Pleading for His People

Psalm 3:4 "I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill."

Psalm 4:1 "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!"

Psalm 6:6-7 "I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes."

Psalm 77:1-3 " I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate my spirit faints."

David was no stranger to pain, anguish, and suffering- and much of it was a result of choices he made and living with the consequences. Does that make his anguish any less real? No, although sometimes I think we tend to brush it aside and say, "He deserved it". Did he, not my place to judge- because in reality, don't I tend to make the same mistakes? Maybe not on the "scale" of his- but sin is sin- period.

The thing that I see over and over from David is who he turned to every single time- His God- the very same God who allowed all of the hurt. Why? Because David knew that God was Sovereign. David knew that he had been called by God to a higher purpose. He knew that God was the KING of kings.

All through the Psalms we see evidence of David turning to God with questions- Why? How long? Who? When? What next? And yet, through the pain, shone glorious truths- truths that he (David) knew about God. Truths that we know about God. Further on in Psalm 77 he said "Then I said, "I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High. I WILL REMEMBER the deeds of the Lord; yes, I WILL REMEMBER your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. YOUR way; O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?" (10-13). David asked questions but he didn't stay in those questions- he didn't dwell on them (hmmm... maybe, just maybe we could learn an important lesson there). He went beyond the questions- he REMEMBERED what had been done- he REMEMBERED God's Sovereignty.

I have some sweet friends who are experiencing some of the pain and anguish that David must have felt. Back in December 2009 they had twins who were born at 25 weeks- both less than a lb. Ethan was 13 oz. and 19 months later they were showing signs of thriving. Rather than taking the chance of giving wrong details I encourage you to read Jared and Sara's blog and see the glory through the pain. You can find it here at Raby's Ramblings. Be sure to note how you can pray. I am asking that the few people who might read this blog to plead, to intercede on their behalf. Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

I firmly believe that as believers we are called to intercede for this family as well. I know this is long but before I go I am putting out one last thing- Ethan needs bone marrow asap! It's a life giver that someone else has that can save his (hmm... another lesson there). Go get tested! I am heading out this week to be tested. You can go here for more info (or I believe check your blood bank as well).

Oh, one last thing- the following is a quote by Sara's brother Nathan who lives in TX and is away from the family during this time (the rest of the family is here)- it pretty much sums it up perfectly.

"God has received much glory from the lives of the Jared Raby family already. Our finite minds can't understand how He can want more from them. But His ways are higher than our ways and beyond understanding." - Nate Halley

**all verses are ESV.

Nostalgia...

What do these have in common? Cabbage Patch dolls, Pound Puppies, Care Bears, Nancy Drew, DC Talk (old school), NKOTB (sorry dad, had to throw that one in there), and family vacations to places such as Hershey, Gettysburg, and we can't forget Washington or Iowa :)... For me- they are all parts of my past. Earlier this week I was having a blast of nostalgia- I found some things that led to looking at Youtube videos of old school DC Talk and Geoff Moore. It really took me back to a time when things were much simpler. When I look up nostalgia (online because who really uses a paper dictionary anymore?) this is what I find: Nostalgia : a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition

Looking back can be a good thing but it also can be something that destroys us (look at what happened to Lot's wife when she physically looked back). It is a time that can help us trace God's hand in our lives- a time that helped build our characters- a time that shows us who really matters in our lives and who our true friends are. However, too often we dwell on the past and let it take hold of us in ways that we can't even fully understand. It can affect our present and our future in negative ways- IF we let it.

The important thing to remember is that we can't go forward if we are looking behind us. Paul addresses it in Philippians 3:12-14:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

Embrace the past- it's over and can't be changed- but RUN toward the future with hands wide open to grab onto the teachings place in front of us and a heart that uses the wisdom gained!

35 Years Down... A Lifetime to Go

Yep, it's my birthday and I figured what better day to blog on in the month of June (since apparently I am good to blog one day out of a month). This past year has been an interesting year- but in looking back through all of the other years- it's really not been so different. There have been ups and downs, goods and bads, and everything in between. The question I have to ask myself- Have I TRULY been following HIM in all I say and do? In the life I am leading am I living as one totally sold out and committed to Him? Some days I could definitely say yes, some days I could definitely say no- and some days- well, some days I know that I am just lukewarm and that scares me a bit because I know what the Bible says about those who are lukewarm.

My prayer for the upcoming year is simple-
it's that the fire that I have had returns and burns brighter than ever before
it's that I live a life worthy of the calling that has been given to me
it's that I live a life that TRUSTS in THE ONE who is trustworthy
it's to dream the dreams that He has planned for me and not being afraid to take those steps
it's to look in the eyes of the people I come in contact with and see Christ in them no matter how the world sees them
it's to have a pure and holy passion that starts and ends (or doesn't end) with Christ as the center.

Happy Mother's Day

See this lady (up in the picture)? THAT is MY mom and I am not sure if she will read this or not but I wanted to say Happy Mother's Day. This picture makes me smile because this was from her birthday weekend back in January. It was an "important number" birthday and my sister and nephew and I (along with some help from my dad) surprised her for the weekend.

Anyway, what makes my mom special? Too many things to list but I'll give it a shot!

Proverbs 6:20-21 says:
My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
Bind them on your heart always;
tie them around your neck.

My mom spent time- with her words and her life- teaching me how much Jesus loved me. She has encouraged me through every season of life I have traveled through. This journey of my life has had had many valleys, mountains, and deserts and she has been with me 100% of the way. She has never turned her back on me or made me feel as if I am worthless or can't do something. In fact, it's quite the opposite- she has shared words of encouragement and godly wisdom from her own personal experiences. She has shown me what being a wife completely devoted to your husband and a mother devoted to your children looks like. IF that is something that God ever brings to me in this life- then I know that I have one to look toward- one who has traveled the journey that is before me- one that has a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen- as she has done so many times in the past. So, on this Mother's Day I want to send a special Mother's Day greeting! I love you Mom!

Lessons from the Storm

You would have to be living under a rock these days to not have heard about the destruction in the south. On Wednesday alone- in our area we were under pretty much constant tornado warnings for over 12 hours. My house had two rounds of hailstorms and pretty intense thunder, lightning, and torrential rain. However, this was nothing compared to this:

4-27-11 Tornado Tuscaloosa, Al from Crimson Tide Productions on Vimeo.

So, this weekend I was driving to Ohio to visit my sister (and family of course) for the weekend and had 6 hours of drive time to think about what I learned from the storm.

1) What appears to be a good thing- may in fact, be the thing that can bring about great destruction. You see, earlier on Wednesday we had a torrential rain and then the sun came out, dried it all up and made it nice and warm. You would think that was just what was needed- but our weathermen mentioned several times that night (in the 8 straight hours of coverage) that really- that was bad. That set up the atmosphere for the perfect conditions for the storms that took place. How often do I look at something and think it's a good thing- maybe even a "God-thing" and realize later that it has brought great destruction?

2) One may think that the effects were localized for each place- but numerous reports have come out about documents, papers, items, photos, etc. being found over a hundred miles from where they started- got me thinking about what I have that could be blown over 100 miles- would it be something I would be proud of? Or ashamed?

3.) What appears to be "small" can cause great damage. The hail that I had was pea-marble sized hail. However, about 15 minutes away I had friends who had dented houses, piles (some 8 inch high) of hail, hail that were the size of baseballs, broken windows, holes in convertible tops, etc. I liken this to words- a comment made in passing, words spoken in "truth" or trying to be "helpful" can cause a tremendous amount of pain. There's a reason why in James it talks about bridling the tongue- we could all (myself included) take those verses to heart a bit more.

4) The past few weeks there have been numerous tornado watches, thunderstorm warnings, tornadic (yes, that is a word- I heard it several times the other night) activity and yet, I am sure there were people caught unaware- people who may have thought- that won't happen to me. Sometimes, I wonder if we have become so desensitized to what we hear that we quit paying attention when someone is trying to help us (kind of like in the fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf). The application is an easy one here- I can't help but think of how often (especially lately) we have heard about Jesus coming back. I am not here to debate the ins and outs and theological viewpoints (quite honestly it's something I need to study more) but the real point- am I ready? Am I helping others be ready? Am I sharing the truths that they need to hear? Am I aware?


Not all of my thoughts by any means- and as I gather some more I will continue to share them but I will leave you with this (and I know this has been long but I hope you have hung in there!)

Focus and a Hard Reality

This post is a hard post to write- it's been a long time since I have been where I am today. Honestly, I am struggling- and that's a hard thing for me to admit- I don't like that I don't have it all figured out (but then neither did the disciples for a LONG time). I have been struggling for a while and it's been something I can't pinpoint. I have had no motivation, no passion, no "nothing" to do anything beyond the necessary parts of living. I LOVE my job and that's been an area where I haven't struggled. People have asked me how I was doing and I respond with a "fine" but in reality- that's not where I am. Some days, I am literally just going through the motions and other days- I don't even feel like I am doing that.

I don't know how long I'll be in this "funk" or what it will take to get me out of it but I knew it was time to be real- especially when I heard this song earlier today...

A Journey...

My attention was directed to Jess' blog by my sweet friend Julie from Come Have a Peace. Jess is the wife of one of our student pastors at church and while I have only spent a little bit of time with her- her heart is one that truly desires to bring glory to God- I truly enjoy listening to her share her heart. This post here is the one that grabbed my attention and I started thinking of my vision/my purpose statement. I'm not married but realized that I didn't need to wait on a spouse to create one- in fact, by doing so may help me in the long run define the kind of man that I should be waiting on. So, I combined my two blogs (my card blog and this one) for my vision statement: The Journey of a Life Desiring to Delight in Him. Then I started thinking of what that meant and like Jess decided to break it down:

The Journey- journey used as a transitive verb means: to travel over or through. I have been on many journeys- from the family vacations to the mission trips to a journey right down the street, to the difficulties of health challenges, to loss of a physical object/person or a dream. Journeys take you places and you are never the same after it's over. In my life I have been on 6 mission trips and each of the 6 were completely different and yet- each of them changed/impacted my life in some way. I found this quote that sums it up:

"The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination." Don Williams, Jr.

And they said to him, "Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed." And the priest said to them, "Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the LORD." Judges 18:5-6 (ESV)

That verse spoke volumes- my journey is under God's watchful eyes! WOW!

of a Life- there were several definitions for life: a specific phase of earthly existence; the period of duration, usefulness, or popularity of something; and (my personal favorite) an opportunity for continued viability. I have heard the little story about living in the dash- you have a birth date and a death date on your tombstone but in the middle is a dash. That dash represents your life and I want to be remembered (or leave a legacy) in my dash. Life was never promised to be easy BUT we were promised that HE would never leave us nor forsake us in that life.

"Every man dies. Not every man really lives." William Wallace

This verse tells me all I need to know- I WILL get tired, I WILL get weary BUT (so glad there's a but) He gives me the strength I need exactly when I need it.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31 (ESV)

Desiring to- this word carries so many connotations. M-W defines desiring as: to long or hope for; exhibit or feel desire for. We desire many things (or people). A spouse (for most single people), your spouse (for those married people), a new job, or even a physical object. So often, we rush ahead and act on our desires instead of waiting and seeking the Lord in our quest. When that happens- it's usually not a good thing- it usually ends up leading us off our straight path (Proverbs 3:5-6).

"You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled." Charles Spurgeon

and

"When your will is God's will, you will have your will." Charles Spurgeon

One of my favorite verses: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV)

I think the last part says it all- SEEK HIM and FIND HIM but we HAVE to seek with ALL of our heart!

Delight in Him!- I have heard over and over the truth found in Psalm 37:4-5. Sometimes that's easier said than done. However, if this is what I truly desire- then this where my heart can be found. Delighting in Him! Delighting very simply means: to take great pleasure in. If I am spending my time with that which is of Him then I will be delighting in Him. But the flipside of that- he also takes delight in me (he even tells me so!) and rejoices over me! How can I not return that?

"Do you feel loved by God because you believe he makes much of you, or because you believe he frees you and empowers you to enjoy making much of him?" John Piper

When I read that quote- it caused me to stop and re-evaluate- I want to enjoy making much of Him- that's what I am called to do...

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

This is one of those verses that I never tire of reading- each time I read it- or sing the song that is based on this passage- I am just overwhelmed by his grace. Do I fail? Yes, no doubt about it- but he is mighty to save- and that means even from my failures.