It is trustworthy

It is a trustworthy statement:
For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him;
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.
-2 Timothy 2:11-13

Blessings,

Julia

Want to be one of them

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”
-Heb. 12:1-3 (NAS)

Last song, guys.

When the Saints

Lord,
I have a heavy burden of all I’ve seen and know;
It’s more than I can handle.
But Your Word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
And I can’t let it go.
And when I’m weary and overwrought
With so many battles left un-fought,
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard;
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars -
And when the Saints go marching in -
I want to be one of them.

Lord it’s all that I can’t carry and cannot leave behind;
It all can overwhelm me.
But when I think of all who’ve gone before and lived a faithful life,
Their courage compels me.
And when I’m weary and overwrought
With so many battles left un-fought,
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard;
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars;
I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharaoh’s court;
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord -
And when the Saints go marching in -
I want to be one of them.
And when the Saints go marching in -
I want to be one of them…

I see the Man of Sorrow and His long troubled road,
I see the world on His shoulders and my easy load -
And when the Saints go marching in -
I want to be one of them.

-Sara Groves, Tell Me What You Know

Blessings,

Julia

Clothed in humility

“O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Thy name in all the earth,
Who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens!

From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength,
Because of Thine adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers,
The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;
What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him?
And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him?
Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God,
And dost crown him with glory and majesty!
Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands;
Thou hast put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Thy name in all the earth!”
-Psalm 8 (NAS)

“…and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another….”
-1 Pet. 5:5b (NAS)

“Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm, and said,
‘Now gird up your loins like a man;
I will ask you, and you instruct Me.
Will you really annul My judgment?
Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?
Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you thunder with a voice like His?’”
-Job 40:6-9 (NAS)

All of these verses have to do with humility. (As with the other day, I am not at all accusing anyone of being proud; I’m just sharing from my experiences.) Boy, does God make my life miserable when I am proud! But once during a Bible class the teacher hit me over the head with the verse in 1 Peter: humility can be put on like an article of clothing. Humility can be deliberately practiced. So these are some of the verses that have helped me clothe myself. (As you have all seen, some days I fail to do so. Thanks for sticking with me, anyway.) Hope these verses help you, too.

God bless!

Julia

How it matters

“Love never fails….”
-1 Cor. 13:8a (NAS)

Here’s another song…

Why It Matters

Sit with me and tell me once again
Of the story that’s been told us,
Of the power that will hold us,
Of the beauty, of the beauty,
Why it matters.

Speak to me until I understand
Why our thinking and creating,
And our efforts of narrating,
About the beauty, of the beauty,
Why it matters.

Like a statue in the park
Of this war torn town,
And it’s protest of the darkness
And this chaos all around.
With its beauty, how it matters,
How it matters.

Show me a love that never fails,
Some compassion and attention,
Midst confusion and dissention,
Like small ramparts for the soul,
How it matters.
Like a single cup of water,
How it matters.

-Sara Groves, Add to the Beauty

Blessings,

Julia

Complaining of adversity

“Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day, when they set out from the camp. Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said,

‘Rise up, O LORD!
And let Thine enemies be scattered,
And let those who hate Thee flee before Thee.’
And when it came to rest, he said,
‘Return Thou, O LORD,
To the myriad thousands of Israel.’
Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD….”
-Num. 10:33-11:1a (NAS) (italics mine)

Well, I’m not trying to depress you or make you feel bad. But this Scripture struck me once very deeply. How many times have I been surrounded by the LORD’s presence and blessings and have proceeded to complain, complain, complain!? I don’t want to become like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD. How can I avoid this? I believe the passage gives me two clues. First, I should acknowledge that the LORD will rise up and scatter His enemies—He will be victorious. And (even more comforting, I think) I am one of His people! This may be simple, but sometimes the simple truths are the easiest to grab onto when things don’t go as I would like—which is quite often.

So…thank You, LORD, for bringing Josh and I to Westview, where we are a part of a wonderful team of people working for You. Thank You for being our Rescuer and thank You for letting us be Your people through Your Son Jesus the Christ!

Blessings,

Julia

You open up your home

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and You gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”

-Matthew 25:31-40 (NAS)

In relation to this, I would like to share a song that has encouraged me many times to keep on helping our boys:

Kingdom Comes

When anger fills your heart,
When in your pain and hurt,
You find the strength to stop,
You bless instead of curse.
When doubting floods your soul,
When all things feel unjust,
You open up your heart,
You find a way to trust.

That’s a little stone, that’s a little mortar;
That’s a little seed, that’s a little water;
In the hearts of the sons and daughters
This kingdom’s coming.

When fear engulfs your mind,
Says you protect you own,
You still extend your hand,
You open up your home.
When sorrow fills your life,
When in your grief and pain
You choose again to rise.

That’s a little stone, that’s a little mortar;
That’s a little seed, that’s a little water;
In the hearts of the sons and daughters
This kingdom’s coming.

In the mundane tasks of living,
In the pouring out and giving,
In the waking up and trying,
In the laying down and dying.

That’s a little stone, that’s a little mortar;
That’s a little seed, that’s a little water;
In the hearts of the sons and daughters
This kingdom’s coming.

-Sara Groves, Add to the Beauty

Blessings,

Julia