Can Do" by Sovereign Grace...such powerful words. It is a beautiful picture of God's grace toward us, reminding us that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves and that it is only through Christ's death that we can be made right with God. Here are the lyrics:

Verse 1
There's nothing that my hands can do
To save my guilty soul
I cannot cleanse my filthy stains
Or make my spirit whole
For nothing but the blood of Christ
Can all my sins erase
I dare not claim my righteousness
But hide within His grace
'Tis Christ who saved me from the depths
God's pardon I've received
I'm washed within His precious blood
My heart is sprinkled clean 

Verse 2
I'll praise the God of holiness
Of justice, truth, and might
Who guides me by His mighty hand
To walk within His light
While Satan weaves his shallow lies
God speaks to me in love
Reminding me His only Son
Has bought me with his blood
And Christ dispels my every doubt
through Him I am redeemed
I love because He loved me first
I live because He lives 

Verse 3
My life is but a fleeting sigh
A tear within the sea
But You are everlasting, Lord
And You've predestined me
To leave this fading world behind
Not fearing death will come
For then I'll look on Jesus Christ
And to His arms I'll run
And when I see Him face to face
What glory that will be
To look upon my Savior's scars
And know they were for me

You know sometimes when you feel so overwhelmed that you don't even know where to begin? Well, I was feeling that way a little bit earlier today, and then I was thinking...why am I stressing out about something that God is in control of? Silly me, why didn't I trust God in the first place? What I'm referring to is being back at school this week and having information overload with clinic requirements, pharmacology...(I could just stop right there). Anyways, I had to stop and remind myself that God is sovereign and has placed me in this position in life, at this school, taking these classes, at this moment for His purpose that I may trust Him and bring glory to His name. I cannot pass these classes on my own, but must rely on Him for strength and endurance. Just like Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "But He said to me, 'My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." We are weak, and Christ's power is made evident in our lives when we rely on Him to get us through things. Paul was content in his weakness, during insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. Why? Because ultimately Christ was glorified. Paul boasted of his weakness so that Christ would be exalted by proclaiming His power. Can you and I say that we are content when we are weak or enduring insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities in our own lives so that Christ can be glorified?

Die to self.

I have been repeating that phrase to myself over and over again these past few days. Why? Because I'm selfish and insist on my own way.

We have been studying what biblical love is in 1 Corinthians 13 on Sunday mornings and went over verse 5 this past Sunday. It says, "...It does not insist on it's own way; it is not irritable or resentful". So you see, if I want to love with biblical love, I cannot insist on my own way, allow myself to become irritated by others or when things don't go my way, or be resentful. When I die to self, letting go of my ways and my desires, I become more like Christ. Oh what a beautiful day it will be when I stand before the Lord, perfected in Christ's image! But until then, Christ will continually be breaking me and remolding me. This is my journey, my sanctification.

I like this definition of love that my pastor quoted this past Sunday, "Love is the dynamic creative endeavor of finding ways to pursue the welfare of others rather than one's own interests." It is just like what Philippians 2:4 says, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others." I think that the greatest example of selflessness is Christ Himself. He humbled Himself, offering up His life for you and me, submitting to the Father's will. Oh that I may become selfless like my Lord!



To listen to the sermons on 1 Corinthians 13, visit gracejax.org or just click here: http://www.gracejax.org/media.php?pageID=22

"...but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." ~1 Peter 3:4

While physical (outward) beauty is commonly desired among ladies, true, inner beauty is better to have. Why? Because that is what matters to God. I love 1 Peter 3:4 because it explains how women are to act. We are to cultivate our inner beings to be beautiful. When we are beautiful on the inside, we are able to have a "gentle and quiet spirit". John MacArthur writes, "Here is beauty that never decays, as the outward body does. Gentle is actually 'meek or humble' and quiet describes the character of her action and reaction to her husband and life in general. Such is precious not only to her husband, but also to God." Just as the verse says, this inner beauty is imperishable, or in other words: lasting, permanent. As you age, your physical beauty will fade...you won't be the beauty that you once were. But if you have inner beauty, that beauty will radiate through your old and wrinkly skin because you have cultivated that beauty and have become more beautiful through your relationship with Christ. In God's sight, this beauty is very precious! I want that kind of beauty, don't you?
So, is physical beauty bad to have? Of course not. God made each and every person in His image (Genesis 1:27). Whether or not you are considered beautiful from man's perspective does not diminish the fact that you were created in the image of God, which is an incredible concept to grasp. I mean, just think about it...we were created in the image of a Holy, Wonderful, Awesome, Perfect, Merciful, Loving, Patient, Forgiving (the list could go on...) God! Wow.

I've been thinking lately... I love songs and singing, especially worship songs...and I often find myself just singing, but not really listening to what I'm singing. You know, not really letting the lyrics of the worship songs penetrate my heart....and that's a problem. I can sing and read and talk about things, but my mind can be in a completely different place - I'm not focused on what I'm doing. Instead of letting my mind wander I need to be intentional about thinking about what I'm singing to God so that I can focus on worshiping Him in song. Do I really mean what I am singing? For example, in the song Blessed Be Your Name, it talks about calling the Lord's name blessed in times of abundance and suffering, when He gives and takes away. Convicting lyrics, huh? Do I always say "blessed be the name of the Lord" when things go differently than I think they should?
Another song that I really love is For You Are Holy. We sang it in church tonight, and it's a simple song just declaring that God is holy, praising Him for that attribute. Here is a link to the song. Just be silent and listen to the lyrics. Praise God - He alone is worthy!

Welcome to my journey :)

Today I was reading in John 7 and 8 and one phrase really stuck out to me - "...because His hour had not yet come." Do you wanna know why? Well, it shows that God has a perfect timing for everything. No one was able to touch/arrest Jesus because it wasn't time. Jesus still had His ministry on the earth. God planned from before time when Jesus would be crucified and it wasn't then, so no one laid a hand on Him. It's really neat to think about my life and how God has perfectly orchestrated everything. In His perfect timing I was born...in His perfect timing I was saved...in His perfect timing I was accepted into the dental hygiene program...in His perfect timing (fill in the blank) --- things to come in my life will be in His perfect timing. So instead of worrying about what my life will look like in 10 years I can trust Him because He has perfectly timed everything. Nothing will be unexpected to God. He has been faithful and will be faithful. He is unchanging. That's so encouraging, isn't it? What a great God we serve!