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

"How blind I've been!"

"How blind I've been..." The famous word of Emma Woodhouse when she finally realizes her love for Mr Knightley.  How true those words are for me right now, now that God has revealed sins & wrong thinking that I had been blinded to.  How like Emma Woodhouse I exclaim "How blind I've been!"

We tend to always think we're right.  We think we know how everything should be. Even sometimes we think we "know" God's will.  I know I have thought that.  I've felt "so sure" something was right, and that it was "God's will for me."  The problem though is that our hearts are deceitful & wicked.  (Jeremiah 17:9).  I forgot to remember that four months ago when I started making so many decisions without really prayerfully considering them, and viewing them in light of God's Word.  But it felt right, I'd tell myself.  Where in God's Word does it say to trust our feelings? Nowhere.  Our feelings change so often, they can't be trusted, and generally they flow from our wicked deceitful hearts.  I didn't think of that four months ago.  I only thought of one thing; myself.  My preferences, the way I wanted my life to be, and the sad thing is I had deceived myself that it was "God's will for me."  Because of that I made many mistakes, and people who were dear to me got hurt due to my pride.  In the end though, I praise God for it all, because though I desperately wish nobody's hearts were hurt maybe that's what it took for me to see my prideful disobedient heart, and to run to Christ alone again for shelter....

^"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 has been on my mind much lately, and God has used it mightily to calm my heart.  To think that through all the things that seem like utter chaos God is working everything together for His glory, and for the good of His children. I now even see plainly two ways that He is doing this, and maybe the future He will reveal to me even more ways He was going to use this "chaos"

First, being a "Titus 2 girl" isn't all about crafting, cooking, and cleaning. It's not, and if that becomes what it is all about, it most certainly is not Titus 2 woman-ish at all.  In fact, the prime focus should always being fearing and loving Christ.  It's all about Christ, His Word, what He's done, and glorifying Him with word, thought and deed.  All the crafting, cooking, and cleaning is great, but that is not the essence of the Titus 2 woman.  Alongside that was my decision in September to quit school.  In my "ideal world" I would be a stay at home daughter, being a helper to my "perfect" christian family.  However, that's not where God has me.  I made my decision to quit school based on an ideal of what I wished my life would be like.  My Dad wants me to go to school, it's important to him that I have a degree.  He told me he doesn't care if I never use it, but that he wants me to have it. And he's saying that out of love.  So not being in school, wasn't honoring to my parents.  Which wasn't honoring to God, because asking me to get a degree isn't asking  me to sin, it's just asking me to be in school. 

My conclusion is this, if I do not go back to school this spring to work on getting my degree, I would in fact be being a horrible example of a Titus 2 girl.  Since I'm not married I still have to submit to my Dad as one in authority over me.  I have to obey him, unless of course he asks me to sin.  At the end of the passage in Titus 2 it says "...that the Word of God may not be reviled."  If I'm not obeying my parents, and I claim to be a christian I'm certainly not being a good witness, or obeying the Lord.  So I praise God for revealing that to me that I may now obey Him by obeying my loving Dad. 

Second and shortly,  do not turn your foot to the left or to the right.  Especially when it comes to guys. 
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.  Put away from you crooked speech and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.  Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.  Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil." - Proverbs 4:23-27

"Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure".... think about things before you do them. 
When it comes to guys this is crucial.  The temptation to settle, to think "well they like me, so why not?", is strong.  Myself, and one of my best friends have learned all of that the hard way recently.  However, we both in the end are thankful to be able to learn from our mistakes, and that if it's God's will for us both to get married God has the perfect men out there for us.  We won't have to settle.  We won't have to turn to the right or to the left.  Until the time comes for us to meet, or if it never comes all the focus must be on Christ.  Who is the rock that I, and all His children must be built on.  Praise Him that He never lets go of His children! That He shows us in His love our sin & mistakes, so we can repent and press on! What an amazing Savior!
Do you know Him dear blogger world? If you do, may your love for Him grow continually!
With all that said, how I hope and pray to endevour to have less Emma Woodhouse moments of "how blind I've been!", by filling my heart and mind with God's Word, but when those moments come I will strive to always be thankful....
For His glory,
Willa

Cutting a Christmas Tree - it's a tradition!

Almost every year, ever since I can remember my Dad and I have cut down a Christmas tree.
There were a few exceptions; years when the weather was really bad we would just buy one.  Mostly though we have always gone together to pick out, and cut down our Christmas tree.  This is one of my most favorite, looked forward to traditions of the Christmas season.  Some of my best memories of past Christmas times were of when my Dad and I went to get the tree together. 

This year, today was the day that we went ventured out to cut down the tree.  My brother came too, this time.  As the three of us climbed up the snowy hillside, in search of our "perfect tree",  I silently thanked God for this time we all had together.  All of us have been so busy that we have scarecly had more than an hour or so together in months.  We searched, and searched for the "perfect tree", but the forest wasn't delivering that tree that is just perfect.  When frustration of trudging through deep snow, and being rather chilly was about to be upon us, my little brother (who isn't really so little anymore, he's 15.)  said "Hey! I think I found out."   My Dad and I, climbed the 20 feet down the hill in what was waist deep snow for me, and we looked at the tree.  In years past I would've complained thinking there were too many holes, or that the branches were too long, etc.  This year though, I looked at this tree that was far from "perfect", turned to my Dad & brother, and said, "I love it.  I think it's absolutely perfect in its own way." 

As my Dad, my brother, and I took turns sawing to cut down the tree.  I thought about everything my Dad taught me over the years.  He taught me all the basics in home improvement,  how to build a campfire, how to set up a hammock, how to drive, and goodness! Even how to cut down a Christmas tree.  Somehow in cutting down a slightly quirky Christmas tree, made me realize that though I may not have the "perfect" cookie cutter family.  Let alone, a family that are Christians, I'm still thankful for them.  I'm thankful for all that both my mom, and Dad have taught me.  I'm thankful for this tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree with my Dad.  It's significant, and it means something to both of us.  I continue steadfastly in prayer for my families' souls as well.  Continue on rejoicing world of blogging, for the Lord is good!
Joyfully,
Willa

First things first!

Dearest world of blogging;
hello from another day of being a Titus 2 girl in training.  As I embark on this new adventure in the land of blogging, first thing is first in being a Titus 2 girl in training.  You've got to find your older godly woman.  Your mentor.  Someone who can teach you, someone who will encourage you with the Word of God, someone who you can simply spend time with & talk to, someone you can learn from.  I'm so very infinitely blessed that I have that older godly woman as a mentor. 

Mine has taught me a variety of things from the importance of tradition, to "Christmas Brains", to practicing patience by pouring the 1/2 cup of what seemed like an endless pit of soy sauce (haha), to baking bread for the new families in our growing church, to the importance of always going back to the foot of the cross and casting all my cares upon a loving faithful God.   She is an amazing woman, and I'm so thankful to God for having her as my Titus 2 mentor. 

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored." - Titus 2:3-5

So if you are out there, and are on the journey of being a Titus 2 girl in training, the very first thing you must do is find your Titus 2 mentor.  You're older godly woman to spend time with.  They are out there! It just takes some prayer, and some careful looking to find one.   When you do, you will be so incredibly blessed by the love, encouragement, wisdom, and dare I say fun & silliness? That those incredible godly woman have to offer! So keep your head up, your eyes open, and look for that godly woman who can be your mentor if you don't already have one.  Rejoice, and be encouraged lovely land of blogging!
Joyfully,
Willa