We are Weak, but He is Strong

So weak.

Falling to anxiety,
Giving in to fear,
Fooled by human piety,
Hurting those so near.

Not listening, but saying,
Serving judgment more than grace,
Thinking more than praying,
Putting others in their place.

Who are we to criticize?
Who are we to speak?
How long until we realize
That we are just as weak?

Oh Jesus, change your children,
Guard us from the lies,
Humble us and show us
We are equal in Your eyes.

"¹³ For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:14

I was sitting at a red light...

... and a thought came to me. "I hope the light for that person to my left goes green before mine." Did I really think that? I don't think I've ever thought that before. I'm actually not sure if I thought it, or if I thought it would be a good thing to think. But either way, it crossed my mind and I realized that I pretty much never think that way.

How often do you hope the light will change for the other person before it changes for you? When you're in a grocery store and standing in a line up, how often do you hope that the line will go faster for the person to your left than it will for you? When there's a really good deal on some product and you're one of the last people to get it, how often do you think about the person who is behind you who didn't get it? Or are you happier when you sibling gets the larger piece of cheese cake, or when you do?

Anyway, these thoughts made me think about how intrinsically selfish I am. I thought, "What is it that makes me impatient?" and I answered, "When I am busy or in a hurry to get somewhere." Being busy doesn't necessarily make a person impatient, but it certainly aids the process. So why do I get so busy? Is it because I am a procrastinator? Or because I'm trying to fill my life with "useful" things so that I will be looked well upon by other people? Or is there some sin I'm trying to "make-up" for by being extra good? Or just trying to serve Jesus with my whole heart like Martha, without taking the time to sit at His feet and learn what He really wants me to do? None of these are good reasons!

Ultimately, I'm impatient because I'm a sinner. And so are you.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 "And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

Do you think when God said "be patient with everyone." that He only expected it when we had everything figured out and our schedules slowed down and life in order? No. Be patient with everyone. Whenever. Wherever. About whatever. Praise be to God that by His power, we can be pure as snow, and the most patient people ever imagined up! If I try to be more patient, it won't work. But if I sit at Jesus' feet and get to know Him better, than even while I'm a sinful mess, He will wipe that away and give me the power to be more like Him. To be patient. Lord, make me a patient person who deep inside wishes the best for others and not myself! Please change me! Thank you.

Remember

Do you find your memory short sometimes? There are times when I walk from the kitchen to the basement where we have our pantry, and I stand there and think to myself, "Now, what was I supposed to be getting again?" Then I start walking back upstairs and something I see gives me a cue and reminds me why I went down in the first place. Then I go back downstairs and get whatever canned good I was originally seeking.

People need reminders for everything. Alarm clocks, stove timers, day planners, automatic computer calendar reminders, watch alarms, email event reminders, grocery lists, other people, "Cindy, remind me not to forget to bring the parking pass for school!" We even have built-in physical reminders to help us remember to take care of our bodies. We get hungry. Thirsty. We get the urge to, well, you know...

We get cold. We get hot. We get tired. We need reminders. God knows this.

It is interesting to think about the things God commanded the Israelites to do. Passover, for instance, was a time for them to REMEMBER how the Lord their God brought them out of Egypt. And Jesus commanded us to observe Communion, and do it "In REMEMBRANCE of Me." My life would be transformed if I could only remember all the truths of who God is, and how He is so much bigger than every problem and every situation. Remember the LORD Your God.

REMEMBER

When you feel alone
In a world sin
Preaching words of God
But you don't think it's sinking in
Like Elijah against three hundred men of baal
It only takes one, His power to unveil
Just remember...

When you are weak, God is strong.
Your reach is short, His is long.
Though Satan's evil causes pain,
It is Jesus Christ who reigns.
Behold! He comes with His reward
To each what their works afford
He is promising His spirit to discern,
Until He will return!
So be faithful and remember... The LORD is Your God!

When you feel alone
Struggling with your fears
Crying out to God
Through your guilt and pain and tears
Just like Daniel in the den who dared to do what's right
If you trust and follow with your all, God will win the fight
Just remember...

When you are weak, God is strong.
Your reach is short, His is long.
Though Satan's evil causes pain,
It is Jesus Christ who reigns.
Behold! He comes with His reward
To each what their works afford
He is promising His spirit to discern,
Until He will return!
So be faithful and remember... The LORD is Your God!

I'd Rather Have Jesus

Text: Rhea F. Miller

Music: George Beverly Shea

No. 517 in our "The Hymnal for worship and celebration".

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I'd rather have Him than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands.
I'd rather be lead by His nail pierced hand

Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame.
I'd rather be true to His holy Name

Than to be the king of a vast domain,
Or be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He's all that my hungering spirit needs.
I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead

Than to be the king of a vast domain,
Or be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

This is one of my favorite hymns. I am trying something this year which I've started other years but never followed through with. I would like to pick one hymn each month and memorize it. This is my January hymn. Perhaps now that I've told people, it will help me to stay accountable! Feel free to join me :-)

Honour All People

Life is like a breeze passing through the land,
Life is like a flower held in someone's hand,
Life is but a moment in the vast eternity,
But life's a gift from God, so spend it carefully.

I have been thinking about this lately. Life is passing, delicate, temporary but precious. Life in this world, that is. Because eternal life is, well, eternal. But I'm thinking about our time here on planet earth. So, what does God suggest for my short life? I read 1 Peter 2:16-17 today:

"Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."

I am still reflecting on what this means. We are to act as free, yet as slaves to God. We are to use our freedom to live as servants of God. Or perhaps the true definition of freedom is being a bondslave of God. Bondslave means slave for life. For all of the precious, short time we have here. And what does it look like to be a bondslave of God? Honor all people. Wow. I mean, honestly, wow. All people? Okay, God, how do I honor all people? I know there's no way I can do it on my own! And I guess that's God's point.

Sometimes when I read passages like that it reminds me how much we need God in order to obey God. Kind of ironic, really. But super encouraging. Why? Because if God asks it of us, He'll give us the strength to do it. So I'm going to pray this week that God would help me to honor all people. Even people in authority. Not Kings, in my case, but you know, teachers, parents, pastors, etc. Family members too. I think sometimes it can be toughest to honor them. I'm excited! Why? Because God will answer that prayer. Not instantly, but I am absolutely confident that He will. He has promised to change me, so I know He will. Hallelujah! (Cause it would be pretty sad to be stuck with myself the way I am right now =D ) Jesus, please help me to honor people this week, no matter how difficult that might be. And please show me what that means, because I'm not even sure yet. Thank you!

Music Photos

Stop Trying so Hard to Fix Yourself

"Ate Amy! We have messages for you!" Grace, one of the girls from the choir calls to me from the porch. I come to the door smiling, to see Grace, her sister Pamela and two other girls from the choir standing there. Grace offers me a card filled with messages... mostly in English!... from the girls in the choir. They express their thanks, and say they love me and will miss me and want me to come back. Then Grace hands me a package of thin felt markers in bright colors... they look like the markers the girls used to write the card. A small gift in monetary or western value... but like the widow who gave only 2 cents to the temple treasury and Jesus said she gave more than the rich because it was all she had, this was a precious gift. Coming from a poor family, I treasure this gift as a sacrifice on her part and rejoice in it because I know God rejoices that she chose to give something away for another.

God answered your prayers regarding the last choir practice... it went so efficiently, I know God was with us. The concluding party for the choir girls also went very well, and so did our performances. My only dissapointment was that even at the party I wasn't able to have a good conversation with one of the girls to really share about who God is to me. But God had a different plan.

Sunday evening, the last Sunday evening of my stay in the Philippines several of the girls came over to the Roots porch in the evening and called out, "Ate Amy! We are here to visit you." I came and sat with them on the porch. Most of them don't know English very well, and I don't know Tagalog. But one or two helped interpret, and we talked about Canada for awhile. Then they asked me if I had a boyfriend. I was able to talk to them about the value of trusting in God in this area of life and how it is so much better to wait for someone who loves God than to enjoy pleasure now for a short time but regret it later. I praise God for this opportunity to share with them! My Aunty Melita has wanted to talk to these girls about this very issue, but didn't know how to approach it. It wouldn't have meant much if I had preached at them one choir practice, or at the party...but God brought them to me, after we had developed a relationship with one another, and they wanted to listen to what I had to say. Thank you Lord for this opportunity!

Again, on my very last night there (a Friday night) six of the eleven girls from the choir came one more time to visit me. We sang songs, and I was so happy to see that several of the girls had the words to at least some of the songs we'd learned memorized. The Lord opened an opportunity for me to share simply the Gospel, and a little bit about how God has worked in my life. I felt rather awkward, especially with the language barrier. My Aunty Melita helped interpret a few words here and there. But I praise God for the chance to share, and we can keep praying that these girls would seek Jesus as their source of life and everything. Saying goodbye was emotional for the girls and for me. Several cried and gave me big hugs, and told me they would miss my voice, and they would miss me. I pray that if they think of me in the future they will not just think of me, but that they would think of God also! And that when I think of them, I would turn to God.

Praises:

1. Praise for the last choir practice going well, and the choir party and performances.

2. Praise for the opportunities to talk with the choir girls

3. Praise for safe travel home and that all my luggage made it home successfully!

4. Praise for the opportunity that I had to go, and for the lessons God taught me while I was there.

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray for the choir girls that they would continue to seek God, and that the words of the songs would remind them to turn to and trust the Lord.

2. Pray for me, that I would continue to seek the Lord and trust Him as I adjust to life back home again and fight against falling back into old thinking or acting or speaking habits that God has since been helping me change.

As I think over my trip, I smile to myself about how God works. He didn't teach me lessons in the way I expected, but He was with me. When I left, I was ready to learn, and wanted to be changed... but I thought it would be through some specific disturbing thing I saw or experiences, or through some drastic event. You will remember me asking for prayer in my first email: "It is my true desire that I will be pushed to the limit at some point so that there is no way in my physical nature that I can "put on" good virtue or a good attitude but be hiding selfishness inside. Please pray that I will be tested so that I MUST rely on God for the strength to shine as His light!" Well, I learned something. I learned that it is impossible to shine as His light without relying on God for strength. I can't, and you can't put on good virtue and hide selfishness. It looks like we can for a time, but if we aren't denying ourselves, we are heading in a direction away from God. Sin in my life is a whole lot more prominent, and a whole lot more serious than I realized. And I can't try to make myself better. Let me quote myself from the last entry I made in my travel journal as I reflected on what I am learning:

God is big, and I am nothing without Him. It is wrong to get mad at myself and dissapointed in myself and beat myself up for not doing as well as I hoped at something, because if I am dissapointed in myself, I was at some point believing in myself (I am not refering here to humble repentant sorrowful dissapointment leading to confession... that is productive dissapointment). I cannot try to be better. It will not work to say, "I must stop focussing so much on food." or "I have to be faithful at exercising" or "I must change the way I speak so I am more gracious." On my own strength there is NOTHING I CAN DO TO BECOME BETTER. My only hope is to turn to Jesus...not the words about Him, but His very person, and cast everything at His feet and beg Him to forgive me and change me. That's all.

As I dwell by His strength more and more in His words and life He will, WILL, change me through a renewed mind to be faithful in all things that matter. My words, life, actions, thoughts will all glorify Him as a matter of course. I must remember my weakness in the flesh and press on by His strength to continue in Spiritual disciplines such as reading Srcipture, memorizing, praying, fasting. Thank You, Lord, that You've promised that those who seek You will find You!!!

I am going to seek to cling to God's promise in Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Do you believe that? Do you really? Really? It's in God's Word, and it's a promise. I challenge you to try with me to stand by this promise. Whenever you feel an anxious thought, or circumstances are unbearably complicated, don't try to fix your situation or yourself. First, turn to Jesus. And don't forget the Thanksgiving part!

There are so many little things that I have been challenged and inspired in lately, but I can't write them all, so if you want to hear more, we'll have to talk in person! Thank you so much for supporting me on this trip. It means a lot to me that you all care, and I'm so sorry I've made you wait for such a long time for updates, and then written such long ones that perhaps some of you don't have time to read them! :-)

Resting in His peace,

Amy