Building a palace

I was listening to a Tim Keller sermon on Romans 6 today for one of my counseling classes. In this sermon, Keller talks about this quote from CS Lewis' Mere Christianity:


“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”


― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I love that. Keller says that if being a christian means union with Christ, then you have to do two things:
1. Get rid of your low goals (actually get rid of your "your goals"
2. Anticipate that you will not be able to anticipate the magnitude of the changes that will happen. But when they come, you will be grateful for.

The process is long, and at parts painful, but that is what you are in for, nothing less.

just some food for thought.

KQ

The gospel in marriage

So lets just say I've been majorly slacking on my blog. Ok slacking or actually been non-exsistent for the past 10 months...
In my defense, I've been busy working towards my masters in biblical counseling, working full time for Young Life, and being pursued by a wonderful Godly man and planning a wedding!

But now I am back. and hope to be more active about blogging because I love sharing my thoughts and heart. I've been married 2.5 weeks now... and my new husband actually inspired this post...so here goes.

Nathan and I got engaged in May, and married almost exactly 5 months later, so it was a fast engagement time for sure. During that time we took a 8 week engagement class at church where we learned a ton on many different topics like finances, conflict, families, etc.  The biggest take away I think was that: Our marriage has the opportunity to share with others and ourselves the gospel of Jesus.

I was thinking about that this morning as I lay on the couch with a fever, sick as a dog. I have been sick the past 3 days. With a fever and achiness all over, I have been unable to really do anything, much less do all the "wifely" things that I thought i would do like cook meals for my husband,  keep the house clean,  and take care of him!

Instead, the opposite has been happening all week...Nate has been taking care of me! Cooking me meals, getting me medicine, praying for me, buying me flowers, and movies to watch while im home all day sick. And its been really hard for me for some reason...because i wanted to be the one taking care of him! and i felt like a failure! This morning I realized that my husband has been showing me the gospel this week through his love to me. And me not wanting to accept it is only hurting me. It feels so good to just jump into to his love and let him love me and take care of me. And I don't have to do anything to deserve it. This directly parallels with my relationship with Christ. Christ is always there, wanting to love me and care for me and wanting me to just LET HIM take control. And how much i fight that so often. And how good it feels just to let Jesus love me. And freeing to just relax in that love. And know that I didn't have to do anything to deserve it, its a free gift.

So shout out to my hubby for showing me the love of Christ through his love of me.

                                      (pic from our honeymoon last week in Maui)

Faithfulness.

At the end of the sermon this week, my pastor said this during his prayer:

"We are here today because of others who have been faithful."

I've thought about it a TON this week already. This statement is true. It makes me think a lot of people who were instrumental in my relationship with Christ. Friends who loved me, who pushed me, and didn't give up on me. God used those people in my life to lead me to Him.

This also makes me want to continue and press on in my relationships...

Remembering that others faithfulness pointed me towards Christ, makes me want my faithfulness to point others to Christ. God uses people to reveal Himself. Oh Lord, will you please use me for YOUR Glory?

Just some tuesday night thoughts. Short and simple.

nothing like getting called out on a wednesday night....

Working on my online class tonight- and was totally called out by this when the professor was talking about Matthew 17:14-21

Number one sin in the life of the disciples was not lust, anger or ambition- it was lack of faith.

The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord- not just the destiny.

Oh Father, let me have FAITH. its been such a struggle for me lately.

I also, read this morning in Jesus calling:

"Many people spend a lifetime or a small fortune searching for someone who understands them. Yet I am freely available to all who call upon My Name, who open their hearts to receive me as Savior. This simple act of faith is beginning of a lifelong love story. I, the Lover of your soul, understand you perfectly and love you eternally"

That totally stuck out to me this morning. A Father who understands me PERFECTLY and loves me ETERNALLY. Cant even wrap my brain around that one. This season of my life is looking a lot like I need to trust the one who created me and have faith in HIM for ALL things.

Thats all I got for tonight. thankful for what im learning....most of the time.... :)

some tuesdays are better than others

Why this tuesday was so much better than last tuesday:

Last tuesday I had nasty bathroom water all over 2 rooms in my house from a toilet that overflowed for hours when we weren't home- and we came home to a huge mess. and I cried.

Today its the little things that make me feel blessed:

Friends who love me and speak truth

Bright new fun covers on our kitchen table chairs

Someone paying for my lunch

The athletic director secretary loving Jesus and giving my whole Young Life team free passes to all home athletic events

Beautiful weather

Being challenged in my second week of class

meaningful conversations with a hs girl at the volleyball game tonight

and clean floors :)

I am thankful.

thankful and blessed. thank you Jesus.

Early morning Monday thoughts.

So this morning, I woke up at 3:23 and couldn't fall back asleep. If you know me, you know that I am a good sleeper. I typically fall asleep within ten minutes of laying down and sleep well. Also, I need sleep to function, like eight hours. No, seriously. I get cranky.

So, this morning at 3:23, i lay staring at the ceiling wondering why I am awake. After a good hour and a half of attempting to go back to sleep, i just decided to get up. I naturally cleaned up the kitchen- washing dishes, etc. I also made some delicious (if i might say so myself) banana nut muffins.

I then found myself on the couch with my bible and journal. I started reading Psalm 62. When I got to verse 5. I knew why I was awake so early.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from him.

You see, Ive spent the last week searching for rest and hope in things apart from Jesus. This morning was His reminder that REST and HOPE come only from Him. Only He can bring me those things- not the people and things in this world.

The next few verses are pretty awesome too.

He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

So, being up at 330am isnt what I had in mind, but I'm so thankful for God's sweet reminder in a time when I really needed it. And i got to see a pretty awesome sunrise too.

Happy Monday people!

A few thoughts on Spiritual Decision making...

Taking a class at school this week and last- its a semester long class crammed into 7 days, so it is alot of information. I've been LEARNING SO MUCH. I cant even begin to talk about all that I'm learning and trying to wrap my brain around.

Here is something that we talked about in class today which kinda rocked my world a little bit.

Our decision making process doesn't work! Think about the times you have made decisions in the past... talk about open and closed doors....who opened the door? God? me? Satan? If its closed does it mean we bust it down? stick our foot in it? Signs- who are those from? Us? Feelings of excitement/peace? from who? me? Satan? what I ate for lunch?

Our decision making process doesn't work! all of these things paralyze us in uncertainty. We are uncertain about when to seek God's will and pretty inconsistent on what to seek God's will about.

Follow the light of God's word. God's word is sufficient for determining right from wrong. it is not going to tell you who to marry, where to go to college. But it will tell you right from wrong. Trust the word of God!

"I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalm 119:104-105

Trust the God of the word. God is sovereign, He will do it.

He accomplishes what He wants to accomplish. Daniel 4- God sets up Kings and then disposes them. We say we trust God, but we worry if we make the "wrong decision" his plan wont work. REALLY? No way. Sometimes his plan is secret, sometimes its revealed.

In Amoral Areas- choose JOYFULLY. Amoral is not immoral or moral...aka not right or wrong. Example- college. Make a decision and enjoy. What color socks do i wear? should i buy a house? should i marry this person? All amoral decisions. Now once you do make these decisions come the moral questions. If you buy house- how will you use it? If you marry someone- the bible now says to love them and be faithful to them. You could marry a lot of people...once you make that CHOICE (bc you do make a choice) you must love and be faithful.

And obviously, you also want to take into consideration things when buying a house/choosing a college like money, can you afford it, majors, etc. But other than that, just choose! Enjoy! Celebrate the freedom you get in doing that.

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed,

whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." Ecclesiastes 11:5-6

Don't seek God's individual will for your life.

Its a secret. He hasn't told us everything. Be a part of HIS story.

"But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear." Deuteronomy 29:3

Why do we think we have to discover the will of God in everything? We don't have to try and find it, He will make it known. He will lead us there, He will accomplish His will.

Spiritual Life is a lot more enjoyable making decisions with this new sense of freedom. This was great for me to hear today and just wanted to share. Obviously, The Spirit is still at work, living and moving, and I definitely think can lead you in one way or another (I live in Dallas, HELLO) You have any thoughts on this? Does this bring any sense of freedom to decision making?

You are loved.