expectantly

One thing I've definitely learned this past year is that life is full of disappointments. No matter how hard I try not to, I will always have expectations and make assumptions that are incorrect.  Consequently, there will always be those things which I eagerly anticipate, yet in reality they just turn out to disappoint me. As wonderful as high expectations are, I've come to realize that they won't always be met.

Sometimes, I have high expectations for myself.

I expect to get good grades, to get along with those around me, to get in better shape, to prioritize my schedule, to succeed in things I attempt, to be a good friend, to make the right decisions, to respect my parents, to be bold and courageous, to encourage those around me, to grow in my relationship with God and to faithfully follow Christ. But frankly, I fall short of my expectations. Often. I get frustrated when I fail and discouraged when my good intentions fall through. Sometimes, I disappoint myself.

Sometimes, I have high expectations for others.

I expect others to be considerate, to be friendly, to understand my feelings, to show compassion, to include others in their activities, to give their best effort, to be honest, and to be faithful and keep their promises. Unfortunately, people fall short of my expectations too. People are sinners just like I am. Because no one is perfect, including myself, sometimes people disappoint me.

In a world where people fail me or betray me, and where my shortcomings consistently disappoint me, it's easy to lower my expectations and let my standards down. It's safer to expect less when expecting more means risking the chance of disappointment.

But unlike imperfect human beings who constantly fail and fall short, God never falls short; in fact, he consistently exceeds any expectations we could ever have for him! In the midst of my failings and disappointments, Ephesians 3:20-21 is full of hope and anticipation: "him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." God is faithful, he does not fail. We should never put limitations on what God can do. God desires to magnify himself and glorify his name, and he will always succeed in what he does. Although we may not always know God's purpose or intentions, we can always expect that they are greater than we could ever ask for or imagine! 

 Always, we should expect great things of God.

This new year, 2013, you and I both have goals, expectations for what this year holds and what it will be like. While there are sure to be joys and successes, there are certain to be disappointments as well. However, no matter the circumstances, no matter the situation, let's make this a year where we expect great things of God. Let's not put limits on what he can do in our lives and in the lives around us. God doesn't always move like we expect him to, but he certainly never disappoints. Don't you think he would delight in doing far more abundantly than anything we could ask or think this year?!

 A new season, a new year, and a faithful God.

Lord, we wait expectantly.

life is an adventure

I've always been one of those daydreamers. As a kid, my head was constantly constructing thrilling plots and stories for the dozens of adventure novels I planned to write. (It hasn't happened yet.) In my head, I always imagined myself as one of the characters in the heat of the perilous action, living a life full of heroism and excitement.

Although much has changed since my adventure novel aspirations, I still find myself drawn to the idea of adventure. In a way, I think we all dream of getting caught up in some grand scheme that's bigger than ourselves. There's a little part in all of us that wants to be part of all the action and suspense. And though my life may never have as much action as an Indiana Jones film, it is definitely full of adventure.

When I look ahead in life, all I see is an unclear future and one great mystery of a story. But when I look back on where I've been, I see all the twists and turns that God has brought me through and think, Wow! I never dreamed it would ever have turned out this way! In the midst of the journey it sure was tough, but it was always exciting. During the times that were most difficult in my life, God's faithfulness has always appeared more clearly.

With God, life is one big adventure.

Clearly, life is never boring with the Creator who specifically crafted your story into the history of the world!!! So... you can expect your story to be full of the unexpected twists and turns... but you can face the future with an adventurous spirit because he's already written the ending... and you can approach each new adventure with confidence because he's right by your side. (Like a sidekick.)

With God, you don't have to take life so seriously. Sure, there's guaranteed to be be plenty of twists and turns in the future, and maybe some disappointments and heartaches; but instead of freaking out when something doesn't go like you planned it or worrying about an uncertain situation, remember that it is just another part of God's great story. He just wants you to trust him--he's up to something incredible. Face the future like the adventure it is.

So, good news! You're already a part of the great adventure you've always dreamed of! Only in this story, you already know the ending: you are victorious in Jesus Christ. So in the next uncertainty that arises or in the next complication or disappointment, just remember God's faithfulness and constantly press forward... you're in the adventure of a lifetime.

a beautiful paradox

In the quiet stillness of the sunlit room, alone, I sat listening as the breeze rattled the last leaves on the trees. Tucked away in my bright, sunny, secluded room, I came to think and reflect. In the tranquil atmosphere, I could not help but pause and ponder the text I had just read.

Trying to picture myself in the cell of this man, I searched for something deep inside of me that would enable me to endure fourteen years of imprisonment under the Communists. How long would I be willing to suffer for Christ? My spirit was overwhelmed with the account of horrendous tortures, horrific abuse, and anguishing pain. But there was something much deeper and greater that my soul felt.

There was something beautiful.

Amidst the persecution, there was love. Through the loss, there was unfading hope. In the midst of suffering, there was self-sacrifice. This story about a man who suffered for Christ, who prayed for his torturers, and who never ceased praised God that he was counted worthy to suffer—this life radiated with a beauty beyond anything any earthly eye could behold. The courage, the faithfulness, the unconditional love; this is a beauty the world is not worthy of knowing.

There is something overwhelming beautiful about self-sacrifice and loss for something, someone greater. It doesn't make sense to earthly logic, but it is transcendentally beautiful.

exultation through humility
strength through weakness
freedom through serving
gaining through losing
living through dying

Perhaps true beauty is a paradox, like many other aspects of the Christian life. So, in the quiet stillness of that windowed room, I prayed that my life might be a beautiful paradox, too.



The book referenced to is Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand.

what is education?

To you, the student:

Maybe you feel like you're running an obstacle course. You probably spend the majority of your morning and afternoon hours sitting in classes, listening to lectures, and doing homework. (Or if you're homeschooled, just doing homework.) You must learn the facts, memorize the equations, and write the papers. With every assignment, you dutifully complete it—or at least do as little as you can get away with—in order to gain the tools you will someday need to make a living. For now, you are just enduring school, every requirement bringing you ever closer to that glorious end: graduation. Whether your educational journey ends with your high school diploma or your college diploma, you are most certainly anticipating the day when you will "arrive" and receive the certification declaring that you have successfully jumped through all the necessary hoops. You have been adequately prepared for the "real world." Congratulations! You've done it. You have successfully completed your education.

Or have you?

It is a common assumption to view education as means to an end. It is something you must begin in order to bring about a desired cause (in which case you will have reached the end). However, contrary to popular belief, this is not what education is—at least, education according to the Bible. 

The Biblical view says that we never "arrive." The process of becoming Christ-like is on-going and constant. We must take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), continually die to ourselves (2 Corinthians 4:11), and always be being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). While we certainly do have the hope of heaven, there is no "finish line" for the Christian. In the same way, education does not have a "finish line," but rather education is an end in itself....

As a Christian, it doesn't matter what you do—whether you're an engineer, an actor, a musician, a construction worker, or a preacher. Everything you do is sacred. There is no distinction between sacred and secular in the Christian life. The same goes for education. We are called to be in a constant accumulation of understanding, both in our view of God and our view of the world. With God, education is more than just a "coupon for life" that you redeem for a job in the "real world." Education's purpose reaches far beyond passing a test to the entirely more magnificent end of glorifying God with our minds. 

Maybe you're still in school; or maybe you've already graduated. Maybe you're already retired! Whatever the case, you are still called to be a hard thinker for Christ. The Bible commands us to love God with everything, including our minds (Matthew 22:37). If we adopt the mindset that education more than mere knowledge or a ticket to the work force, then we will begin the journey of perpetual learning for the glory of God. 

We want to think big thoughts about God. We want to develop our God-given skills. We want to work hard to strengthen our weaknesses. We want to think critically, and all for the Lord Jesus Christ! So let us not view school as an obstacle course, dodging our way around hurtles and doing our best to just get by. And while it is absolutely fine to look forward to graduation, let's not assume that our education will then be complete. Though we will never "arrive" or be complete in this life, we have a goal we're aiming for in everything we do: the glory of God. As you finish out this school year, keep in mind what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5:

"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."

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college life

I live in a ten foot square room that's infested with crickets.

But, on the bright side, the campus is beautiful. Here's a shot I got one glorious evening:

When the classrooms are about 60 degrees but outside it's about 100 degrees, it's difficult to know how to dress for the day.

It's not as hard academically as I thought it would be. But then again, I'm taking all basic Gen.-eds. Since I don't have many of my core classes yet, I probably have my more challenging courses to look forward to. Yippee.

I've discovered that you can be surrounded by friends and still feel really lonely. The hardest part of college is giving friendship time to develop deeply. Slowly but surely things are getting better. But through this process of making completely new relationships, my relationship with God has deepened considerably. He remains faithful when everything around me changes!

The rate at which freshman couples are formed is astounding.

Potatoes. Pasta. Fried food. Carbs galore. That's what the cafeteria food basically consists of. Praise Jesus for salad and cereal because that's what I'm surviving on!

I didn't know this before, but the way I alleviate stress is through the piano. I'm discovering so much about myself here!

There's only about 500 students on campus here, and I love it. I've gotten to the point where I recognize almost everyone here. We're like one huge family here. It's awesome.

That's it for now!

Link Up! 07/22/12

11 Incredible Customer Service Stories - Surely there is a lesson for the church in all this.


Why Bees Die After Stinging - This is an incredible photo!


How many legos would it take to build your house?


Matt Redman and LZ7 - Twenty Seven Million - Wow, this song is incredible.


Stars and Whales - Yeah, this gave me goosebumps too. Listen and stand in awe of our Maker.


If snack labels told the truth... - As someone who actually does read food labels, I got a kick out of this!


10 Tips on Solving Mysterious Bible Passages from Sherlock Holmes

The Supreme Court Ruling on Obamacare - This is a bit late, but it really helped me understand what's going on and what it means.

Oh, and this worship music from Mars Hill Church is pretty great too! (Number 4 might be my favorite.)

the story continues

Head's up: I. Am. A. College. Freshman.

Just getting here was one of the craziest journeys I've ever had. 

It was stressful, confusing, emotional, disappointing; but most of all it was one big adventure with God. I still don't know why God gave me such a crazy year of finding a college, but God was faithful through it all. (On that note, if you ever find yourself stressing over a college decision in the future, I'd LOVE to talk to you. I know exactly what it's like, so I'd love to talk to anyone who is going through the same thing I did.)

So, as I embark on this new unfolding chapter of my life, I anticipate a change in my schedule, my responsibilities, my time, and basically my life. In other words,

Head's up: My blog posts have a very probable potential of being few and far between in the future. 

Obviously, I don't know exactly what my schedule will be like this coming year. But I do know that I will have many more responsibilities, AND I know that blogging will (unfortunately) not be on the top of that list. Although I dearly hope to continue writing here when I can, there may not be much of it from here on out.

With that said, I'd like to hear from some of YOU! Since I won't have much of a chance to do a lot of blog interactivity now, I'd like to take the chance (while I can) and hear from some of my readers!

Ready?

1} The summer is often the time we do service projects, outreach, missions trips, leadership camps, and so on. What did you do this summer and how did you see God work in your life through that?

2} What song or songs do you currently have on "replay"?

3} Out of all the posts you've ever written, do you have a favorite? Please share!

(In case you were wondering, this is my favorite!)

4} I'm a quote-y person. :) Any inspiring quotes you'd like to share?

5} If you could travel in time, what time period would you travel to, and why?

 

another declaration of independence

236 years ago, 56 bold men signed their names to a document that would forever change the course of history. As the citizens of the United States remember how by the Declaration of Independence we became a free nation, let us also reflect on another Declaration of Independence: the one that bought us from bondage into liberty, was purchased by a cross, and was signed by the blood of Christ. 

Happy Independence Day!


For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1