Abundance

I learned the other day the meaning of my name, Elizabeth. I had always known that one of its meanings was "consecrated to God"...I like that! But, the other day I found out an additional meaning behind the name Elizabeth - "my God is abundance". WOW! Has He ever proved that to me! For the last few days He has been gently, lovingly whispering to me the reminder of His desire to pour out on me abundantly. He has opened my eyes even more to the fullness He has for me.

My God is a God of abundance! In a world and a culture where we are bombarded with the lie that we just don't have enough, or don't have what we think we deserve to have, MY GOD IS A GOD OF ABUNDANCE. He truly knows our need. And not only our tangible needs, but the timing in which we need to receive or not receive.

In a world where we falsely believe that our sole mission is to pursue our own happiness , my God ABUNDANTLY provides a peace that surpasses all understanding, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

In a world where relationships are riddled with strife, deception, impurity and emulations, He has for us relationships filled with ABUNDANT truth, light and selflessness and confidence.

For hopelessness He offers ABUNDANT hope.
For heaviness He tells us: ABUNDANT praise.
For our strength He gives ABUNDANT joy.
For uncertainty He promises ABUNDANT peace.
For low self-worth He offers ABUNDANT belonging.
For a life of acknowledgement, He offers ABUNDANT, continual direction.
For the dreams birthed from His heart, He offers ABUNDANT realization and fulfillment.

For all of us, He offers ALL of Him.

He tells me that He has abundance for me, and I recognize that He is not talking about monetary prosperity or even physical needs. But I am prosperous, as a daughter of the King. He has filled me to overflowing with His JOY; He has filled me and cradled me in His PEACE. He has guarded my heart with His ABUNDANT protection, and He has ignited my spirit with His ABUNDANT fire.

And He has given me an ABUNDANT burden for believers who do not recognize their need for an ABUNDANT God...who live in the complacency of one uttered prayer of acceptance, but do not chase after His fullness. He is more than forgiveness, more than salvation. He is ABUNDANCE...abundant freedom from strongholds, abundant hope for tomorrow, abundant help in our time of need...HE IS MORE THAN NOMINALISM...HE IS ABUNDANT LIFE!!

Do you struggle to accept that the Lord has a life of fullness for you? Do you really believe that He desires to love you lavishly? Did you know that when He seems far away, He really hasn't left you at all? He's just waiting for you to submit your heart to Him...your WHOLE heart. He wants to pour out Himself on you abundantly. I know that, for some who will read this post, the Lord is speaking: HE WANTS TO SHOW YOU MORE OF HIMSELF. HE HAS NOT SATISFIED ALL THAT HE YEARNS TO GIVE YOU. HE WANTS TO LOVE YOU ABUNDANTLY. I pray that He will speak to you through this post...I pray that you will desire to receive.

Praise Him In the Storm

You know, He is just so much bigger...bigger than my anxieties, bigger than my emotions, bigger than my frustrations, bigger than my storms. Bigger. And His hands are outstretched, waiting for me to just cast my cares upon Him. He says to be anxious for nothing, to just come to Him with thanksgiving for what he promises is to come. He says that nothing is too big, and that he will never leave me nor forsake me. And He tells me to simply trust Him. For He is a promise keeper. He is a sure shelter. He is bigger than anything going on around me...and bigger than my finite reactions to them. He is bigger. I praise Him in the storm.

Taking the Plunge

So...I decided to take the plunge and find a new 'do. The old curly locks have gotten quite old, and I'd run out of long, layered styles that are fresh anymore. My wonderful friend Tina went to town on my hair yesterday, leaving MUCH on the floor of her salon, an repairing my roots with foils again...(another example of benefits of small-community living - she cuts and FOILS my hair in exchange for piano lessons for her daughter...sweet deal!)

Anyway...my BEFORE picture is sandwiched in between my two AFTER pictures - self portraits all. :) Hopefully when my Hubby returns from his trip he'll like the new woman he has!

GOD in the Storm

I watched this today and the Lord reminded me just how majestic He is. He called all of the worlds into being by His spoken Word. He is above all things. He is the Name above all names. His very breath breathed all of life. And yet He clothed the liles in their splendor and He sees the fallen sparrow. He knows the end from the beginning, and yet He hears the quiet, unspoken thoughts in my heart. He knows me by name and He planned all of my days before even one of them came to be. He is infinitely good. He is infinitely majestic. He is infinitely consistent yet infinitely creative. He is I AM. Praise His matchless name!!

Freedom is...

Hmmm....hardly any takers on my last question: "What does freedom in Christ look like?" Is that because we don't know the answer? I think most of us who are believers in Christ know at least a measure of freedom, for "where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom". I also believe it is a long journey towards freedom, in which we can experience new measures of freedom daily, as long as we consistently chase after Christ. And so, what does this freedom in Christ actually look like in our day-to-day lives?

Thanks to Kristi who pointed out that freedom in Christ is beyond the mirror that for so long misrepresented her true value; that freedom in Christ means loving herself as a creation of the King; that freedom in Christ means loving others unconditionally and pouring herself out completely on the ONE she adores. Good stuff, Kristi!

I think I can add some more...but in no way will I exhaust the ways in which we discover and exhibit freedom in Christ. For Christ came to set the captives free, and as long as our feet trod this earth, the Holy Spirit will be breathing freedom breath on us. We must grasp that there is much more to Christianity than salvation, discipline and good works. We must consider that many Christians still live as captives - captives to bitterness, captives to resentment, captives to the pain of abuse, captives to doubt and unbelief. But He came to set us free. And we can be free indeed!! And as we experience Christ's liberation, we will run more wholeheartedly after Him. What does it look like?

FREEDOM IN CHRIST CAN BE:

- Recognizing thoughts of jealousy, bitterness, resentment, and submitting them to the Lord.
- Blessing and praying for those who curse us.
- Renewing our mind in the Word.
- Spending as much time listening for the Lord's voice as we do talking to Him.
- Asking the Lord daily to search us, that we might have clean hands and a pure heart.
- Allowing the Lord to be our shield and defense as He promises to be.
- Standing upon the Word of God.
- Recognizing that wisdom and knowledge are good, but are not enough apart from the experience of the Person of God.
- Conversing with I AM throughout the day.
- Being able to say and believe that "I am a friend of God".
- Understanding that we are each just a small part of the body of Christ.
- Understanding, too, that our small part of the body is appointed to bear lasting fruit.
- Willingly and gratefully and with joy allowing the Lord to "prune" us.
- Testing all of our attitudes and opinions against the Word of God, and waiting upon His still small voice to direct us with them.
- Kindly speaking up when we hear gossip happening rather than turning a deaf ear.
- Boldly and lovingly pointing people toward the Lord.
- Being teachable and humble. Graciously taking direction from the authorities that God has placed over us.
- Being diligent to remain in the Lord.
- Being intentional about loving others and showing God's mercy wherever we are in this broken world.
- Being humble enough to admit our mistakes and ask for help. Seeking God's appointed leaders for counsel.
- Recognizing that God places dreams within us. BIG dreams. Freedom is believing that He really can make them happen.
- WANTING more out of our relationships with Christ.
- Humbly submitting our areas of captivity to the Lord as He reveals them to us.
- Standing in the authority of Christ, and donning the full armour of God to come against the fiery darts of the evil one.

And Freedom in Christ is recognizing that the Lord always will have new things to show me. Freedom in Christ is the opposite of complacency.

So, those are my thoughts for now. Did this spur any of you on to think a little more about this - at least enough to comment? :) I love dialogue, and I love your new ideas!