what can your God not do? {when you feel afraid or alone}

There's nothing like riding miles above the clouds to make you realize just how small and insignificant you really are.

Before you even leave the city you're flying out from, the cars on the road start to look like the tiniest, slowest little ants, and by the time you're at full flying altitude, landmarks become imperceptible- you start to see just the colors and patterns of the land that is underneath you.

Looking out on what the Lord has created like that just feels so incredibly humbling. Something about having your feet on the ground back at home gives you a false sense of security- like you are the big one, and in control of your circumstances, but being up high in the heavens makes you realize you are actually closer to the size of a tiny microbe.

It reminds me of what David wrote in Psalm 8- I couldn't get these verses out of my head as we flew:

1O LORD, our Lord,
  How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
  Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
  Because of Your adversaries,
  To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
  The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
4What is man that You take thought of him,
  And the son of man that You care for him?
5Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
  And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
  You have put all things under his feet,
7All sheep and oxen,
  And also the beasts of the field,
8The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
  Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9O LORD, our Lord,
  How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

He made all of the earth and the sky... the oceans, the moon, the stars... what can our God not do??

And this is even more incredible to me- as we were flying, here's what I read in Psalm 103:

Oh how amazing it is- our Lord is compassionate and gracious- slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness.

But do you see it??

Oh my goodness- as high as the HEAVENS are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him!!!

Do you know that's how deeply He loves? Did you realize that's how much our Father loves you TODAY?

You are His beloved- His child, and nothing can separate you from that love!

And get this- as far as the east is from the west - that's how far He removed our transgressions from us!!

Oh, the depths of His mercy- we cannot even fathom the mercy He has bestowed upon us- the microbes that will vanish in mere decades- He has given His Son for us, so that He could show us His great love and forgiveness. Who are WE to deserve that? 

What an incredible, awesome God we serve. He loves us so much He removed our sin far from us- He didn't deal with us according to our sins, or reward us according to our iniquity!!! We didn't get what we deserved in any way. Oh, what mercy He gives us!!!

This GOD is who we love, the ruler and master of the universe in all it's majesty. Can you do anything but respond with love and trust when you realize who your God is and what He has done for you?

Oh, friend, what can our GOD not do in your life today? I promise you can trust Him!! :)

the most thrilling words

Oh sweet friends, it doesn't get more exciting than this, does it?!! Jesus is ALIVE!!! :D

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said...

Matthew 28:6 

you can download this free printable from aka design!

how we have hope in the face of evil

Their precious Noah, age 6, who was killed last Friday at school. My own little Noah is just 7.

After Friday, how do we go back to regular life?

I think it's the question on everyone's heart today.

My heart aches for the families of the children and teachers that died in Connecticut last week. I can't begin to imagine the grief and anger they must face right now.

I feel angry that an evil boy-man can go in and take the lives of little children.

I'm angry that he killed himself. That he's not alive to see what he did. I realize He will face a much more serious judge than here on earth, but I still can't believe that he was so cowardly.

I don't know if I should be angry or not, honestly. We are called to love, but my chest burns because I can't believe a human being would be capable of such an atrocity. It's just so evil.

But there is nothing new under the sun, my brother Josh reminds me. Evil men have been taking the lives of children and the innocent for centuries. 

How could I forget?

Around this time more than two thousand years ago, a decree went out from the government that all of the first-born sons under 2 in Bethlehem were to be killed. That's why Mary and Joseph had to take Jesus and flee to Egypt.

Can you imagine your government killing your first-born baby boy?

How about the government demanding the life of any of your newborn baby boys like Pharaoh did in the time of Moses?

Or your government deciding to murder your disabled child like Hitler did not even 75 years ago?

And what about people deciding to kill their own children? 

1.2 million innocent babies died in our very own country last year.

It seems to me that evil hates innocence. Evil wants to kill innocence.

How is this possible? So many people ask why a good God would allow this to happen.

My question in return is, why would mankind allow this to happen? Why do we allow it to happen?

The responsibility is ours. The consequences are ours.

Man is desperately wicked. 

From the fall in the garden, we have been seeking our own way apart from God. We are completely unable to bring ourselves to goodness. 

History just shows us that man continues to sin, and even in the same way. 

We are forever lost without a chance- doomed to repeat history- unless someone comes to redeem us.

And only Jesus, the Son of God, did that. 

He was innocent, but He gave Himself up. 

We killed Him, the spotless Lamb, just like all those madmen killed those innocent children. 

Why? 

Because evil wants to kill innocence.  Evil hates good.

Our sins put Jesus on the cross that day. We crucified Him with our lies, our disobedience, our hate. He died because of what we did. 

But God in His amazing GLORY, defeated our sin in that moment- through the death and resurrection of His perfect Son, we became able to be made clean and perfect like He is. In a moment, we went from murderers to adopted, righteous sons and daughters made new in His likeness. 

What???

What is that incredible, crazy mercy?

Oh, do you see it??

We have no hope aside from Jesus!

There are none righteous apart from God- not even one person is good. 

But God is so, so merciful. 

God's eyes weren't closed when the Connecticut shooting happened. He sees the evil happening here. Like Ninevah, this country's evil has come up before God. 

And He sent a Way for us to repent- to be saved, just like He did for that evil city.

God is as full of mercy today as He was in Ninevah's day. They were a culture known for loving violence {does it seem strange that we as a culture today love to watch it in movies, TV, video games, and the news?}, but God had great pity on them, and gave them the chance to repent. 

He saw their 120,000 who didn't know their right hand from their left. He saw their tiny innocent ones, and He didn't want them to die. 

God isn't willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance: 

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

He is slow to anger. He is gracious and merciful, and abounds in steadfast love.

Like the persistent widow demanding justice from the judge in Luke 18, our human heart cries for justice when evil does us wrong. But do we remember that we were once the evil-doer? And that God had mercy on us?

My heart is angry for the children that died, and I want to see that a punishment is given to the person who did it. My heart wants justice for the innocent. I want what is wrong to be made right. Everyone in this place does. 

This world is broken. We can all see that. Anyone can see that.

The question is, are we willing to see what we did to the Redeemer of all things?

He died for our sins. He was innocent. Spotless. Pure.  

Will we turn from our sins, and put our hope in Him alone? He waits with great patience for us to come to Him. 

What can we do as believers as we look for His return? For this broken world to be made new and clean and right again? 

His word tells us to keep waiting. Keep praying. Don't lose hope. To be prepared to tell others the reason for the hope that is in you. 

Oh, and we can't miss how Jesus finishes the parable of the widow with this important question:

"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:8

Will he find us faithful at the end? Will you put your hope in Him today?

Jesus, thank you for your great mercy toward us. We are sinners desperately in need of you, and we praise you for giving us a way to come before you. We eagerly await your return, Jesus. Please comfort the broken-hearted as only you can do, God. You can imagine their grief, Lord. Oh Jesus, we come before you asking that you would be the light in the darkness of this situation. Show them your glory, Lord, and give them hope, Father. We love and praise you God, and we long for you to come.

source: pinterest

when you feel weary and tired :: embracing God’s sweet gift of sleep

Do you ever feel completely exhausted?

And does it come in seasons for you?

It does for me. I’ve learned October will be the month we are very busy, and that I need two weeks of November to recover.

The older I get, the more I notice that I need rest. And more than I used to.

I’m starting to see these rhythmic patterns in my life- I’m wondering if you have them too?

It’s taken me a while to see these seasons. I have no idea why it’s taken 30 years to see them- I’ve heard Ecclesiastes 3 since I was a tiny girl. Solomon knew what he was talking about. :)

A time to work hard. A time to rest.

Times for parties and spending, followed by times of quiet and saving.

Times for holidays and feasts, and lots of them. Then time recovering from them.

It’s really a beautiful thing, because without one, we wouldn’t enjoy the other quite so much.

I think even our bodies have a natural rhythm of their own. Gain and then lose. Run and then rest.

My body is in a season of rest right now. So very graciously, God has let my mind get out of the do, do, do mode. Suddenly I don’t feel the pressing need to finish the laundry. I just really want to take a nap.

The good girl inside, much like Martha, says, “No naps- you have too much to do. You need to work.”

And the other part of me {Mary?} shakes her head, and says, “No, friend, it’s time to rest and refocus your priorities. Keep your eyes on what’s important…” :)

Last week I slept for more hours than I ever do.  Thanks to my husband, I slept in late, I took naps almost every day. And I never take naps these days.

And you know what? This week, I feel so much better. So much less stressed, even though I’m behind on my house and my kitchen is completely covered in sawdust from our DIY counter installation.  {It’s bad!}

I’m allowing myself to rest this month. And I’m encouraged by the multiple instances of Jesus resting in the Bible. Sometimes I forget that He made resting and listening to the Father in quiet such an important part of his ministry. Sometimes I forget the Bible actually gives us so much encouragement and direction about our weariness!

If you are weary- if you are exhausted, I just want to encourage you today- rest in Him. Sleep is truly a gift to our human bodies from our Father.

If you have a teeny baby or toddlers right now, you are in a season of hard, hard work. I want to encourage you to sleep when they do if you can. You will feel better, happier, and be more productive when you are awake. 

Looking back at all my years with babies- the best years were ones I didn’t demand too much of myself. I just slept and sat down and nursed {a lot!} and enjoyed life with my baby. And you know what? I don’t regret that. I don’t remember the chores I didn’t get done. It was for a season, and then the season was gone.

these hands won’t be little forever…

As they grow up, things get easier, sweet mamas, and most of the time you can even stay up on the laundry. {I’m never, ever done, but the pile is nothing like it used to be, and my kids are bigger now!}.

Seasons change, and just like that, you’ll be in a completely different place than you were even two years ago. The Nester encouraged me with that at Allume in the marriage Q&A. She has teenagers now, and she said it’s so much different than when she had younger kids. I haven’t gotten there yet, but it’s encouraging to be reminded that life won’t be like this forever. There are seasons, and I should enjoy them.

If you’re overwhelmed and exhausted right now, ask the Lord if there is a way you can let some homemaking things go for a while and catch up on a little rest.

Ask your husband what he thinks you can spend less time on. My husband always encourages me to do less, and he gives me specific ways when I ask him {and I try to actually take his advice. I’m certainly not the best at slowing down. ;)}.

Honestly, my husband wants me to be rested for him, as I’m sure most husbands probably want their wives to be. I really think most of them could not care less about the laundry. Choose them and your kiddos over the laundry. You won’t regret it. :)

If you’re weary, choose rest. Sleep for a little while if you can. You will feel so much better when you let yourself recover from a busy season.

Thank you Lord Jesus, for sweet rest. Help us to rest when you want us to rest, and work when it is time. Thank you for all of the seasons!

Ecclesiastes 3

1For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven,

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

monday encouragement {vlog}

I wanted to sit down and chat with you guys and kind of give you an update about where we are going next with what we talked about last week. I totally had to fight myself to keep from re-recording this video for many reasons, one of which is that I can't keep myself from crying like a baby at the end. So, with that, I apologize in advance for bawling in my vlog. ha! I love you guys!!  :)



I'll be posting our giveaway winner later today! I hope you all have a great week!!