Memorizing Scripture

So I'm trying out a new songwriting technique to help myself, and hopefully others to memorize Scripture. Here's a go at it!

This is a more finished product...Colossians 3:1-4...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG4HmTT1ZCw

Daniel Fast

A couple of days ago, I started the Daniel Fast. To be quite honest, at first I was very resistant to doing it, because I know how little willpower I possess. I've never been a person with a lot of discipline, especially when it comes to food. Since high school, food has been my god, my comfort, my refuge, my love, and ironically, my worst enemy. Eating has been a constant roller coaster ride for me, going from one extreme to the other. I think Beth Moore penned it perfectly when she said in her book, Praying God's Word, "....one area exerts tremendous influence over the others." I have found this to be very true in my own life.

Several of the girls on my team to Uganda were talking about doing this fast when they would return to the States. Of course, in my mind, I'm thinking, yeah, I love the thought of it, but I'll never survive. I have NO discipline! So when I got the email earlier this week about the fast and some encouragement to do it, in my heart I was like Noooo!!! But the Lord was so sweet and gentle in His conviction. It was not a forceful, condemning, legalistic hammering. Instead, the Lord revealed my sin and my unwillingness to let Him take control of not only my struggle with food, but so many other areas of my life. And it was His kindness to show me that that led me to repentance and surrender. So now, here I am, on day two, and I have 19 more days to go. It has been an enriching, yet challenging time thus far. But I find myself running to the Lord and His promises in the Word in those moments of weakness - which is EXACTLY where He wants us. ""My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9) I've got a long way to go in this journey, but if you think about it, please pray for me that I will be strengthened to endure to seek God's face. I'm not sharing this with you to be ostentatious or to brag, but to encourage you. I read an article by Dr. Bill Bright and he shared something about fasting that was very enlightening to me (I included the link to his site at the bottom):

Many people are reluctant to tell others that they are fasting so they will avoid the sin of the Pharisees: fasting just to gain recognition for themselves. I strongly believe that attitude is a result of a wrong interpretation of our Lord's teaching and that it is a trick of the enemy who does not want us to fast, nor to share with your loved ones, neighbors and friends the benefits of fasting.

By isolating ourselves from the support of other Christians, we will be more susceptible to doubts and negative influences (both human and demonic). We need the prayer shield of our Christian friends and family members to help us continue when we feel alone and when the enemy tempts us to give up Our Lord as he did Jesus Christ. Eventually, people will notice you are not eating.

For more resources on the Daniel Fast or fasting in general, you can check out these websites:

http://daniel-fast.com/about.html

http://www.ultimatedanielfast.com/2009/10/what-is-daniel-fast.html

http://www.cru.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/index.htm

Encountering God in a Cave

My walk with the Lord has been quite a challenge since I got home on Saturday. It's hard to fully explain my emotions and thoughts, but simply put, I've been feeling extremely sad, in a daze, and completely lost. I've been going, going, going since January and now everything has come to a standstill. I'm still trying to process my trip to Africa, but I've been bombarded with fears of the future and what I'm supposed to do with my life next. You are probably thinking, What selfish thoughts! I know, how can I be thinking so much of myself after all I saw and experienced in a different country? As much as I wish I could not think about life here, the reality is, this is my home right now and the Lord has work for me to do here. I believe God is at work in my heart and I trust that He is doing much more than what I can see right now. I cling to Philippians 1:6, which says, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

As I woke to the Holy Spirit's nudging early this morning, I got my coffee and opened to the Psalms. It was the only book in the Bible I could find strength to read. I'm so thankful that God gave us the Psalms. It's like they speak what's in your heart when you can't find the words to pray or when your mind is too exhausted and fogged to think straight. The Lord is so faithful. He knew I had no idea which chapter or what verses to read, so He led me to Psalm 142. It was literally the first passage I opened to. I was expecting to fumble through the pages quite a while before actually settling down.

"With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.

I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.

When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!

In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

Look to the right and see:

there is none who takes notice of me;

no refuge remains to me;

no one cares for my soul.

I cry to you, O Lord;

I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low!

Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me!

Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name!

The righteous will surround me,

for you will deal bountifully with me."

David wrote this psalm when he was trapped in a cave. He was in a place where nothing else could be a refuge to him. He could only look to the Lord to be his refuge - his hiding place, his comfort, his portion. One commentary from Charles Spurgeon's Treasury of David said, "Caves make good closets for prayer; their gloom and solitude are helpful to the exercise of devotion." David calls aloud to the Lord and "pours out his complaint before him." There is something so significant about David's audible cry to the Lord: to me, it uncovers his utter brokenness, helplessness, and desperation before God. I love that although his spirit faints within him, and the road ahead of him is blurry, he trusts that the Lord will guide him.

From a commentary on Psalm 142: (beautifully put)

I wish you much comfort from David's thought: When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. The Lord is not withdrawn to a great distance, but his eye is upon you. He sees you not with the indifference of a mere spectator; but he observes with attention, he knows, he consider's your path: yea, he appoints it, and every circumstance about it is under his direction. Your trouble began at the hour he saw best, it could not come before; and he has marked the degree of it to a hair's breadth, and its duration to a minute. He knows likewise how your spirit is affected; and such supplies of grace and strength, and in such seasons as he sees needful, he will afford in due season. So that when things appear darkest, you shall still be able to say, Though chastened, not killed. Therefore hope in God, for you shall yet praise him. -- John Newton (1725-1807), in "Cardiphonia."

Once again, the Word did not fail to bring my soul the encouragement I needed today. Although I have no idea what the next step is at this moment, I can rest in knowing that the Lord does. And even though we might find ourselves in a "cave" of solitude and gloom, loneliness and despair, God will meet us there if we just look and cry out to Him.

The Lord meets us where we are..."For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.....God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ~Romans 5:6, 8

"Send Us to the Nations"

A friend of mine sent me the link to this song...listen and worship God...

https://www.facebook.com/jarodespymusic?v=app_178091127385&app_data=eyJjb250ZW50LnRyYWNrIjoiOTMwOTQyMDgyMzkzMjkyODAifQ%3D%3D

Home from Africa!

Yoga! (That is hello in the Ateso language!)

I made it home safely from East Africa on Saturday afternoon. I think I am finally readjusting to American time. I caught up on some much needed rest Saturday evening and all day Sunday. I am praising the Lord that I am starting to feel better physically. I had gotten sick near the end of our trip and lost my voice over the past few days due to a really bad sore throat. I honestly have no idea how to begin describing my experience over the past two weeks. I am still trying to process everything, so please be patient with me. As of right now, I am struggling to know how to transition back into my normal routine. I have not left my parents' house since I got home from the airport on Saturday. I am somewhat fearful of getting out, because I don't know how I am going to react to the culture here. It would seem like being away for two weeks isn't enough time to really adjust to a different culutre, but being back in the States has made me realize how much I had adjusted. While I was in Uganda, my "problems" and worries at home were forgotten, and even now, they seem so far away. I feel like I'm in a dream, but eventually I am going to have to snap back to the reality of my life here in the US. I have to continue the work here in America...in Raleigh. But now I have a different perspective on life, especially in the midst of a career-driven, money-hungry, success-climbing society. My prayer is that I wouldn't slip back into the same mentality I had before this trip. My prayer is that I would take the treasures of what God taught me and did in my heart there and do something with them here.

Grace-Motivated . . . Dieting?

Grace-Motivated . . . Dieting?

I find this article to be very encouraging relating to diet and exercise.  I have only just begun to learn to walk in grace when it comes to this vicious cycle of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Hope this can be a helpful resource to those of you who struggle in this area, too.

Rest

Rest. This has been a constant theme in my life lately, and something that the Lord is graciously and gently pressing into me. Admittedly, it is something that I fall short of fully understanding and doing. I feel the intense pressures of trying to keep up with our fast-paced society almost daily. In order to win the approval of man (because I'm such a people pleaser), I tend to fill my life with unnecessary things and activities because I want to impress others and satisfy my selfish desires to appear "successful" and "productive." Don't get me wrong, success and productivity are not bad things. It's how you achieve them and perceive them that can be sinful. But to those of you who can relate to me in this, is it not just exhausting?! Draining? Life-sucking?! The moment I wake up, I feel the battle, the war waging between my flesh and spirit, the choice between resting in Christ or giving in to the world's demands. Now, I'm not just talking about a physical rest, but a spiritual and emotional rest. I am talking about the kind of rest that Jesus promises in Matthew 11:28-30 -"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Let me first preface by saying, I am in NO WAY a master of the Scriptures or a great theologian, but I am in a continual process of learning His Word. I don't have all the answers, but I believe God is using His Word to transform me, and I am always open to corrections and more resources to gain wisdom. With that said, the kind of rest I'm talking about is the kind that Jesus gives us in exchange for our burdens and weariness. Think about that for a second: Jesus, the perfect Son of God, the One who holds all things together, who took on all the weight of our sin, says give Me your burdens and I will give you rest. What a trade! That is mind-blowing to me, especially when I try to hold on to my burdens. Why on earth would I want to hold on to these heavy loads of bricks when Jesus wants to freely give me rest and relief? And He can handle ALL OF IT! Could it be a control issue? A trust issue? Both maybe? I don't have to earn His rest....I simply have to trust Him. But it is impossible to be at rest when you are trying to shoulder everything yourself. So...it starts with surrender. It was only a few weeks ago when I was leading worship at a retreat that I heard the best description of surrender. The speaker said it something like this: "Surrender is both a literal and metaphorical collapsing into the arms of Jesus." I love that! Since then, I haven't been able to get that phrase out of my head. It has become my prayer every time I realize that I am trusting in my own abilities or strengths. I pray, Lord, I collapse into your arms - I surrender. That word, "collapse," really helps me to visualize my reliance upon the Lord. It's beautiful! And once we 'collapse,' we are finally realizing where our resting place is - Jesus. He is always our place of rest - no matter where we are, whether we are at work or at home, in a crowd of people or alone, in the valley or on the mountaintop, whether asleep or awake, struggling through sin after sin - we can rest in the finished work of Christ. I love what Jerry Bridges says in his book, Respectable Sins, "not only does the gospel prepare me to face my sin, it also frees me up to do so." So we can rest in the assurance of Christ that our sin is forgiven "before [we] can even acknowledge it, let alone begin to deal with it." I can go to God to confess my sin and know that He has already forgiven me. What beautiful truth!


I want to share with you a specific experience that I had just recently that has allowed me to apply these truths. About a month ago, I picked up a second job in the afternoons to make some extra money to contribute to my trip to Uganda. I already get up at 4 in the morning to go to my first job, so needless to say, I'm pretty tired by mid-afternoon. The Lord has also placed some really awesome opportunities to do some traveling and leading worship on the weekends, which takes time to prepare for. It didn't take very long after the new job started, though, for me to realize that I had taken on way too much. I began to see that my focus was all over the place. I was trying to "do it all," to prove to myself that I was self-sufficient and that I could handle it. Then one day as I was spending some rushed time with the Lord, and crying out to Him for help because I was so weak and drained, I heard God speak so clearly to me. I was in Hebrews 12, reading, "...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." I felt like the Lord was saying so gently, Where is your focus, Kristie? As I continued to process and let the Word digest, the Lord walked along side of me to get to the root of my anxiety. I chose to pick up an extra job, because somewhere in my heart was disbelief- disbelief that God would actually provide the finances for me to go to Uganda, and take care of my expenses while I am gone. This was my "back up" plan, you know, in case God wasn't going to come through (that is what my heart was saying - how deceitful!). In that moment of clarity, I collapsed. I collapsed into the loving, merciful, grace-giving arms of Christ, breathing out all the air I had locked in, and finally gasping for breath, I cried, "I surrender, Lord! Have Your way in me!" You see, I had taken matters into my own hands, rather than resting in Christ, resting in His promises that He would be faithful - and He has been and will continue to be faithful. God is not a drill Sergent, as a wise woman once said. He's not yelling at us, screaming, "Come on! Move it! Go, go, go! You're not working hard enough! You're not doing enough! Do more! Be more!" and so on and so on...No, God's voice is gentle. He is humble in heart. And His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

I have truly only scraped the tip of the iceberg here. God's Word is like a never-ending well, full of rich, life-giving water. I will leave you with a verse I continually go back to when I find my soul getting anxious and uneasy about life or I doubt God's goodness to me..."Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." (Psalm 116:7)

Are You Playing It Safe?

1 Corinthians 1:18 - "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Matthew 10:37-39 - "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Luke 9:62 - "Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Why did I post these Scripture verses? Well, after a very brief conversation with someone today, I felt like I needed to do some deep soul searching regarding my plans this summer. What I received during my time with Jesus this morning, listening and allowing Him to search my heart, was a lot more truth and encouragement than I expected - I love how sweet He is to us! So, what is it that I am doing this summer you may be asking. Well... I have an amazing opportunity to travel overseas to serve the people of Uganda for a couple weeks in June. I know God is leading me there - let me just make that clear first. But today, I began to feel a spirit of fear and condemnation creep into my heart so quickly when I felt that someone thought I was crazy for choosing to do this. So, I immediately ran to Jesus, seeking comfort and affirmation that I was truly following Him, that the thoughts I was hearing were not truth. And what I ended up with, was an even deeper longing for Christ than the day before. My faith in Him is just a little stronger than yesterday. What Satan intends for evil, God uses it for astoundingly good things. Through that whole process, I was challenged to make a case for why I am going. These are just a few reasons...

Why am I going to Uganda? That's a fair question to ask. Why would I risk my life to go to a "dangerous" part of the world for God? (As some have termed the trip, "dangerous"). Is God not going to be with me in Uganda? Of course He is! Should I just "play it safe" and remain here in the states, particularly because I'm in a "safe" community? So that I don't risk the chance of getting harmed? Am I really guaranteed that nothing will happen to me here in America? I would be a fool to think so.

So back to my first question: Why am I going? Let me give my first and most important answer to that: because the Lord Jesus has commanded it. I belong to Christ and no other. I answer to Christ before I answer to you or anybody else. He is my Commander, my Chief, my King. I gave up all rights to call the shots in my life when I surrendered to Him. Do I have a choice or not? Of course I do. But by not going or just refusing to go, I would be choosing to disobey God and dishonor His name. God sent His One and only Son, Jesus, into this world to live a perfect life that nobody could ever live, to die a painful, excruciating death in order to bear all the wrath of God for all my sin (in my place), and conquered death by coming alive on the third day. God did all of that for me and all I can say is, "It's just not safe, Lord. It's a little too uncomfortable for me. It's too dangerous. Sorry." First of all, I'm not talking about pure ignorance. God, of course, wants us to be wise and use our brains so that we can be most effective for the sake of the gospel. What I'm saying is that we cannot sit on our hands when God is clearly calling us to GO! I had been praying and asking the Lord to show me where to go this year and I won't go into all the details, but He opened up this opportunity for me to be used by Him. I couldn't think of a reason NOT to go. And I wasn't about to miss out on seeing the awesome power of God displayed in my own life.

You can tell I'm kind of passionate about this, huh? Well, I am! Haha! My small group and I have been studying the book of Joshua in the Old Testament. Something that has really stuck out to me, especially in the past few days, is when the Israelites were crossing the Jordan. God had commanded that the priests were to carry the ark before the rest of the people and were to stand in the river. That was the extent of their direction. God was going to cut off the water flow and cause it to stand up in a heap. So, what did they do? They did it. The priests had to get their feet in the water first, though, before He would stop the flow. Amazing. Even though God had told them He would stop the water from flowing and stand it up, they still had to trust Him that He would do it. How many times do we question God even after we've heard Him speak His word so clearly to us? How many times have we heard...yet did nothing about it...or just ignored it.

I understand that the trip is like a blink - it's only for 2 weeks, so how much can I actually do there that will be effective? And is it even worth going for such a short time? I've been told, "well, there's only so much you can do." True. There is only so much I can do, but I'd rather do some rather than nothing at all.

Bottom line is, I'm following Jesus. Read Luke 9:57-62. It might cause you to weep. But they are Jesus' words.

"As they [the disciples and Jesus] were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."" .....So, will I follow Him even if it means I will be without a home?

"He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Are you playing it safe? I'd encourage you to evaluate your life. And believe me, every day is a battle between denying my flesh and giving into my selfishness. And I lean more heavily on the selfish side. I am just so thankful for the grace and mercy God sheds on me daily to keep striving to follow Him wholeheartedly.

A Single Woman's Prayer

This is a prayer that I wrote today that I hope will bring encouragement to other single women (or even men). Never underestimate your value as a single person- it may not be forever, but it is what God has intended for you now. "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good think does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Psalm 84:11)

Lord, may I never hoard my time as a single woman, selfishly living to feed my fleshly desires, but may I give of my time sacrificially. In this blessed season of singleness, for that is what it is, because it has been given to me by You, may I live to serve You and Your Bride. May I see the needs of others and rise to meet those needs with the strength You provide. May I live to encourage others just as I would want to be encouraged. Grant me continual contentment even though some of the strongest desires of my heart go unfulfilled. May I cling to You as my only treasure. May I daily strive to hear the sweet voice of Jesus and may I never forget what it sounds like. May I run after purity and holiness in a world that scoffs such a concept. May my heart sing joyfully as each morning dawns and recognize the grace that swallows me. And may I acknowledge the One who gives me that grace. Help me to make the most of this time so that I will never look back with regret. Let every dream, desire, want, ambition, and passion be for Your glory and to see You famous. Help me to walk faithfully before You, in private and in public, only because of my love and devotion to You - not for any other's approval of me. You are God and I belong to You. Amen.

Healthy Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

I was really in the mood for a peanut butter and banana smoothie so I searched and found several recipes, and ended up creating my own tasty version. This is delicious, full of good nutrients, and it will fill you up! It's packed with protein and not too high in fat (really only the peanut buttter, which is good fat). The serving size is about a cup and I estimated about 293 calories and 9 grams of fat (give or take). Mmm...yummy!!

Ingredients:

1 medium banana (frozen and cut into about 6 chunks)

1/2 c. low-fat soy milk (I used Silk- plain)

1/4 c. non-fat Greek Honey yogurt

1 1/2 Tbs. natural peanut butter (I always use my favorite, Skippy's Natural, Creamy)

2 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients together in a blender, except for the banana and ice cubes. After first set of ingredients is blended, add banana and ice and blend.

2. Enjoy!