Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Ministry of the Brokenhearted

Brokenhearted.
Even the word sounds painful. I am surrounded in this season of life once again by happy nearly/newly weds and pregnant friends. I’m honestly and deeply thrilled for all of these women in my life. I can say that I have rejoiced with them in their rejoicing. Tonight after sitting next to another glowing pregnant lady, I barely made it to my car before loosing it in tears. The only word that is appropriate for this feeling is grief. It seems unexplainable, selfish, and somehow wrong to react like this.
It’s also completely out of my control. So what’s a girl to do in times like this? What do you do when you are surrounded by happiness and seem stuck in pain?
To me I am coming back to two questions. Do I believe that God is faithful? Do I believe in His promises?
Yes I do.
In all of this one verse keeps coming back to me. It is out of context of this post. But it fits so well.

1 Thessalonians 4:13b
so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

It’s ok to hurt, it’s what we do with the pain that is the key. As a Christian I don’t grieve anything like those who have no hope.

The one who promised these things to me is Faithful and True. That is in His very nature.
He can be trusted and He will keep those promises.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Before and Midway


Posting for those who are "away" :O()

This is the weight loss progress so far.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Devotional Thoughts

Isaiah 60:16b-20
Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silverin place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in placeof stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler. Nolonger will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction withinyour borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moonshine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moonwill wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.

I've been living a bit of a theme over these last few weeks. When things seemhard to understand I tend to mentally fast forward. I know that God isfaithful. That means I know that the end to any situation works out for myultimate good. It's the way He designed things. However, in the fast forwardmode, I've been missing a lot. There will be a day when things click alltogether. A day when there will be no more tears, waiting, patience, sorrow,pain, and frustration. This is not that day! As I sit here I am conscious ofone thing overriding my feelings of just moments ago, peace. God didn'tpromise us freedom from pain, tears, waiting, patience and sorrow on thisearth. He did say that in the midst of all of that He had come to bring usLIFE, and life more abundantly. And if you, like me, spend an overwhelmingamount of time aching for the perfection of Heaven... then you are missing theblessing of the Father, Son, and Spirit here on earth.Step back and breath deeply for a minute. He is waiting on us. Stop tryingto figure your way out of or into situations. Be here. Be His. Live in thepeace of this place and be free.-Gina