room of mirrors

(the pictures have nothing to do with the blog... just some fun ones from recent times)

soooo lately i've been noticing how easy it is to grow discontent... It's like there is always something more that we want. For me, i think about how for so long i wanted a job, not only a job, but a job that used my gifts and passions. Now i have that job, and I love it. So why do I find myself wanting more? It becomes so easy to loose sight of what I have, all i have that is so good in my life and search for even more. I begin to loose sight of Christ and my eyes wander to other people and see what they have and think, "if only i had that... then..."

Comparing yourself to others is one of the most life draining thing you can do to yourself. The bible says, “Envy rots the bones.” Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it to the full.”

You begin to see what you don’t have and your eyes become fixed completely on self. It is like you are in a tiny room that is so small you can’t even take a step. The walls are mirrors all around you. It gives the illusion that it should be big, spacious and full, but in reality it is only reflecting your own image over and over until you cannot look beyond your self. You cannot see others. You cannot love others. Life is sucked dry.

I am familiar with this room, I’ve been in it many times. There are many doors through which you can enter: pride, envy, selfishness, etc, but I have only found one through which I can exit. The door of Praise.

When I look up and see God who saw beyond himself enough to send Jesus, his son to die for me, I can’t help but praise him for that kind of love. When I begin to focus on all that he has given me, I can’t help but thank him. When I see how much he values me, I give thanks for the way he has made me and designed my life. Then I see clearly that none of this is about me, it is all about him. All he gives us and all he has done for us is to enable us to give back, to love him and love others, to serve others, to be free. In this realization you no longer have anything to envy rather you find that you have everything to give.

“That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.” ~ Gal 5:26 MSG

“Worship God if you want the best, worship opens doors to all his goodness.” ~ ps 34:9 MSG

the gospel

The message at YAC this sunday was so good. we're going thru a series in Galatians. this week was on Galatians 4 by my dad. Here were a few really big take aways for me.

"If you read 1 peter 1:12 it is saying that the gospel is something on which the Angles long to look into. Angels are pretty smart beings, the don't have sin in their lives, they are very wise, their knowledge of God is beyond our comprehension... so you've got to ask the question, what is it about the Gospel that would keep the angels going back to the Gospel to find new things in it? There has got to be more to it than this is just the way to get your sins forgiven."

He said for many of us we add to the Gospel. We say Christ + something else makes us feel okay with God and okay about our selves. That is self-salvation. That means that what Jesus did has no weight or power if we add to it. That is really distrust in the truth that our salvation comes by grace alone. "in other words, we feel better or worse about ourselves before God based on how well we have or haven't done in the Christian life"

my performance + other's opinions of me = self worth

"For if you and i are trying to make ourselves look good for God, ourselves, or others by saying this or that, or trying to maneuver the spotlight of people's opinions... you actually in doing so are cutting yourself off from Christ. why?? because you are no longer depending on God's grace, but upon your own self effort. You are essentially saying Christ is not sufficient enough, i need something more.

Christ + something else(something that comes from me) = ok-ness with God

Paul says it is Christ + nothing = right-ness, ok-ness with God.

So he challenged us to "strip ourselves of all the other things we use to justify ourselves, to understand that what Christ did on the cross so much so that it overwhelms every other competing desire of our hearts, and to pray that God would fill our hearts with the Holy spirit that he will reveal to us the riches of being a son or a daughter of the most high God."

He summed up with saying this isnt something that you can come back with in a week and have it down. it is a life long learning process.

simple, true and to the point. so good for us to hear! and really think hard about.

happy birthday dad

so ive decided to start posting on here again more often. today seems like a fitting day, this is for you dad! Happy birthday, I love you. here is part of a blog i posted about my dad a few years ago... its still so true

"If there is any reason I have a good concept of God as my father it is because of the way the love of dad has pointed me to the way God loves his children. I feel so thankful to have grown up under the example and love of my dad. By us watching him, he made his children fall in love with family and with God, there probably isn't anything greater than that! Through out our lives I have watched him follow God in the the closest way and taking our family along in each step of faith in His journey for us. It encourages me to do the same with my own life.

In my dad's love I have experienced what it means to be enjoyed. Dad has sacrificed himself in so many ways for us. Even as far as allowing himself to be the one we "give a hard time" when joking around. Some how he created an atmosphere of rest and fun in our home. When I remember growing up, the first image that comes to my mind is us sitting around the dinner table laughing and enjoying one another. "

It is so cool that God has lead me back to Memphis and to work at Hope where my mom and my dad both work. I always joke and say im following in the family business! haha! Almost every day I go to my dad's office and i get to sit and learn about ministry from someone who is so experienced and who God has used to impact so many lives for the Gospel. I feel so lucky to get to learn from him as I am still so new at this job.

One day I went in there crying, so stressed by the pressures of numbers and programming and he said I want to show you something: he pulled out his trash can. It was full of hundreds of papers from a huge binder. He said Molly, I spent years planning, stressing, sleepless nights over this ministry program and do you know what? it eventually came to nothing, but do you what lasted? My relationships with the people. then he began listing the names... This stuff didnt end up mattering, the relationships are what matter. Remember that." That was a powerful moment for me. My dad is soooooo wonderful and I get to learn from a great man. I'm so proud to be his daughter.

I love you dad, happy birthday!