There's Just Something about the Name...

Here in Santiago, one can find physical representations of the crucifixion everywhere. They are obviously in all of the cathedrals, but you can also find them hanging from people's necks, hanging from the rearview mirrors in vehicles, on display in store windows, for sale on the streets, and even on display in beautiful parks, such as the one you see here. Each of them look a little different but they are all the same general concept: Jesus dying on the cross. But if you look too quickly, that's all we will see: Jesus dying on the cross. Catholicism is prevalent here - 70 percent prevalent. And whenever Catholics see a crucifix, they stop before it and pray. Some even kiss the feet of Jesus or light a candle next to it in remembrance of whatever prayer they are thankful that Jesus answered. And some people... They even weep before it. *gasp* And it's not weird when they do that! They weep because they see something beautiful - something so beautiful that there is no other thing to do but weep! 

When was the last time you stopped your fast pace of life to look at the cross? When was the last time you weeped before a crucifix? When was the last time you looked at the crucifix as more than just Jesus dying on it? When was the last time you looked at it as beautiful? As something so beautiful that you weeped before it? As something so beautiful that you became so overwhelmed with what Jesus has done for you that you pledged to know Christ? That you pledged to know the power of his resurrection? That you pledged to know the fellowship of what it means to share in his sufferings? That you pledged to become like Him in His death - dying in love for the grace of others? That you pledged to attain to the resurrection of the dead? But seriously. When was the last time you looked at the crucifix and didn't just see a representation of what Jesus did for you, but instead, you saw Jesus? 

You see, I speak for myself right now as I type this. There are times when I become too caught up in my own life that I fail to see the beauty in the death of Jesus. I become so involved within myself that I don't see what I was meant to see. I lose sight of Jesus and gain sight of worldly matters, instead. I pray that I rediscover who He is. I pray that I turn from my own selfish ways, and whenever I see a crucifix, I pray I take the time, regardless of what is going on around me, to stop, weep before the Lord, and thank Him of what He has done for me. 

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." 

--Philippians 3:10-11

Sunrise over the Andes

While I love the beauty of a sunset – the way God ends another day He created by changing the color of the clouds, the way He slowly allows it to sink so His children know they have made it through another part of creation, the way the light touches its surroundings and turns everything hues of pinks, purples, blues, oranges, reds, yellows, the way you feel after watching the whole setting take place knowing that you watched God at work – while I love watching it, I love sunrises even more.

You see, there’s just something about the anticipation of waiting for the sun to appear. With sunsets, you anticipate when it will set, but the beauty of the sun is already in view. But with sunrises, you have no idea when it will come out of the oblivion and appear.

There’s something about the effects of the sunrise way before the sun actually rises – the way the clouds turn pink, but the sun still isn’t in view, the way the rest of the city is lit but doesn’t have a sun to call it daytime, and the way the sun lines the mountains with its light but still isn’t out. The effects of the sun are seen but isn’t actually in view yet. You know the sun is there behind the mountains, but if you turn away before it comes out, you miss the full beauty of its splendor.

In life, it’s the same thing. Even when we can’t see what He's doing, God is at work. He is preparing something behind the mountain you face. Until He is ready for you to take into full view His work, He allows you to see sneak peeks of His work. You get to experience His majesty while He is still preparing the final picture.

Before He is done, He will show you the lining. He will speak to you one last time before He fully presents His glory. This is the moment He reveals your heart to yourself. It’s difficult knowing the sun is behind the mountain and only seeing the lining on the mountain. Some get tired of waiting and find something else to do. But some know that God is still there, that He is still preparing something. We have to make the choice to patiently wait for God to reveal His glory.

And when we do, out pops the sun! The rays stretch for miles and miles, touching every crevice of the city, lighting up the entire city. The sun slowly appears over the mountain turning the sky into hues of blues, yellows, and oranges. The only thing you can do is just smile knowing that what you waited in anticipation for He has finally appeared. As tears stream down your face, you can find joy knowing that God has brought into full circle what He said He would. You can find rest knowing that even when we can’t see the full thing, God is at work and is doing marvelous, magnificent things. We must be patient to see the end and then give Him the glory that He deserves for preparing His plan for us. 

"1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

4 One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 WAIT FOR THE LORD; BE STRONG AND TAKE HEART AND WAIT FOR THE LORD."

--Psalm 27

Imitation at Its Finest

"Mimi, what are you doing?"...

When my three-year-old nephew comes over, I hear that question ALL the time, ALL day long. It makes me laugh, because he asks it when it's absolutely clear what I'm doing. When I'm washing my hands: "Mimi, what are you doing?" When I'm brushing my hair: "Mimi, what are you doing?" When I'm reading a book: "Mimi, what are you doing?" When I'm watching tv: "Mimi, what are you doing?" I mean it: ALL. Day. Long. To be honest, it can sometimes get a little annoying... But because he's just so darn cute, I shrug it off and answer him.

But here's the catch, after I'll answer him, he'll follow up with this question, "Can I watch you, Mimi?" He asks it as if whatever I'm doing is just the most wonderful thing and he just has to watch. 

Sometimes, he'll even mimic what I'm doing. He'll pick up imaginary soap and rub his hands together; he'll pick up an imaginary brush and "brush" it along his head; he'll put his hands together and "open" them as if they just became a book; or he'll sit down next to me and watch tv, too. 

Today, as I was driving home, I read this verse on a church sign: "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children" (Eph. 5:1 NLT). Because we are God's children and we belong to Him, we must do the things that He would do; we must become like Him. My nephew, because he loves me, wants to do the things I do. 

So maybe we should start asking God, "God, what are you doing?", and see what He responds back to us. But don't forget the follow-up question. Without that question, without the awe of watching Him do His work, then we won't have that motivation to imitate Him as His children. 

Be imitators of God, because we are His children. :]

I was walking back to my dorm room and I saw this in the sky. To be honest, the first thing I thought of was how high the pollution level must be today. But as I looked at it some more, I thought how cool it was that so many people were traveling in so many different directions each with their own destination in mind. Of course, then it turned into a spiritual thought, which is why I am now posting in my blog. :] God has a plan for each of us. Each of those plans lead us in different directions: some to a life of solitude, some to a life of multitude; some to a medical field, some to a law field; some to being an artist, some to being a musician; some to being a stay-at-home mom, some to traveling the world. Whatever He has planned for us, the reality is that those plans gives us hope and a future. His Word says, "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" (Jeremiah 29:11). At some points along the way, however, we may veer off course a little. If you notice in the picture, not all of the lines are perfectly straight. However, God also gives us yet another promise: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Even if we cannot see how we will get to the end result (spending eternity in Heaven with Him), He does promise that if we trust Him regardless of what our eyes tell us, then He will straighten our paths for us. He will provide a straight-shot between us and being with Him forever. I don't know about you, but... That sounds like a promise worth trusting. :]

United We Stand

There's a power I feel when I hold someone's hand. It's a different kind of power for each person's hand I hold. For example, I feel something different when I hold my mom's hand, when I hold my boyfriend's hand, when I hold my best friend's hand, or when I hold my three-year-old nephew's hand. Regardless of who's hand I have the pleasure of holding, I feel a power. It's a power that cannot be contained nor can it fully be explained. But it's power that, for a moment, that person and I cannot be stopped; we are invincible. 

There's a power I feel during worshipping God through music. It's a different kind of power for each song that gets played. For example, I feel something different when a slower worship song is played or when an upbeat, beat-on-the-instruments song is played. Regardless of the song, I feel a power. It's a power that cannot be contained within the four walls of a sanctuary nor can the presence of God be fully explained outside of that room. But it's a power that, for a moment, no matter what else is occurring in life outside of those walls, it's just God and me together. 

There's a power I feel when I hold someone's hand during worship. There's an even greater power I feel when the person on the microphone stops singing in the mic, and it's just the group of people singing together before God. There's an EVEN GREATER power I feel when both of those are combined. It's an absolutely breathtaking power. It's a power that, just for a moment, the body of Christ is finally united once again. 

John 17:23 in the New Living Translation says this: "I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me." Jesus is speaking to our Father, asking that because the Father is in Him, may Jesus also be in us, so that we can experience unity and so that we can know that the Father loves us. 

There was a moment I had during a worship service where I completely relinquished everything I had weighing me down to my Father. The worship team was worshipping straight from the heart, and so was I... And so was everyone in the room, including my best friend beside me. We were on the floor, bowing before the King, and pouring our hearts to Him. A few moments later, she reaches over, grabs my hand, and we raise our arms up high in worship. We were declaring our submission to the King. We were declaring that we are experiencing the power that He has placed over and throughout the room. In that moment, we were experiencing unity. It was a moment I will never forget, because, in that moment, I experienced God and His love and His unity in a way that was truly remarkable. 

Imagine if we took that same power outside of the four walls of a sanctuary. Imagine if we lived metaphorically holding someone's hand. Imagine if we lived holding God's hand! Imagine if we, instead of keeping His power contained, we, as Jesus says, "experience such perfect unity that THE WORLD will know" of God's love. Imagine if, just for a moment, we decided to trust God, grab His hand, and walk beside Him throughout life. Just imagine... 

The Taxi Driver and I

When I was a little girl, my mom and I would play a game she invented called, "Taxi Driver." My mom's car would become a taxi, she would be the taxi driver, and I would be the passenger telling her how to get to my house from wherever we were at the time. I used to love playing this game! My mom obviously knew how to get to our house, but I, at such a young age, was clueless. At first, I would tell her to turn down crazy streets that aren't even near our house. But, she was patient and would ask me to try again. I would point to a street and she would nod yes or no. It was up to me to pay attention to her head nods and shakes to get us home. Because of this game, I now know how to get home from wherever I am. 

This is the story I thought of when I read this verse yesterday: 

"A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?"

--Proverbs 20:24 NIV84

Let's take this verse piece by piece. 

"A man's steps are directed by the Lord." Each step that we take in life is shown to us by God. Let that just sink in for a minute. God, the one, true God, the Almighty God, the eternal God, directs our steps. He shows us, mere humans, where to go. He leads us along a path that He has preordained for each one of us. No path is the same, but they all lead to God. How beautiful is that?! When I played that game as a child, my mom was driving the car; she was directing where to go and how to get home.

This verse, however, is contingent upon something else: our loyalty to God. You see, God has a plan for each of our lives. He places us on a path that will eventually lead to Him in eternal glory. We must choose to stay on that path by listening to His calls and allowing Him to direct our paths. The unfortunate problem is...life gets in the way sometimes. We decide earthly things are more appealing than His grace and mercy. When that happens, we stray from His directed path and follow our own path. Watch what the MSG version of the same verse says about this: "The very steps we take come from God; otherwise how would we know where we're going?" The important word here is otherwise, meaning we choose something else besides allowing God to direct our steps. That word means that we take on God's position for ourselves, because something else looks better than God's plan. The next part of the MSG says, "How would we know where we're going?" Now I don't know about you...but when I decide my own ways are better than God directing my steps, I get lost and confused. I become so caught up with the world and so far off the path God already mapped out for me, that I find myself wandering aimlessly. Again, playing that game as a child, while my mom knew where we were supposed to go, I would sometimes choose the wrong streets to turn down. I had to pay attention to what she was telling me so we could get home safely. 

Well, I have to be even more honest. Along with mostly choosing my own ways instead of God's, I even question His ways. In the NLT version, it says this: "The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?" This version hits me over the head with such truth! If God truly is the one and only God, if He truly is sovereign and knows all, and if He truly loves me and wants the best for me, then who am I to question Him? Who am I to demand Him to explain His plan to me? Who am I to follow Him but then doubt the journey He has me on? Who am I to try to understand everything along the way? God has shown me bits and pieces of what He has planned for me but never the whole picture. And you know what, I may not like that sometimes, but if He is directing my steps, then I will follow Him no matter what! As a child, while I may have thought a certain street looked like our street, my mom knew better. She knew how to get home and would tell me how. I may have thought differently, but I had to trust that because she was driving the car, she knew where to go. 

Even if I choose another path besides the one God directs for me, His Word offers hope. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 NIV84). I could not have said it better myself. If I am honest with Him and tell Him that I have strayed, He is a merciful God who will forgive me and place me back on His path. No matter where you are in life or how far you may have strayed from Him, He is ready to bring you back home. :]

Life Lessons with Ronald Weasley

For all you Harry Potter fanatics like myself... In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Professor Trelawney asks Ron Weasley to read Harry's tealeaves. [Excuse the slightly sacrilegious Harry Potter reference]. Ron says this about what he sees in Harry's cup: "Oh yeah... well, Harry's got a sort of wonky cross... that's trials and suffering. And, uh, that there could be the sun, and that's happiness, so... you're gonna suffer... but you're gonna be happy about it..."

Beside that fact that Ron is most definitely not a fortune teller, I was reminded of his interpretation while reading my Bible tonight. [Ha!] I read Jesus Calling and lately God has been speaking to me about being joyful despite life circumstances. A line from what I read today (July 23) says, "Hold My hand in joyful trust for I never leave your side." It doesn't just say, "Hold My hand in trust..." It says, "Hold My hand in joyful trust...," meaning that I should trust God and be joyful in all things no matter what. 

A Biblical example would be Paul, who had quite a rough life once he decided to follow Jesus. He, of all people, should be able to just say, "Forget it," and quit the whole "Jesus thing." But nope. In the midst of everything he was going through, he said, "Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4 AMP). He suffered, yet, was still happy about it, so he reminded the Philippians twice to rejoice. He didn't want them to forget that God is present and that they must gladden themselves in God's grace. 

We, too, must rejoice. Life, for me, has been pretty crazy lately. However, I have no reason why I shouldn't give thanks to God and rejoice in Him. After all, He gives me breath each moment. No matter what I go through, I can joyfully trust that He is in control, that He will never leave me or forsake me, and that He is at work in all things! What an amazing Father!

Huh. Who woulda thunk that THE Ronald Weasley would give me a life lesson... :]