A Semester Summed Up...

Well, here I am, back home for Winter break after my first semester at The Master's College.  It's quite strange being back home, because in some ways it feels like I never left, but at the same time everything feels so different.  All I know is that in this season of my life I've been more thankful for God's immutability than I ever have been before.  This first semester at TMC was so extremely different than what I would have ever expected and SO different than what I had anticipated.  Needless to say the Lord has been teaching me a lot. 

I went to TMC thinking I'm going to instantly make great friends and we're going to instantly have these amazing relationships where all we talk about is the Lord, I'm not going to struggle with fear of man anymore, I'm going to instantly be serving and feeling at home at church, I won't be the least bit home sick, I'm not going to struggle with contentment, or with trusting the Lord.  So pretty much I, in my pride, thought everything would be perfect and that I would be perfect.  Oh boy did the Lord humble me.  I didn't instantly make great and amazing friends (in reality who does? wouldn't I have thought maybe friendships like the ones I had back home take time to grow?) I was struggling with fear of man probably more than ever, either that or I was just much more aware of it.  I didn't not feel at home at church, even though it was a good church, and I missed HBC like crazy every Sunday.  And I think one of the hardest things that for some reason I did not expect was this; I was so INCREDIBLY home sick and I felt completely out of place.  I struggled all semester with being content and trusting the Lord with where He had me. And then on top of that I was annoyed that I was even struggling in that area because I thought to myself "WILLA! You're at the Master's College for goodness sake!? Your majoring in Home Ec! Isn't this what you've wanted so badly to do for the last 3 years of your life!?" In my wisdom, which in my mind was obviously superior, everything was spinning madly out of control.  And it wasn't at all what I expected. 

In the midst of all this I think I forgot about how for many months leading up to leaving for TMC I had been praying that the Lord would humble me.  I knew and sensed that there was much pride in my heart, and I prayed for humility, but I had no idea just how much pride was and is in my heart.  And I didn't expect it to be so painful.  But all semester long through all the struggles, the unexpected, the home sickness, and me seeing my own sin more clearly than I have in a long time the Lord was faithful, and He was gracious.  Having time to look back and reflect over break I see His work more and more.  He was and still is teaching me that His ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:9).  He was and still is teaching me that I daily need to depend on His grace and His strength, instead of being wise in my own eyes and trying to do everything in the way that I think is best.  He was and is still teaching me to trust Him.  To be content with wherever He has me, because His plans and purposes are good, and honestly who am I to question Him? (Job 38). 

Having a moment to breathe, pause, and reflect on the semester had also reminded me (because I often forgot in the midst of all the "unexpected") of the privilege and absolute gift from the Lord it is to be able to study at the Master's College.  Now that doesn't mean it's a perfect place and that my life there will be perfect, if there is one thing I've learned from my first semester it's that, but I'm still so privileged to study somewhere that holds God's Word in highest authority, and where every class is saturated with it.  Praise the Lord that I loved all my classes this first semster and am even more excited about the ones I am taking in the Spring!

So, in summary I could say "expect the unexpected." haha.  In reality, I'm so thankful for the Lord's faithfulness, and His grace! He is so gracious, and it's only by His grace alone that I have been learning any of these things.  It's by His grace that He is humbling me, because trust me, I'm still such a prideful girl.  But He is humbling me by His grace and praise Him for that because I need it every single day even though it's often painful.  There is so much more I could write about all the things the Lord in His grace & faithfulness has been teaching me, but I think this blog post has probably become long enough.  Anyway, if you think of it pray that the Lord would continually humble me, teach me to depend on Him, and teach more to love Him more each day. Believe me, I'm desperately in need of His grace each day for all those things.  Praise the Lord that He is at work, that He is faithful and gracious!
Joyfully,

Willa

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free...

Hello dear blogging friends,

Well I'm here at the Master's College. The Lord is good! It's been a crazy first three weeks or so.  Adjusting to living away from home for the first time, meeting new people, figuring out what church to call "home", going to classes, and attempting to stay on top of homework.  God has been very gracious to me though, He's been teaching me so much, I'm a blessed girl. 

One over arching thing He has really been teaching me from His Word, through conversations with people I have met, and in sermons the last couple weeks is the depth of His love.  Dear friends, it may seem like an odd thing to some of you who have maybe walked with the Lord for a long time, but I have realized that in my short almost 3 years of being a Christian I have scarcely really stopped to think about the dept of God's love.  Yes, I thought about it during the first moments when the Spirit enlightened my eyes, and God saved me, and I thought about it in the weeks, and maybe few months after that.  However, as time went on I stopped thinking about it on a regular basis.  I did not realize the effect of this "forgetting" had done to my soul until this summer.  God first started to reveal it to me during the Resolved conference in June when C.J. Mahaney preached a sermon from Jude, and the topic was on God's love, and how when we doubt God's love for us, it grieves Him more than anything else.  That was when God first began to remind me to focus on His deep love. 

So now, in these first few weeks at Master's that has been the huge thing God has been teaching me, and working in my heart.  I realized that I do not understand God's love, and that I do so often struggle with believing that God really does love me.  I try to base everything off myself and my performance for Him, because I want to be independent, and I want to be able to boast in my own stregnth.  I'm a prideful girl.  I have confessed this sin to the Lord, asked for forgiveness, and asked for Him to transform this area of my life.  Because I know that without the power of His Spirit and without a total dependence of Him I won't be able to change.  I do know that in Philippians it says to work out my salvation with fear and trembling, BUT it says right afterward that it is God who works in me both to will and work for His good pleasure.  So, with so much dependence on His grace, and His Spirit I have been reading Ephesians, specifically focusing on Chapters 1-3, as well as 1 Peter, and specifically asking that God would remind me of the depth of His love, and help me to believe it with all my heart! I know that the depth of His love is displayed in the gospel, so along with that I've been reading a book that my RA here so graciously lent me called "Because He loves me", and in it the author says we must remind ourselves of the gospel in our daily lives.  Remind ourselves of Christ incarnation, His sinless life, His death, His resurrection, and the fact that He now reigns and is coming back for His own! So my dear friends, by His grace I've been reminding myself of that as often as I can, but I still struggle! So please if you think of it be praying for me. 

How or why would I doubt or struggle so much with God's love for me, when He before the foundation of the world purposed to love me, and save me, and CRUSH His Son pouring out the wrath that I deserved on Him on the cross.  Why I would doubt His love I do not know! My faith is weak! And it frustrates me greatly! I'm thankful to the Lord though because I know He is at work, I'm clinging to His promise in Philippians 1:6 that He will bring to completion the work that He has begun.  I have to admit that I so often find myself relating well with Paul when he says in Romans "Oh wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" I can totally relate to that, but the glorious thing is the following verses;

^"25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin

¹There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"

(Romans 7:24-25, 8:1)

If you think of it please do be praying for me as I struggle in this area.  I no longer want to grieve the Lord by so often doubting His love for me, when it is so obviously displayed in the gospel! Also, please do pray for wisdom and guidance for me as to which church to make my "home" church while hear at school.  There are two that I'm so very torn between right now! One of which I'm more inclined to than the other, but I'm also still torn, and don't want to make hasty decision.  I'm so thankful God gives wisdom and guidance when we ask for it, because I definitely need it!

Blessings my dear friends.  Here are some verses that have left me amazed lately;

^"14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family^[c] in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

- Ephesians 3:14-19

" ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

- 1 Peter 1:3-9

^"23Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, ²⁴but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.""

-Jeremiah 9:23-24

May God bless you, and may you know His love for you.

For His glory,

Willa

Great is Thy faithfulness...

Dear blogger friends,
Oh my how so much has happened since the last time we met! Well, I guess for starters, God TOTALLY ABUDANTLY GRACIOUS provided for me to attend the Master's College this Fall!! I still can't really believe it! The way He provided too was in itself amazing.  I never would've never been able to foresee it, but I guess that is how He works; in amazing, surprising, unforeseen ways! I'm still pretty much in awe.  In the last month I have pretty much been shopping for my dorm, planning my schedule for Fall, getting everything into TMC, and I've also been blessed to do a number of fun things with friends.  God has just been SO incredibly good to me! Praise His faithfulness! Throughout all that has been going on I've had a hard time expressing in words in my thankfulness, & my amazement at how AWESOME God is.  I'm really glad that God knows my heart so that I don't have to try to explain it. 

All I can say is that I'm so humbled, and grateful that He has held me firm by His grace since the time of my salvation.  That because of His work in my life I can honestly look back at the last nearly three years and not regret.  Not that I have been perfect, because I certainly haven't been.  I have struggled with sin every single day, but I can look back and not regret because of His grace, faithfulness, and work in my life.  He has held me firm, and has led me through every moment of it.  All praise & glory belongs to Him. 

One thing that has overwhelmed me, and honestly left me in an almost shock is, the other night I was trying to find in one of my old journals where I had first prayed about TMC.  I found an entry from March 29th 2010.  This is what I wrote in my journal....

"Alright, there is no point keeping anything inside any longer especially when the glorious, gracious holy Creator of the universe knows it all already, and He is infinitely wise.  Praise God that He sees the depth of my heart and loves me the same, for how deceitful my heart is! However, I will lay everything at the Lord's feet.  I desire so much to go to the Master's College and not in two years.  I want to go sooner like Fall 2011.  I want to go into the Home Economics program (I think) but I have no money and parents that are not excited about the idea.  Above all though I want to remember to seek the kingdom first and not to worry about whatever my future holds.  He provides, He sovereignly decrees all things for His glory and our good.  I want more than anything to be singularly fixated upon Christ and living for His glory." 

Wow.  Just wow.  Even now copying that down I'm still in awe at His faithfulness and infinite wisdom! What is so absolutely crazy about this is that I don't even remember praying to go to Master's in Fall 2011! I never remembered specifically praying that or writing it down.  March 29th was the only time I ever expressed that desire.  What is so incredible about that is that even though I forgot, God knew! He knew! And He was faithful to answer all of those prayers in the last year and a half! He totally changed my parents hearts toward me going to TMC.  He provided the money.  And more importantly He held my feet firm by His grace, keeping me fixated upon Christ & His kingdom! Honestly, this pretty much just blows my mind! All I can say is great, GREAT is His faithfulness!!

So friends, that is pretty much all I have to say.  Remember, remember that He really is faithful, REALLY!
Until next time (which will probably be when I'm down at Master's!!!!!!)
with love and joy,
Willa

p.s. Yet another display of God's faithfulness, is the picture that I posted at the top.  It was taken in June of 2010.  I briefly visited the TMC campus, but never thought that I'd ever actually be able to go there, oh how little did I know! :) God is amazing.

Rapunzel... still waiting to jump!

 

Dear blogging friends,
I know I haven't written in a while, but life since my last post has gone from one adventure to the next! Something happened in the last month that could possibly change my life drastically, and quite quickly, if the Lord wills it.  I applied for the Master's College at the beginning of June, intending on applying for the Spring 2012 semester.  Barely five days after I sent in my application a counselor from the school called me, and asked me if I was really trying to apply for Spring (I had thought the Fall deadline for applications had already passed, so I didn't even think about Fall) because I could still apply for Fall.  Now, when I got that phone call I felt like I was dreaming, though I'd sent in my application - with about 8 stamps on it, mind you - it still didn't really feel real.  Then suddenly I had someone calling me to ask if I wanted to apply for Fall instead.  I knew right away that, yes! Absolutely I wanted to apply for Fall. 

You see, it's been my desire to go Master's for about two years now to be apart of their Home Economics program from women based off of Titus 2, though I didn't always make that known to friends or sometimes even let it be known to myself, it has always been my desire.  Anyway, back to where I left off in the story, so I called and told them to put in my application for Fall.  Then about a week later, God so graciously blessed me with an acceptance letter for Fall 2011! When I opened that letter I was sure it wasn't real.  In fact after I opened it I read it really fast, then set it down and did the dishes.  I was sure it wasn't real, it just couldn't be.  After I finished the dishes I came back, looked at it again, and found that, yes it really was real.  Praise the Lord!!!!


All this to say, that God is doing an incredible work!!!! I still don't know exactly how it's going to pan out, because I'm waiting on stuff for financial aid.  However, through all this God has really been growing my trust in His sovereignty, and He has been working on the hearts of both of my parents.  A year and a half ago, they told me that Master's was absolutely out of the question, but now they are actually excited about it.  I have been praying for months for new opportunities to come up with my family, and God has most certainly answered that prayer.  Praise be to Him! Let alone the fact that He knew this desire in my heart, even when I didn't want to trust Him with it, and when I let fear of man keep me from applying over a year ago.  Needless to say, He is working! He's always working, but it's just awesome when you can see His work & faithfulness so clearly.  It's such a blessing.


Now, your probably wondering how the picture of Rapunzel from Tangled fits into this story.  Well a few months ago I had a rather silly conversation with one of my very dear friends, and the conversation consisted of us going around the table of our friends, and deciding which disney princess each friend most resembled.  When it came around to me, she stated that I was Rapunzel.  I laughed, and agreed with her.  So right now, at this exact moment in time, I can't help but feel like Rapunzel in Tangled during the scene where she's just about to jump out of her tower! Pascal jumps right away, but Rapunzel hesitates.  God has opened all the doors so far, and praise be to Him for that, I'm so thankful! I prayed for wisdom, direction, and clarity, and He has certainly been faithful to give it! But if I'm Rapunzel, I'm still waiting in my tower, I can't jump just yet. 


I still have to wait.  I have to wait and see how things pan out financially, and there's also the fact that maybe God has another plan, maybe I'm not supposed to jump out of my tower just yet.  I certainly hope it will be soon, and that it is His will for me to go to Master's in the Fall, but moreover I want my will to be His will.  I want God to use me in whatever way He pleases, and however this turns out I want my response to be praise to God who sent His Son to die a horrific death on a cross for my sins, because no matter what I will always be better than I deserve, infinitely blessed, & can take joy in knowing that the Lord reigns. May I not forget that!  So, yes if I'm Rapunzel, until it is clear, until I've stuck my toes outside the tower to test the air, I won't yet jump out of my tower to explore the world below.  In the meantime I'll continue to pray my heart out, and wait upon the Lord.  If I may ask dear blogging friends if you will pray for me? I'd appreciate it so much, and most certainly need it.  May God's will be done in all of this! Praise His goodness & faithfulness! I hope you all are feeling blessed to the brim, as my Titus 2 "mom" would say! 
Joyfully,
Willa

I can't help but sing this song right now, "Take my life, and let it be"......

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Lessons from Sunday School.

Bonjour!

I know it's been a while since I have written.  The last two months have been packed with going out of town what seems like every other week.  Anyway, on my latest travel expedition I was sitting in an airport suddenly wishing I had my laptop, because I thought of the next thing I wanted to blog about.  Though I did not have a laptop, thankfully I did have a journal so I wrote it down there.  What I want to share with you all is some lessons I have been learning the past 8 months being a "Sunday School Teacher."

I'm sure there are many of you out there who have taught or been involved with "Sunday School" before, so you may have realized much of what I am about to write.  I, however did not ever go to Sunday school growing up, and until 8 months ago probably would have never dreamed of teaching small sweet children God's holy innerant Word.  Well to my surprise, and joy God had ordained for me to do just that, and it has been such an experience, privilege and blessing! So, I'd like to share just a few things I've been learning through this endeavor of teaching Sunday school.  I hope it might be an encouragement to any of you who teach Sunday school, and to anyone in general to know that God works to grow us in ALL kinds of ways. 

"Lesson One": Keep it simple:

Well if any of you have spent a significant amount of time with a 2-4 year old you know that things get crazy & fast! You have their attention for maybe, maaaaybe 5 minutes.  The first thing that I had to learn was that when I prepared the lesson for these precious little ones, was that it had to be kept simple.  At 3 years old they will not understand or remember all the details of Genesis 1.  Find the main points of the lesson (maybe 3) and nail them in, over and over and over again! This was a good lesson for me, because it reminded me of the depth of God's Word.  How could I possibly think I could convey all the depth of Genesis 1 to a group of small children, if I will be pondering the depth of it for all eternity!?

"Lesson Two": Enthusiasm for Christ:

Recently, on one very busy & crazy Lord's day where we had about 10 kids in the 2-k group something happened that I think I might not ever forget.  We are sitting at snack, and miraculously by God's grace got all 10 kids to sit down at once.  When all the sudden, one little boy whom I absolutely adore starts to talk about how BIG and AWESOME Jesus is.  He got SO excited that he literally stood up nearly knocking over his chair saying with much passion "JESUS IS EVEN BIGGER THAN THIS ROOM! THIS CITY! HE IS LIKE....BIGGER THAN THE WHOLE WORLD! THEN THIS ENTIRE UNIVERSE!!!!!" This small boy was proclaiming this as loud as he possibly could and wildly waving his arms in the air I thought he might fall over.  When he was finished I wanted to get up out of my childsize chair and say "AMEN!" Now, this small boy probably did not know the depth of what he was saying, but his excitement is something I absolutely loved.  It made me think about many adults, including myself at times when we can be so numb to the awesome things of God! In a sense I want to be like the boy from my class, nearly falling over due to excitement for Christ!

"Lesson Three": Welcoming others:

One Sunday there was a new little girl from a different state who's family came to visit our church.  She was very shy but sweet as can be.  She knew nobody in the class, and all the other kids have known each other for a while.  I made sure to stay close to her so she wouldn't feel so overwhelmed.  During "craft time" the girls in the class all decided to sit at one time.  I pulled aside one of the little girls who comes every week and knows everyone, and said to her "Why don't you sit next to Sara? She doesn't know anyone here, and would probably love to make a friend."  To my delight (as I was unsure of what response I might get from a 3 year old girl) she said "oh! ok!" Then she walked over, sat down next to Sara, and started to talk to her and share with her.  By the end of the class they were playing like they had been friends for a while.  The sweetest thing was over 2 weeks later, after Sara had gone back home with her family the 3 year old girl I asked to befriend her said to me, "I miss Sara!" I loved watching this all take place.  It was such a reminder that it is always important to be welcoming to others! Especially those who are new & visitors at church. 

"Lesson Four": There is no mistake:

When it was first suggested to me almost a year ago that I should someday teach in a Children's ministry the idea absolutely terrified me.  I thought, "I can never do that! I'd have no idea how to do it! What to say!" A million things like that ran through my mind.  So my dear blogging friends, it is by God's grace & sanctification in my life that right now I am teaching and serving the Lord in a children's ministry.  It is all His work! If it weren't I would still be terrified.  I consider it an absolute joy, honor and privilege to serve the Lord in this way! And there is no doubt in my mind that He has placed in this specific role for a purpose.  I've always had a bubbly, almost silly, childlike personality and loved being with kids,  what better way to use that then for God's glory and serving Him? There is no doubt in my mind that this is where I should be serving.  I love it, and week in and week out my heart overflows with thankfulness for the privilege of being able to serve there!

So my friends, wherever it is God has placed you, whatever area you serve in, may we never tire of serving the Lord! May we never tire of praising His name, and serving Him with joy wherever He has placed us!

"As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good."

- 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Pondering justice & grace....

Goodmorning blogger world!
I hope you're enjoying this early March morning with some coffee or tea, and Lord willing; some sunshine!
I have a question for you; have you ever given much serious thought to God's justice? Until recently I know I hadn't.  Of course in my mind I thought "Oh of course God is just.  It's one of His attributes."  However, until most recently I hadn't pondered much into what that actually means.  With the help of R.C. Sproul, and his book "The Holiness of God", as well as the theme of the last couple sermons on the Lord's day at church, that has changed. 

Consider this, if God is both holy and just, how is it that any human on this earth even has breath in their lungs at this moment? And even more so, for the Christian, how is it that God loves us and calls us His children? If He is both holy and just, and if we are sinners how is it that we are even alive at this moment? If He is absolutely holy, does not tolerate sin, is our Creator, and has commanded us to be holy as He is holy, yet we have fallen short of this commandment in every way, how are we still breathing today?  It would have been fair of God, in the garden when Adam and Eve sinned to stop it all right there.  The punishment for sin is death.  It would have been just for Him to kill the human race right then and there.  Why would He bother with us?  I don't know about you blogger world, but I think it was to display His glory, and more specifically His grace & mercy.  The ultimate display of this of course is the cross; where Christ became to object of God's fury and wrath against sin.  Where He who was perfect was crushed, cried out in anguish, because His Father had forsaken Him.  He bore all the punishment and wrath my soul deserves. 

Setting my mind on this overwhelms me to the maximum point.  I am a sinner.  I was dead, and didn't even know it.  I loved my sin, but God chose to save me.  He loved me with an everlasting love, and chose to breathe the breath of salvation & life into my soul.  I did nothing to deserve it, and if it had been up to me I would have gone on loving my sinful state.  That is why it is AMAZING grace! Because literally, if God chose to carry out His justice on me as it would have been fair & right for Him to do, I would be burning in hell right now.  That's what I would deserve, but He didn't! He poured out His wrath on His beloved Son instead of me,  and lavished His grace, mercy and love upon me! Every breath is a gift from Him!  What joy this should bring to any Christians soul,  that by His grace we are not burning in hell right now! He IS just, but He is also merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness! May my soul never forget the gravity of this; the grace, and the reality that if I had gotten what I deserve I would be burning in hell right at this moment!

Anyone who is an unbeliever, should realize that God is displaying His common grace upon you as well! It is by His grace, that He even gives air to breathe for the sinner.  He gives unbelievers the gift of enjoying His creation, being able to eat & enjoy food, having families & friends.  All of these are gifts from God! For He Himself gives all things life and breath and everything else! There will be a day, though when He will come back to claim His own, & His justice will prevail! He is patient, but His anger towards sinners and haters of Him, won't be held forever.  Oh, my dearest blogging world, may this motivate us all the more to pray for those in our lives who do not know Christ! He is mighty to save! He IS just, but He has not dealt with us according to our sins! And there will be a day where each person will either be judged according to Christ's righteousness, if they have been saved, or by their own wretched deeds if they have not.  What amazing grace God has lavished on His children! Let us endeavor never to forget how truly amazing grace is! May our hearts not grow dull to it! Let us joyfully adore Him, the lover of our souls!
Joyfully for His glory,
Willa

"O taste and see that the LORD is good;
         How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"  - Psalm 34:8

Dilemma on Valentines Day?

Happy Valentines Day dearest blogger world!

Now, there are people out there who if they are single think Valentines Day the most depressing holiday ever.  They despise all the frilly doilies, the happy couples they see out on dates, the boxes of chocolates that everyone but them seems to receive.  All of it to them seems a punch in the stomach and a reminder that they do not have a significant other.  Alright, no offense if you are one of those people;  I've done it too, but what a waste of a perfectly good day! If you are single God has you right where He wants you.  He's not done with you on your own yet, so be patient & rejoice! Plus Christ's love, is SO MUCH greater than the "love" any other person could ever have to give.  So bask in it! Praise Him for it!

This Valentines Day I am most certainly a flyin' solo girl, but ya know what, I wouldn't have it any other way!

I'm going to enjoy the most loving card, & box of chocolates my sweet mom got for me, watch a girly movie, wear something pink & happy, but mostly try to be a burst of encouragement to anyone I see today.  So single girls out there, don't despair! God has perfectly ordained each & every day, and has us in each season of life for a purpose.  And it's always an incredible purpose, even if we can't see it yet! I'm waiting for my "Mr. Knightley" ;) just as much as any of you or waiting, hoping, and praying for the right guy. 

Meanwhile, rejoice! Keep your eyes focused straight foward on Christ! The One whom we must love with all our heart, mind, soul & strength!

 ¹Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
    ²Serve the LORD with gladness;
         Come before Him with joyful singing.
    ³Know that the LORD Himself is God;
         It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
         We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
    ⁴Enter His gates with thanksgiving
         And His courts with praise
         Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
    ⁵For the LORD is good;
         His lovingkindness is everlasting
         And His faithfulness to all generations.

- Psalm 100

Only one thing is necessary.

 "³⁸Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." ⁴¹But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴²but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." - Luke 10:38-42


"One thing is necessary," my dearest sister's in Christ out there in the blogger world. Praise God for the purity of His living & active Word, that it is able to give us peace & instruct us!  With the busyness of life that catches all of us no matter which season of life you're in.  Whether your like me: a young college student.  Or if your a mother to young children.  No matter what season of life we are in, "busyness" seems to in most cases catch up to us.  Dear sisters, may none of us forget the thing that is necessary, even in the midst of busy lives.  To spend time at the Lord's feet, in His Word, in prayer, having hearts that are just overflowing with praise to our incredible almighty God! Let us seek to not be anxious and troubled like Martha, thought she did indeed love the Lord, but let us remember that only one thing is necessary.  Just as Christ Himself said, "Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."  Spending time at the Lord Almighty's feet is the most important thing any of us can ever do.  May we never neglect that one thing in our lives.  I hope your hearts are overflowing with love for & praise to the King of kings, and Lord of lords!
Blessings,
Willa

Trying to comprehend the Incomprehensible!

Have you ever been somewhere doing something that seems so perfectly ordinary, but then had a theologically profound thought that made the ordinary thing suddenly seem quite amazing? Well, my dear blogger world, if that has never happened to you it has happened to me.  Several times recently I've been blessed with that privilege.  Just one instance out of a handful of them took place when I was at the gym earlier this week.  I was on the stair climber, getting ready to switch to one of the treadmills.  A perfectly ordinary routine in my day to day life.  As I looked around at the people at the gym none of whom I knew I thought, "God knows exactly who all these people are.  He knows exactly what their thinking right now as they workout.  He knows who their parents are, what they ate for breakfast yesterday, what they will be thinking about tomorrow...." My train of thought just kept going, until I had to close my eyes and try to untangle my thoughts before I gave myself a huge headache.  I was trying to with my finite fallen mind, comprehend the Incomprehensible infinite God! And it left me in awe of Him!

About two years ago I had the blessing of being in a Theology class.  Towards the beginning of the class the pastor who was teaching it brought up the point, which I'm sure has been brought up numerous times of, "you cannot put God in a box."  I remember hearing that and thinking, "yeah God is infinite.  He's incomprehensible.  You can't put Him in a box.  Ok I get it."  However, this week I thought of that exact point again.  Maybe because of my handful of moments like the one that took place while I was at the gym, or because I'm reading through the book "The Holiness of God", with the book group I'm part of.  When I thought of it this time I understood more the depth of what that really means.  God is outside time.  Even that I can't wrap my mind around.  It just doesn't even make sense.  Then if that's not enough,  He is also self existent, and before there was anything He was.  None of this makes sense to a finite fallen mind.  What I love about it though, is that it displays God's glory! That He is incomprehensible! Blogger friends, each time I have thought about any of this in the past week the result has been that I have felt small, and I have feared Him.  Not the kind of fear of being afraid, but the fear of the Lord. Being in reverential awe of Him! 

To think that this incomprehensible, almighty, self existent, holy, unfathomable infinite God, who by the very power of His voice holds things together, would choose to save my wretched soul is truly an amazing thing! It leaves me quite speechless, but in awe of Him.  So here I am, one rather petite girl, on a planet with 7 billion other people all of whom God knows everything about.  He knows all the babies that were born today, and all the spiders that people all over the world squashed with their shoes.  He knows all of it perfectly.  While, here I am a sinful girl saved by grace with a finite mind trying to comprehend an incomprehensible, infinite holy God.  May we all always be in awe of His glory. 

"O LORD, our Lord,
         How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
         Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
    From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have establishedstrength
         Because of Your adversaries,
         To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
    When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
         The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
    What is man that You take thought of him,
         And the son of man that You care for him?
    Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
         And You crown him with glory and majesty!
    You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
         You have 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 Your name in all the earth!"
- Psalm 8