Wednespiration 10/17/12

Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. - Saint Frances de Sales
 

"It's the evidence of things I cannot see
And Faith it's the confidence that You are holding me
It's stepping out, it's breaking through
All my doubts and all I thought I knew
’Cause you've never lived until you’ve lived
(By faith)
You’ve never lived until you’ve lived
By faith" - from "Faith is Living" by John Waller

"God is waiting eagerly to respond with new strength to each little act of self-control, small disciplines of prayer, feeble searching after him. And his children shall be filled if they will only hunger and thirst after what he offers." - Richard Holloway

Sorry...:(

I'm SO sorry y'all. I didn't post Wednespiration this week on Wednesday and I can't today! I have had a ton of homework so I haven't had time to put together this week's material. I'll try to have the Wednespiration and the message up tomorrow or Saturday. Again, I'm incredibly sorry. Thanks for understanding!
- Lindsey

Praying for the Politicians

God,               
Thank you for letting me live in this great country in which I am free to worship you and express my love for you. I pray that as this election rolls around, that you will grant both candidates wisdom and virtue. I pray that these two men, as well as their running-mates, will look to you for guidance in pursuing the job of leading our nation. 
In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

New Content! Whoop, whoop!

Hi everyone, Lindsey here. Just wanted to share some SUPER exciting news with those of you who follow the blog. Yesterday afternoon, I was watching some highlights from the ever-so-viral VP debate between Ryan and Biden. As I watched them debate and defend their stances on popular political issues, I realized just how critical this election is. I remembered hearing about the 40 days of prayer that people have been taking part in all over the country and it inspired me to start what would initially be a five-week prayer series for the future of the U.S.; however, I was then further inspired to start a whole new series of content to be posted on here every Monday that features various prayers and praises.It will begin on October 15th with the start of the initial prayer plan, the upcoming presidential election.
Have a great day & God bless!

Patience, Kindness, and Goodness Gracious!

Patience (aka "Forbearance")

I recently came across this wonderful definition of Patience on sermoncentral.com:

1. "Patience is self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate against a wrong." 
2. "Patience is the ability to accept delay or disappointment graciously."
3. "Patience is the powerful attribute that enables a man or woman to remain steadfast under strain - & continue pressing on."

Since Patience has three definitions, let's explore each one in a little more detail...

1. Has someone ever said something to you that made you immediately want to snap back at them, or maybe you even ended up actually snapping. I know that I've done this one more than one occasion. I often end up demonstrating the complete opposite of this in arguments where I am quick to retaliate and raise my voice; however, I have started to try to get better by actually listening and thinking before I speak in an argument. A helpful verse that epitomizes patience is  Matthew 5:38-39 (NIV) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.". Next time you find yourself in a situation where you feel like you want to retaliate, think of Jesus's words in this verse and demonstrate some patience.

2. and 3.  I remember the first time I ever tried out for cheerleading. I had worked hard, but I had spent more time silently criticizing my fellow candidates than I did absorbing constructive criticism from my peers and my coaches. When tryouts rolled around and results were up, I saw that I did not make the team and I was devastated. I bawled my eyes out for at least an hour after the impact of the results hit me. Little did I know that God was teaching me a much-needed lesson in humility. God likes to be ironic with me. I know this because every girl whom I silently critiqued had made the team. I realized that I had to start listening to my coaches and working harder. I did exactly that, and I am now proud to say that I have made the squad every year since then. I owe it all to God because through this, He taught me humility and the second and third definitions of patience. If you ever find yourself doubting the benefits of God's will, remember what is said in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV):" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'".


Kindness

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil." Luke 6:35 (ESV).  ''Love your neighbor as yourself.'' Matthew 22:39B (NIV). These verses pretty much sum up kindness. Kindness is the expression of benevolence and love. While it seems easy to love everyone, it is a task that is much easier said than done. It may be easy to love your best friend, but what about the "weird" kid sitting by themselves at the end of the lunch table? Do you show them as much love as your best friend? I'm not saying that you have to go over there and try to become their new best bud, but just try to show them the same amount of kindness as you show your loved ones. And what about that person who bullied you as a kid? The one who'd make fun of you and challenge you to fight? The person that you sometimes define as your sworn enemy?  It may be hard, you may be holding some grudges and harboring some painful memories, but I urge you to forgive them and show them kindness just like you would show to your best friend.

Goodness

Goodness has many great definitions (many of which were included in this week's Wednespiration), but my favorite one comes from dictionary.com: the best part of anything. To me, presenting goodness in this definition indicates that we should strive to be the best we can be in moral attitude and faith. According to Genesis 1:27 "So God created humans in his own image. He created them to be like himself. He created them male and female." (ERV). The better known translation of this verse says that we are created in His image, but I chose this translation because it tells us that we were created to be like God. Granted, we will never be an exact copy of God, but that shouldn't stop us from trying to mirror His teachings and ways to the best of our abilities. If we genuinely strive to pursue the exact purpose that we were created for, to be like God, then we will be more likely to exhibit goodness. Going back to the definition of goodness, we should strive to be the best, but not for personal gain. We should strive to be the best in order to bring glory to God since we were made to be like Him and bring glory to Him. 

Wednespiration 10/10/12

"There is no crime

In being kind..."

- from "Fear and Loathing" by Marina and the Diamonds

good·ness

   

noun

1.

the state or quality of being good.

2.

moral excellence; virtue.

3.

kindly feeling; kindness; generosity.

4.

excellence of quality: goodness of workmanship.

5.

the best  part of anything; essence; strength.

- from dictionary.com

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

 - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Youthquake 2012

The music fills the atmosphere
Even the air we breathe has a vibe
The flashing lights, the speakers' boom
It all makes me feel alive
The drums become my heartbeat
Pumping to the rhythm of every sound
I'm standing on the bass
Because it has become the ground
The keyboard became my blood
It's flowing through my veins
The guitar became my skin
Electric and acoustic, all the same
Then the voices, oh the voices
Hundreds, thousands, tons
All lifted up and praising God
Each and every one
These voices have become the air
Filling me up with breath and life
These voices intermingled, woven
Praising the Lord on high
(by Lindsey)

Hi there everyone, just wanted to take a moment and share my experiences at Youthquake 2012. Youthquake is a Christian music festival held annually in Cullman, Alabama. I had the privilege to attend yesterday and see some awesome performances from artists such as Willet, Humble TIP, Bread of Stone, Da T.R.U.T.H, Disciple, Family Force 5, Generation Band, and Switchfoot as well as a powerful message delivered by Josh Kimes of Hillsong New York. It was an incredible experience full of worship, praise, music, and people getting saved by the dozens. Throughout the whole duration of the festival, I began to realize that when God sees us do things like this in which we join together to sing and glorify Him, whether it by the few or the thousands, I can imagine that He feels His heart swell with joy. In Matthew chapter 18 verse 20, Jesus says, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." This verse rang true for me last night because God's presence was evident at the event. I'm so thankful to have gone to and experienced such a great festival!
(P.S. The photo included is one that I took of Switchfoot.)