you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Mmmm yea, I haven't blogged much this week. Oops.

...

And in closing:

It's possible to be righteous, zealous, holy, and crazy-in-love-with-Jesus,
while also being relevant and non-judgmental.

Righteousness and relevancy-- you can have 'em both!

Relevancy does not need to equal compromise,
and righteousness does not need to equal snobbery.

Don't confuse holiness with religion.

I have decided

Learn a lesson from Lot's wife:

Never look back and long for something that God saved you from.

Learn a lesson from Jesus:

"No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Lk 9:62


Yesterday I spoke about remembering your life before Christ.
That is important.

But that old life is only to be remembered in gratitude that we are no longer there!
It is not to be remembered wistfully, wishing that we could go back.

Are there some things that you need to forget?

Move forward.
Let it go.
and never look back.

a tan in heaven

Today was a hint of spring.

I walked around Mt. Lebanon without a jacket, watching the snow melt and feeling as if I was finally warm and dry for the first time since November. Even my lungs needed a few tumbles in the dryer. The walk was therapeutic.

Back in the core of winter, I had forgotten the feeling of the sun's heat and the smell of grass. When you are warm it is so difficult to remember what it felt like to be cold. When you are cold it is almost impossible to imagine being hot. While experiencing hunger, the sensation of satisfaction seems like a dream. I am certain that in the midst of summertime bliss, memories of "the bleak midwinter" will fade away.

Don't forget where you came from:

"Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ... but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."
Ephesians 2:12-13

Remember that it won't always be this hard:

"No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever."
Revelation 22:3-5

LESSON FROM EARLY SPRING--
Remember the winter, but look forward to the summer.

Remember your life without Christ, but look forward seeing Him face to face.

all things are possible

faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith


that is what I have been learning about.

• faith that Jesus' death and resurrection was enough to save me. That is one lesson that took me a few years to honestly receive. But when I realized that faith is a risk, and that it defies even logic, I took the leap. And now I'll never go back. :-)

• faith that God forgives me. This is connected to the above point, but it is another aspect of "salvation." I have been learning to come before GOD with confidence, and not shame. We ought to fear God, as He is perfectly holy and powerful beyond our imaginations. However, He really does forgive, if we ask. No more need to be timid.

• faith that the Holy Spirit has transformed me. Wow. I thought that I "got" this lesson 4 years ago, but it's strength is hitting harder than ever. Not only have I been saved from hell, and forgiven by God-- I am also a NEW PERSON. I am not the same Olivia who did all those things that I now hate. He has purified me, and re-created me.

• faith for the transformation of the world. I am being convicted by my lack of faith for others. I pray for my friends to be healed, to be free, to be made whole-- but sometimes I doubt that it is really possible. They seem to far gone. This is not only for individual friends, but also for institutions and churches and cities. God can do anything. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in me, and I now have faith that He can change ANYONE. An addict, an abuse-victim, a hypocrite-- anyone.
  

• faith for the future. I have no need to worry about my life. If I die young, if I get married, if I move overseas, if I have quintuplets, if I get a disease, if I become wealthy, if nothing exciting happens at all-- I know that God holds my future. Everything is within His hands, and I have faith that He's got it covered.

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:20

When you feel weakest, dangers surround,
Subtle temptations, troubles abound,
Nothing seems hopeful, nothing seems glad.
All is despairing ; oftentimes sad.

Keep on believing, Jesus is near. 
Keep on believing, there's nothing to fear ; 
Keep on believing, this is the way : 
Faith in the night as well as the day. 

If all were easy, if all were bright. 
Where would the cross be ? where would the fight ? 
But in the hardness God gives to you
Chances of proving that you are true.

God is your wisdom, God is your might ;
God's ever near you, guiding the right ;
He understands you, knows all you need ;
Trusting in Him you'll surely succeed.

Let us press on, then ; never despair !
Live above feeling, victory's there ; 
Jesus can keep us so near to Him,
That nevermore our faith shall grow dim.

scrubba dub dub

"Follow your heart"

"No. The heart is deceptive above all things (Jeremiah 17:9)."

"Aaah! Your heart is not deceptive! Your old heart was when it was filled with sin, but now you are being sanctified, and your new heart is pure! God has given you a clean heart, and it is in line with His will, and it is no longer evil!"

silence.

Have you given your heart away,
and had it returned to you broken?
Ever trusted someone,
and been let down?

Would you trust Someone whose name is LOVE?

It's worth the risk,
He won't let you down.

Give your heart to Jesus now.

varying teas vs. His presence

Last month,
in one day,
I heard two different people describe their versions of Heaven.
They were both hilarious!

One said that Heaven for them would be gospel choir and toaster strudels.
The other, several hours later, said that their Heaven would be a 75 degree snow fall.

Today,
I described my kitchen "tea drawer" as paradise.
(side note: every kind of tea imaginable, decaf and regular, including real British tea ... pretty close to Paradise-- right?)

Listen to this song by Shai Linne,
based on Psalm 73.
The preacher at the beginning and end is John Piper.

Here's the link: My Portion

What if Heaven is perfect:

your favorite food,
your closest friends,
all the luxuries and wealth imaginable,
no sickness, no injuries, no emotional pain,
loads of fun...

but what if God wasn't there?

Would you be satisfied?

"Everyone wants to go to Heaven,
but not everyone wants to spend eternity with God.
Heaven will be filled with people who love God."
(Paul Washer)