A Pure Heart

Last week I had a conversation with a friend. We had both been vacationing in different states, and we're in different stages of life. However, we had the same thoughts concerning our weekends. We had been angry, impatient, aggravated beyond our limits. SINFUL. That's it...nothing pretty about it. We had both been dealing with family and friend drama, and came away feeling less than Christlike. And it was definitely weighing heavy on our hearts as we talked.

Later I began to read Psalm 51. This Psalm was written by David after he was confronted about his adultery, his sin. Verse 10 says, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."(NIV) David didn't ask for his heart to be repaired, or put back together, or to even clean it up. He asked for a new one. He realized that nothing good was in him, only through the power of God at work in him could he be made right. The same is true for me and my friend. The only way we can deal with our concerns in a godly way is to let God deal through us and in us.
The Message version of the same verse reads, "God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life." This week that's my goal. To watch God make a Genesis, a new creation, out of my chaos.

National Day of Prayer

Today I went to a prayer service at a local christian school. My friend Tracie was the coordinator and it was so neat to watch the day unfold. Tracie opened the service by talking about how sometimes God puts a seed in your heart, a desire that you have. Our job is to grow that seed, to water it, fertilize it...not dig it up! We need to believe that what God says is true. I so needed to hear that. Too often I let the thoughts and concerns of others sway what I know God has taught me, what He has given me. God's word says in Mark 11:24 "whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." My prayer today is that I will be a pray-er and a believe-er.

Later in the service, another friend shared how God had answered prayers over the course of the past couple of years for she and her family. In the midst of some very scary and life-altering moments for their daughter, she was able to be gut-wrenchingly honest with God. The rawness of knowing God hasn't left you, but feeling like He has, was hard to hear. But even more amazing is that we can actually speak that honestly with our Creator and know that He loves us and He's not forsaken us.

Today I hope that you take some time to pray.

2nd Place!

Congrats to Hannah and the Rampage Girls! They came in 2nd place in their softball season.

Villain Part 2

This week I've pondered much about part 2 of the Villain series we're doing at church. One sentence has played over in my head all week.

"Sometimes when we're tempted we feel like we're out of God's will, when in fact we're right where God wants us." This statement is based on Luke 4:1 which says, "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert...." Verse 2 thru 13 tells the story of the temptations that the villain begins to throw at Jesus and how Jesus uses the scriptures to refute him at every turn. The truth prevailed.

What I've most held to this week, is that the TRUTH of God's word is still the most powerful weapon we have has believers. No matter if the temptation I'm facing is physical, relational, financial or otherwise, God's Truth prevails...everytime.

You can read some great devotionals on this week's sermon here.

James 1:27

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27NIV



I read this post today and it is a must read for any student of scripture...especially the next to last paragraph on this verse.

The Elf on the Shelf

This past weekend I got to meet one of the co-authors of The Elf on the Shelf book. Her name is Carol Aebersold, and she mainly came to speak about her experiences with getting the book published. It is a fascinating story and I was amazed at how God's hand was evident in every step. If you get a chance to hear Carol or her daughter, Chanda Bell, I encourage you to go.

As I've looked back over my notes, I was suprised by how many times Carol talked about praying...to be confident, to overcome obstacles, to seek direction. Her advice was "to bathe everything in prayer." I love the visual of saturating all that we have and all that we desire in prayer; making it pure and clean before God.

Character

This past weekend our church started a new series called Villain.

During the sermon our pastor said "Satan will always act according to his character." And what is his character? Glad you asked. He is a liar, murderer (John 8:44), stealer and destroyer (John 10:10), just to name a few.

However, what struck me in the comment was could the same be said of me? Do I act according to my character? And what does that say about my character? This week I have challenged myself to respond in ways that hopefully resonate a godly, Christlike character-peaceful, graceful, merciful and loving.

You can listen to the sermon and see the notes here. Also there are daily devotionals that help take the message into your week called Digging Deeper.