The Original Superfruit!

It seems that modern nutritional science is discovering jaw-dropping, must-have, all-but-magical properties to some fruit or other every few months.  Hundreds of products line grocery store shelves claiming to bestow the benefits of these "superfruits" to consumers.  According to Wikipedia, a superfruit is "a fruit which combines exceptional nutrient richness and antioxidant quality with appealing taste".   So, they are fruits that are fun to eat AND really good for you!  Win, win!
  
Well, I propose to you today that God has the Original Superfruit!  It is His secret weapon.  Only problem is that it's not secret to the enemy, but it's mostly secret to His people.  It is a Fruit of the Spirit that is powerful to enhance our spiritual health, dangerous against the realm of darkness, and it is addictively fun as well!  God's Superfruit is JOY! 


Think about it...next time you are really happy, stop for a minute and survey how you feel mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  I know for myself, when I am full of joy I feel energetic and efficient, generous and bright, able to make better choices, able to commune with God, able to reach out to others, I feel great about myself, my life, and everyone else, too!  Joy is an enhancer!  All the other Fruits of the Spirit flow so much better in me when I am operating out of Joy!  Patience?  No problem!  I'm joyful, so I have no need for impatience!  Peace?  Absolutely!  In joy I am happy where I'm at and positive for the future!  Love?  You bet!  The actions of love are definitely more effective when accompanied by Joy!  Self-Control?  Sure thing!  Joy gives me confidence to make wise decisions! 


Just like the other Fruits of the Spirit, Joy sometimes requires a disciplined will decision to choose to operate in it.  When it comes to Love, Patience, Faithfulness, etc., we expect to actively use our will at times to practice and grow in those things.  So, why, when it comes to Joy, do we so easily dismiss it as a fleeting emotional experience that "just happens" to us?  "I'm not feeling joyful today.  Oh, well.  Just one of those days, I guess."  I'll tell you something, the enemy knows full well the many benefits of Joy for us, and he does everything in his power to keep us from discovering lasting victory in this area.  It is so much easier for him to keep us away from Joy if he can just keep us thinking that it is something beyond our control to access.  


Below are some insights on this SuperFruit of the Spirit!  There is a wealth of Scripture on Joy!  I encourage you to take the time to look up the references and read them with Holy Spirit!  Joy is powerful and reveals a beauty of God's heart like few other things!   

*Joy = Strength...physically and spiritually!  We are joyful because He is our strength, and we are strong because He is our Joy!  
(1 Chronicles 16:26-28, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 81:1-3, Psalm 118:14-16, Proverbs 15:13, Proverbs 17:22, Isaiah 12:2-4)


*Joy is supposed to be the Christian norm, not the occasional experience!  Grief and weeping are to be the passing things, healed in the Presence of the One who is anointed with the oil of joy more than any other!
(Psalm 30:4-5, Psalm 32:10-11, Psalm 33:1-3, Psalm 45:7, Psalm 89:14-16, Psalm 118:14-16, Psalm 126:5-6, Psalm 132:8-9, Luke 24:52-53, Romans 14:17-18, Romans 15:13)


*Joy's source is God's presence!  He enjoys worship that is dynamically, loudly, extravagantly praising Him with diverse expressions of gladness!  In His presence we find inexpressible joy, and that gives Him pleasure!    
(Psalm 16:11, Psalm 21:6, Psalm 33:1-3, Psalm 95:1-3, Psalm 100:1-3, Psalm 149:4-6, Jeremiah 15:15-17, Zephaniah 3:17, Luke 24:52-53, John 15:10-11) 


*Joyful praise is a correct response to God's redemption, protection, favor, and provision.  Especially sweet to Him when we offer it before the answer comes!
(Psalm 5:11-12, Psalm 25:5-7, Psalm 63:6-8, Psalm 126:1-3, Isaiah 12:2-4) 


*Joyful lifestyle, even in the face of trials, is evidence of right relationship with Holy Spirit in our lives, and is one of the most powerful forms of communicating His goodness to pre-Christians!  It is one of the brightest, most attractive signs that point to His life in us!  The more progress with make with Holy Spirit, the more consistently joy should be visible in our lives!
(Psalm 51:11-13, Psalm 107:21-22, Psalm 126:1-3, Psalm 145:6-7, Isaiah 12:2-4, Isaiah 24:13-14, Luke 6:22-23, Acts 13:51-52, Romans 14:17-18, Philippians 1:25, Hebrews 12:1-3)


*Joy is not always a reaction to good circumstances, it is also a will-led response to the wonderful, breath-taking, majestic nature of God, no matter what is occurring around us! 
(Psalm 118:14-16, Isaiah 24:13-14, Zephaniah 3:17, Luke 6:22-23, Acts 13:51-52, Hebrews 12:1-3) 


*Joy is an integral part of our prayer life!  Answered prayers bring joy, and praying should make us joyful!  Prayer is essentially coming into the presence of God, connecting with His heart, and then repeating back to Him what He reveals He wants to do!  This is a fun and pleasurable process!  
(Psalm 126:5-6, Psalm 149:4-6, Isaiah 56:7, John 16:23-25)

I know this is a lot of material, but if this is something that interests you, take this journey of discovery with Holy Spirit deeper into His joyful nature!  He will make it fun, I promise!    


Bliss to you!
Sarah
P.S.  For large amounts of Scripture look-ups, such as this, I like to use www.biblegateway.com...it's quick and easy to copy+paste the references in the Search field.  Or just type in "joy" and read away!  :)  

Occupation: Treasure Hunter!

My husband and I are part of a small group at our church called, Kingdom Come.  We are just normal guys and gals who love Jesus and love partnering with Holy Spirit to spread His love around!  We worship a lot.  We pray a lot.  We laugh even more!  But one of my favorite things to do with the group is something we learned from Bethel Church in Redding, CA, called Treasure Hunts.  We meet together as a group and ask God for "clues" to people He is setting up for a blessing that day!  Individually, we write down names, places, articles of clothing, prayer needs, etc. as they come to us.  We compare notes and gather in teams of 3-4 based on similarities in our lists.  Then we head out, using our "map" to find people who match 1 or more clues (such as a lady wearing a purple shirt who is shopping at Target), or anyone we feel Holy Spirit highlighting to us.  We approach them respectfully and cheerfully, simply asking if they need prayer for anything.  We don't mention a church, we don't ask them for anything, only offering a listening ear and a caring heart to agree with them before the Throne of Heaven for the changes they need to see.  Some turn us away, but most are pleasantly surprised and grateful, if not totally blessed out of their socks, by this simple ministry.  To know that God sees you, knows you, and cares enough to send a stranger to tell you that...that is a powerfully encouraging idea!


The thing is, this is how I want to live my whole life.  I don't want it to be an "outreach".  I want to utilize the courage to step out in love daily, to let myself actually feel something for the hundreds of random people I pass by everyday.  Because God loves each one, they are His Treasure, though most don't know it or don't believe it.   His thoughts towards them are too numerous to count, if I can catch just one of those and communicate it to them...I might never know just how much it means.  So much of this process begins by understanding how much God loves me, then it becomes easier to realize that He loves them that much, too!  From there, all it takes from me is an open and willing heart and a step towards a stranger....He really does the rest!

Over the past week or so, I've been thinking about hunting for the treasure in situations, too.  Thinking about negative situations in a different light, turning them around through a godly attitude and Holy Spirit inspiration.  Let me give you a few examples....

* Start the funeral: my car battery is dead.  I am late and bored by the time the AAA service guy arrives.  Though he greets me politely, I have no idea how his day has gone.  Maybe I will be the only customer he helps today who is cheerful, smiling, and genuinely appreciative.  Maybe not, but I don't want to take that chance.  I don't have use for the negative feelings anyway.  Let the joy flow, it is terrifically contagious!

* I walk into the doctor's office only to be greeted by seven other pairs of eyes in the waiting room.  This is going to take much longer than I thought.  I sit patiently, quietly turning my heart's affection to Jesus...best use of my time!  As I wait, I notice something, or rather, someone.  The receptionist is exceptional:  kind, cheerful, patient, efficient but unhurried in her dealings with people.  Compassion, peace, and joy are practically oozing out of her!  Holy Spirit smiled in my heart.  I knew He was setting her up for a blessing, and He wanted to use me!  As I concluded my business with her, I asked if she was a Christian.  She said yes.  I told her I could tell, because the love of God was all over her!  I asked if I could pray a quick blessing over her, and she was moved to tears.  I left that office an hour later than I had expected, but I was so joyful to have had that time to witness that woman in action and to encourage her in her ministry!

* Stuck at another red light.  Deep breath.  Holy Spirit, give me insight to pray for the people in the cars around me.  Look.  Take what He gives, and pray the promises of God over those people.  It can be childishly simple...Large, shiny, red truck = God, stir up a boldness in them for the blood of Jesus!  Excessive peace signs and "coexist" bumper stickers = God, become real to them as the Truth, the Way, and the Prince of Peace!  Understanding that my prayers give the angels employment can turn a boring commute into a powerful time of intercession for strangers and my city!

* Oops!  I almost took that guy's turn at the 4-way stop.  I stop in time, hold up my hand, and smile in apology, but he honks, yells angrily, and flips me off.  Wow.  He must really be having a bad day to respond so negatively to something so small.  Instead of railing inside against the injustice of that reaction, I begin to pray for him and whatever hurts and difficulties he has to deal with.  I reject any curse he spoke to me and receive God's grace instead, choosing to see him as someone God highlighted to me on purpose because he needs prayer for something.

I have no way of knowing if I made any real difference in any of those situations.  But my attitude change sure made a difference in me!  I find that my joy and peace increases as I focus on sowing love seeds wherever I go and whatever I do!  And just maybe God will use those small attitudes, words, actions, and prayers to touch a heart with His love.  That is the ultimate treasure!  That is what I am hunting for.  At every opportunity!

Bliss to you!
Sarah

P.S. Here are two of my favorite songs, part of the soundtrack of my life you could say!  They capture this idea well.  Enjoy!

Take All You Want!

This morning, during my personal worship, I took out one of my bottles of anointing oil.  I dabbed my temples and behind my ears, to remind me throughout the day as I catch the scent that I am my Beloved's!  As I started to put it away, Isaac (3 yrs old) said, "Mama! I want some!"  I gladly agreed and placed a dab of the fragrant oil on his forehead.  Again, I started to replace the lid when he pointed to his feet, "And some right here, Mama!"  Smiling, I dabbed both his wriggling feet.  Pulling up his jammie legs, "And some here, on my knees!"  ... "And all the way down my legs!" ...  "And put some on my hands, Mama!  On all my fingers!" ... "And don't forget my face!" ... "Some on my cheeks, and my nose, and my chin, and my forehead, and all around my neck!" ...  By this time, I was beaming with joy at his enthusiasm!  And he was shining with oil from head to toe!  There are some things (cookies, TV, candy, etc.) that I will put limits on.  But my heart bursts to see my child's eagerness to get more of the anointing oil!  My response to him was, "You can have as much as you want!"

I have a hunch that God feels the same about us!  I want to come into His presence like a child, "Abba, can I have more?  And don't forget here!  And anoint this part, too, God!  And all around over here!"  His oil never runs out!  And Holy Spirit is always more generous than we give Him credit for!   He beams over us and loves to pour out the oil and the wine!  I think I am the one who has to tell Him "Enough!  I'm saturated, I can't hold anymore!  Let me absorb this much first!"  He is a God not of measure, but of fullness!  Haha!  Can't you hear Holy Spirit saying through joyous laughter, "Take all you want!  The world around you needs My fragrance!"


He is the God of more than enough!  Soak it up, as much as you want!  He won't cut you off!


Bliss to you!
Sarah


Luke 24:28-29
... and [Jesus] acted as though He were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.”  


John 1:16
¹⁶ For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 


Ephesians 3:16-21
¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ²¹ to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Brilliant Thought: How to Melt a Mountain

Matthew 17:20
"...for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
Psalm 97:5
"The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth."


Why do I focus on the size of my faith, fixated on moving the mountain, when the very mountain itself will melt in God's presence?!  Every obstacle, need, problem, frustration melts like wax at the feet of the Lord of the whole earth.  His presence is the key.  Whether I need a change of heart, change of perspective, or change of behavior....in His presence I will find my answer.  Why is that?  The way I see it is this...


When I come to a mountain (anything that blocks my progress, be it a situation, feeling, habit, hinderance, etc.), if I look only at the tall mountain, I will feel hopeless and powerless to affect change.  But if I lift my eyes to look at my much taller God, I will see His smile, maybe a wink, and His beckon to me that says, "Come up here!"  As I ascend to His side, where I always have a seat with Him in those heavenly places, I am overcome by the love, power, joy, wonder, might, and victory of His presence!  It takes my breath away, relieves my fears, and infuses my being with faith and life!  Then I happen to glance back down to earth.  I catch a glimpse of that mountain, but this time it is from an aerial viewpoint, and it doesn't look so tall or menacing now.  It looks rather flat, resembling a puddle, actually.  A puddle, my mountain has melted in the presence of my God!  

I like that thought!  I am going to live like that today!  


Bliss to you!
Sarah


P.S  The first picture is one of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth.  The second picture is the whole Himalayan range, including Mount Everest, from space....perspective makes all the difference!  And I love how it actually looks like puddles of melting wax!  :) 

Brilliant Thought: Truth

Psalm 51:6
"Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom."


John 14:6
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."


Colossians 3:3
"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."


 John 17:23
"I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me."


Psalm 40:10
"I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation."

God desires truth in the innermost being.  Jesus is the Truth.  God desires that Jesus be in the hidden part, my spirit, to teach me wisdom.  I am also hidden in the Truth, Jesus, in right relationship with the Father.  He is in me, I am in Him.  Though His truth and righteousness dwell in my hidden heart, I am not to keep it to myself, but to magnify Him to the world through my life!


Beautiful mystery! 
Bliss to you!
Sarah

Endearing Vulnerability

Yesterday wasn't my best day.  Tired.  Irritable.  More than a little grumpy.  And in constant high demand from my kids.  Just one of those days that left me feeling pressed in upon on all sides, drained, and weak of mind and spirit.  By the time my husband got home from work, I was at the end of my rope.  He took over kid duty and I escaped to a tub of hot water and solitude.   I just wanted to hide from the world and weep.  One of those days.   Don't get me wrong.  My life is great.  I have no complaints.  Which only added the layer of "pansy" to the cocktail of emotions washing over me.  Logically, when I look at the intense suffering being endured around the world, there is no reason for me to be crying into my bathwater.   But I just couldn't do it.  I was at the end of myself.  Run dry.  Broken enough to realize I cannot do life on my own strength, no matter how great that life is.


So, I did the only thing I know that works: collapse into the arms of my Heavenly Father.  I let go of dependance on my own emotional, mental, or spiritual strength and acknowledged, through sobs, my utter need of Him in the very core of my being.  John 15:5 became reality to me: "apart from Me you can do nothing."  Nothing.  I can't even function at a basic level for long with any success without Him.  The religious virus in me wanted to feel shame in this realization and my acceptance of it.  But Holy Spirit had grace enough for me in that state and let me glimpse His heart's response to my weakness.  He said to me, "I LOVE your vulnerability!  I am your Maker and your Bridegroom, my heart beats to be strong for you!  When you come to Me weak and in need of Me, it makes My heart come alive to you!"  If I hadn't already been crying, I assure you I would've started then.

I began to think of my relationship with my husband in this light.  I know that Sam (like most husbands) enjoys coming through for me, his wife.  When I have a need and he meets it, it turns my heart towards him in love and adoration, which in turn stokes the fire of his affection for me.  If I were to go through our married life thinking and acting as if I never had need for Sam's provision, protection, intimacy, or input, our hearts would quickly grow apart and our home life would become increasingly miserable.  No, I need him and he needs me.  And that marriage co-dependency is designed to be a picture of how our hearts were created to need God.


God has a serious hero complex.  He LOVES to rescue, redeem, and show His burning love and everlasting strength for His Bride!  When I let go of my illusion of control and acknowledge that I desperately need Him at a core level, He is not embarrassed or irritated by that....His heart swells in love for my weakness.  I was created to need Him!


I was also created to be victorious in Him!  This year has been one of intense and relentless learning how to live and move in the victory of Jesus.  But that is not the whole human experience.  We are paradoxical creatures in a paradoxical relationship with a paradoxical God.  He intends for me to walk in victory.  And He also intends that when I cannot, I lean hard into Him Who cannot fail.  


Both my victory and my vulnerability work to endear me to His heart!  And both expose His great and unfathomable love for me!
And for you.


Bliss to you!
Sarah

Be Loved.

I was standing in worship on Sunday, feeling anything but holy.  I was disapointed in myself in every respect.  Just a general feeling of "blah" all across the board: heart, mind, body.  I desperately wanted to feel God's presence.  I knew I needed it more than anything else.  But I couldn't escape the overwhelming knowledge that I am nothing.  A breath.  And a pretty stale one at that.  Louder than the choir, the thoughts in my head replayed, as they had been doing for two days..."What have you done with your life?"  "What are you ever going to do?"  "You aren't good at much of anything."  "You are SO average."  Part of me recognized the Accuser's signature on those thoughts, but the other part of me argued that they felt so true.  I heaved a sigh and looked heavenward.  God, what do I do with this?  How can I enter into the Most Holy place when I feel so unworthy of Your glance, let alone Your love?

I love it when God answers my questions!  Holy Spirit surrounded me in that moment like an embrace, and He said to my heart with sweet enthusiasm, "Sarah, if you want to be the Beloved, you must learn how to simply Be Loved.  Stop trying to earn it, and just let Me love you!"  Totally undone, I was lost to the world for the next 20 minutes as my King and Wonderful Counselor unwrapped this idea in me.  Even on my best day, I am unworthy to come into His presence, but He calls me, draws me irresistibly anyway!  Even on my worst day, His desire remains for me to sit at His feet in adoration anyway!  I cannot earn the identity of Beloved, any more than I can earn my salvation.  My only ability in the redemption process is to receive.  I cannot generate, accomplish, or earn my way to the place of intimate love with Jesus.  He has done it all for me.  He is waiting only for me to be with Him, in whatever state I am in, and simply let the unchanging, everlasting nature of His love wash over me and draw me deeper into His holiness.  Why do I try so hard to limit my own experience of His love by making it something I must perform for??  Yes, He desires obedience (Deuteronomy 30:20, 1 Samuel 15:22, Acts 5:32).  But I obey because I love Him (John 14:23).  And I love Him because He loved me first (1 John 4:19)! 

This is not wishful thinking.  He has given me permission to think of Him this way!  This is how I can access all that I need for life and godliness.  Sit at His feet.  Be Loved.  Receive from Him every provision and guidance in that place of intimacy.  Open up my heart to believe that He truly loves me THAT MUCH! 

To be loved by Jesus is what makes me His Beloved!  How I respond to that love is what makes Him my Beloved!

Bliss to you!
Sarah

Say YES!

Lately, I've been incubating different ideas about destiny and obedience.  I find myself in the midst of a life transition, a time between seasons.  I am coming from a deliciously rich and beautiful summer season, chuck full of sweet memories and precious times, with a peculiar absence of stress and tension.  I stand on the verge of a season of...what, I don't know.  Maybe less sunshine.  Maybe more chilling winds.  Maybe the trees will lose the luscious leaves and go dormant for a while.  Maybe snows will fall and confine me to my house.

As I first eyeballed these possible changes, I would get a fearful dread in my stomach.  Though outwardly agreeing with the changes, inside, like a spoiled child, I felt like my heart was stamping a foot, pouting, and whining through gritted teeth, "I don't WANNA!"  After a couple weeks of this charade, I decided to have it out with God over this particular issue.  I articulated my true feelings and fears (this was more for my benefit, because He already knew everything).  Having emptied my "Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions" box, I got up to leave.  But God wasn't satisfied with only letting me vent.  His aim is not to help us feel better, but to give us what is missing in our experience of Him.

His response to my whining?  He reminded me of a situation with my daughter just that morning...I was trying to give Hannah a bath.  Hannah did not want a bath.  Hannah cried and fussed and whined and made the whole process much longer and more difficult than it had to be.  In the midst of the power struggle, I said to her, "Hannah, I am your mother.  I will not ask you to do something that is bad for you.  Trust me.  I'm not asking you to like it, but I am asking you to obey.  Just say, 'yes'."  As this scene came back to my mind, I felt Holy Spirit whisper lovingly into my heart, "Sarah, I am your Father.  I will not ask you to do anything that will harm you.  Trust Me!  I am asking you to obey.  Just say, 'yes'!"  I melted into Daddy's great heart of love and patience for me.  What a perfect Father He is!  In that moment, His grace washed over me and abolished all my fears.

He then reminded me of a special Scripture He had given me to pray a couple months before:  Proverbs 31:21 "She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet."  I had prayed it every day faithfully, but hadn't grasped the application for my life.  Finally, that verse made perfect sense to me...I do not have to fear the changing of seasons, or even the harshest of seasons, because I and all my family are covered in the scarlet blood of Jesus!  In the middle of the coldness and seeming barrenness of a winter season, there is a bright and warm beauty!  Though the winter is vastly different from summer, it is a time of grand celebrations and intimate closeness, filled with it's own memories and joys. I received this verse in Proverbs as a promise from God, with Him I will face the changing seasons of life with joy and peace.

Shortly after this, I heard the album "Destiny" by Beckah Shae.  As I listened, I felt almost like God had given her those songs specifically for me.  Music is one of my favorite ways to connect with my feelings about God and life, and it is also one of the biggest ways God encourages me.  The words to one particular song fit so perfectly with what I was going through.  I'd like to share it with you....

For Such A Time As This
Beckah Shae
I'm just an ordinary person with so much resistance and so many hindrances
I'm just a common average woman with an ugly past, that keeps tryin to hold me back
Limitations all surround me and this world thinks that it's drowning in hopelessness
Then I hear you call my name out loud and I say yes!
Just a moment for a lifetime, For such a time as this, I say yes!
I've been chosen to arise, For such a time as this, and I say yes!
Alive awake alert, I know I don't deserve why I'm in this position
But I'm here ready to serve
Willing to lose it all, I'm answering Your call
Oh heart and soul please listen for the mandate must be heard
Your grace and favor crown me and I need Your strength around me
Cause I still fear how hard it might be
And what's worth living for, if nothing is worth dying for?
I'm gonna make a stand, I'm gonna make an echo
I'm gonna make some history, with His story!
Writing the pages of today to read about tomorrow's change
Cause I know I was made, for such a time as this


So, to anyone out there struggling to do what God has asked of you...don't be afraid of the changing seasons, there is a promise from God that the snows of life will not harm you!  He is a perfect Father who has plans to prosper you.  Destiny is no farther away than a YES!

Bliss to you!
Sarah

Living Rainbow

I sit bathed in sunshine, but all around me is the dark, moody clouds of the passing storm.  I suddenly become aware that this is the perfect condition for a rainbow….perishing rain, golden evening sun, thick clouds as a backdrop.  I look around expectantly, but soon realize that, look though I may, I cannot see one.  I know it is there, somewhere…it has to be.  Then it hits me: I am in the rainbow.  Somewhere, someone else is looking at this place where I am, and what they see is the breathtaking colors of that beautiful marriage of light and water…the visual representation of God’s faithfulness, a beacon of hope, a symbol of joy. 

That is the purpose of my life on this earth.  To be that contact point where God’s glory is reflected in my life into a clear picture of His faithfulness.  To be a sign that points to the only true Source of Joy, in stark contrast to the dull, depressing atmosphere surrounding.   To be a reminder that there is an end to every storm.   There is a God who is not only capable of keeping His promises, but also trustworthy to the highest degree, far beyond what we even know of.   

If you know the Son, then rest assured, whatever storm you are weathering, He intends it to be a message of hope and joy to the world around you.  He is the Light of the World and the Living Water…so in essence, He is shining on you, reflecting on Himself in you, and creating a picture of His faithfulness, that though you may not see it, is distinctly and strikingly visible to those elsewhere! 

What a beautiful, mysterious marriage this is! 

Bliss to you!
Sarah

P.S. The picture above was taken by Kelly Miller elsewhere in the city as I wrote this very post!  :)

Focus on Favor

 Sam and I have been learning about living in the favor of God.  Favor doesn't mean that life is charmed or everything goes smoothly or we never have troubles and trials.  What God's favor means is living with the constant awareness of God's bias towards me and trusting that my Divine Advantage is not removed in difficult circumstances.  When confronted with tough, uncomfortable, or frustrating situations, my unshakable faith in God's favor for me leads me to ask, not "Why?", but "What does this mean?", "What do I do?", and "What do You want to be for me in this?".  God always has good and victorious intentionality for us in every situation.  The focus must be on the real issue behind every issue: our relationship with God.  How does He want to upgrade my experience of Him?  How does He want to show His character to me in this?  Discovering the answer to those questions will provide powerful purpose and focus to endure almost anything, standing in the faithfulness of His nature and unrelenting love for me.

As I contemplate this theme, I am reminded of Mary.  The angel greets her with a declaration that she is favored of God, then proceeds to describe how this favor will show up in her life:  she gets to bear the Son of God!  Only catch is that she will conceive before marriage and not by her husband, a very troubling situation to a pious young woman.  Have you ever wondered at Mary's unshakable confidence in her right-ness throughout the process of people discovering her pregnancy, deciding to divorce her, shunning and slandering her, etc.?  I used to think it must've just been a supernaturally enhanced personality trait she had.  But now I understand...she had a revelation of God's ultimate intention in the situation: the Son of God, Savior of the world, being born to a virgin as prophesied!  That revelation of what God was doing in and through her gave her the ability to focus on the great favor of her spiritual position instead of the earthly "reality" of slander, misunderstanding, and shame.  Wow. 

Likewise, Jesus endured the unknowable shame and pain of our blame and our death, how?  Because of the joy set before Him!  Even in the moment of death, Jesus trusted in His favorable standing with God.  He looked into the eyes of His Father and saw His intentionality for the situation: that God would be Life for Him after death, and He would not only walk again Himself in victorious life, but would always lead us in triumph as well!  The thought of this relationship I have right now with Him was so joyful to Him that it gave God Himself the focus to endure His toughest trial!  Wow Wow Wow! 

So what does this mean for my life?  Everything!  For every situation in my life God has a corresponding intention:  something He wants to give to me, something He wants to be for me, something He wants to do through me.  It is essential that I look into His eyes to discover the intention in His heart, commit myself to partnering with Holy Spirit towards that intention, and never lose focus of His relentless love towards me! 

Aah!  This is a worthy goal and pursuit!
Blessings!
Sarah

P.S.  Alot of these thoughts have been fueled by Graham Cooke's teachings.  I highly recommend his material to anyone desiring to go deeper in the things of God!  www.grahamcooke.com