a Heart's Ramblings.

There's the ups, and there is definitely the downs.  The times on the mountain, and the times in the dessert.  The days God feels so near, and the days feeling doesn't even seem to be an option.  It's just the way it goes with our spiritual lives, right?  There's growing, constantly growing... yet it doesn't always seem like we're getting very far.  Maybe part of that... just maybe... is not letting go of wanting to grow on our own ?  In and of ourselves... maybe not allowing God to be the one the causes the growing?  I love that parallel of our spiritual lives as believers being like a seedling.  God first had to plant a seed in rich soil, "good soil" (Matt. 13).  It needs to be  consistently watered with quenching and nourishing water, or it's growth is cut short.  It needs sunlight - when hidden from the sun, it wilts and begins to die away.  But does the seedling do this?  Does the seedling provide the rich soil? ...

"Goodnight, Anna!  I love you so much." "I love you more ... I love you to the stars and back." "I love you to the stars and back... but, Anna, I don't love you as much as I love Jesus.  I love Jesus, like... to the sun and down." "Wow, that's a long ways, Cora!  I'm so glad you love Him that much." ... "Anna, are stars bigger than Jesus?" *nod my head* "Anna, are whales bigger than Jesus?" "Nope!" "Wow.  I wish I was bigger than a whale, so that whales couldn't pick me up... so whales can't pick up Jesus?" *nod my head once again*  "No, Cora, remember - God can be everywhere at the same time!  He made the stars and the whales!"  "Well, I'm glad I'm not Jesus.  I wouldn't want to be a giant." I'm glad I'm not Jesus.  How I love kids. =D  And boy, do they have their own way of teaching you (it's not called "the faith of a chil...

Ah, this is good.  So so good.  Our mindset as redeemed can be so upside down.  Lord, keep prompting my heart with the need to step down from the throne of my heart and give it to the only right and able King.  Give it to Jesus.  Focus on Him , not what I can do.  Let Him be the change in my life as I just simply live for Him. LOOK to Him . "If I am to be like Him, then God in His grace must do it, and the sooner I come to recognize it the sooner I will be delivered from another form of bondage.  Throw down every endeavor and say, I cannot do it, the more I try the farther I get from His likeness.  What shall I do?  Ah, the Holy Spirit says, You cannot do it; just withdraw; come out of it. You have been in the arena, you have been endeavoring, you are a failure, come out and sit down, and as you sit there behold Him, look at Him.  Don't try to be like Him, just look at Him. Just be occupied with Him. Forget about trying to be like Hi...

Love thrives on love. It's a line I read in "The Green letters" today.  So true, isn't it?  When is it that I feel so spurred to love another?  When I've received true and honest love from someone else.  When I've felt appreciated, accepted.  When I've felt loved!  After being reminded of the reason Christ came to our lowly world so long ago.  After being reminded of why and WHO He died for only 33 years later.  THIS is when I am encouraged to reach further and make an attempt to touch someone else with that amazing love.  THIS is love thriving on love. Lord, show me your great and wondrous, unending and unfathomable love.  Overwhelm me with what you've done for me, so that my heart may extend your amazing love to those around me!  Show me love.  Show me how to love.  How to love to my best ability so that others may grow, so that their love has something to thrive on.

These quotes pretty much sums up me the past couple months, so it just seemed right to post it. =)  It makes me feel sort of young and immature when I think of the things that God still has to pull me through... emotions, and all that good stuff.  But it's good to realize that I'll always need Him, and He'll always be teaching me. And that sometimes it takes something crazy for Him to do that. =P "Faith is dependence upon God. And this God-dependence only begins when the self-dependence ends. And self-dependence only comes to its end, with some of us, when sorrow, suffering, affliction, broken plans and hopes bring us to that place of self-helplessness and defeat. And only then do we find that we have learned the lesson of faith; to find our tiny craft of life rushing onward to a blessed victory of life and power and service undreamt of in the days of our fleshly strength and self-reliance."  -James McConkey and... "It is a great thing to learn faith...