I know you all have probably missed updates from my pole vault saga. Today was the first day I'd vaulted in quite awhile; on my little vacation I ran a little through Colorado, and danced, but no poles. I went from my full step for the first time in over a month. I couldn't believe how long it had been. It was so amazing.
Unfortunately, the excitement didn't last. After several great jumps, I froze again. Short step - no problem; full step - ugh. I was thinking about it on my way to grab dinner, and I was trying to figure out who I wanted to talk to about this. I went through my mental list and was scrolling through my phone, when I realized that there was only One who would fulfill me and give me the peace and healing I was craving. And He's so much bigger than any of my failures, so much stronger than my sin; the love of God is much deeper than the ocean.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:17-21
Monday, April 18, 2011
Never Let Go
The youngest girls I was with threw me a tea party sendoff, with snacks so I wouldn't get hungry on the plane. They're 3, 6, and 9, as fond of me as I am of them. I love them so much, and saying goodbye was a challenge. As I was preparing to leave, they wrapped their arms around me, and wouldn't let go. This made getting my shoes on and suitcase upstairs quite challenging, but I didn't mind because I was so aware of their love for me.
And also made aware of the incredible faithful love the Lord has for me. I could hear Him speaking through their actions, that He never lets go of me, and He goes where I go. The kind of love that I felt from His precious princesses is magnified infinitely in the grace of Jesus Christ.
God has such a hold on us, He never lets go.
Psalm 23 :)
And this is the verse my friend got for me: The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it; Their king will pass before them, With the LORD at their head. Micah 2:13
And also made aware of the incredible faithful love the Lord has for me. I could hear Him speaking through their actions, that He never lets go of me, and He goes where I go. The kind of love that I felt from His precious princesses is magnified infinitely in the grace of Jesus Christ.
God has such a hold on us, He never lets go.
Psalm 23 :)
And this is the verse my friend got for me: The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it; Their king will pass before them, With the LORD at their head. Micah 2:13
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Thinking About The Lord
What a stunning week I had. Truly matchless. I was completely surrounded in Christ's love. There were happy tears, working through hard things tears, laughter, teasing, caffeine highs, lack of sleep craziness, and whatever elese can get crammed into a week.
The wedding I was at was beautiful, and a tremendous blessing. The morning of, I was the first person the bride saw, and she was simply glowing. Her and her new husband are now enjoying their honeymoon and start of their married life that has been orchestrated by the one and only Lord of all.
But it was more the company I kept that helped me think about the Lord. My friend and I would laugh because for several days in a row, we'd wake up with the same song stuck in our heads. On the day she and I drove from New Mexico to Colorado Springs, it was "When I Think About The Lord". We were just so amazed at everything God had been doing in the week that we'd been together again. Being surrounded by people who were all meditating on God's goodness was a tremendous blessing.
This is a video I took from the wedding. The singer, Annie, is Kelsey's sister. There's a brief shot of Kelsey and Isaac after they've taken communion.
Heavenly Father, You are oh so good to me. Every time I stop and consider Your wonders, I am amazed by Your indescribable gifts. I praise You with my whole heart, Lord. Amen.
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
Psalm 63:1-5
The wedding I was at was beautiful, and a tremendous blessing. The morning of, I was the first person the bride saw, and she was simply glowing. Her and her new husband are now enjoying their honeymoon and start of their married life that has been orchestrated by the one and only Lord of all.
But it was more the company I kept that helped me think about the Lord. My friend and I would laugh because for several days in a row, we'd wake up with the same song stuck in our heads. On the day she and I drove from New Mexico to Colorado Springs, it was "When I Think About The Lord". We were just so amazed at everything God had been doing in the week that we'd been together again. Being surrounded by people who were all meditating on God's goodness was a tremendous blessing.
This is a video I took from the wedding. The singer, Annie, is Kelsey's sister. There's a brief shot of Kelsey and Isaac after they've taken communion.
Heavenly Father, You are oh so good to me. Every time I stop and consider Your wonders, I am amazed by Your indescribable gifts. I praise You with my whole heart, Lord. Amen.
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
Psalm 63:1-5
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Always Fitting
I just got back from a weekend at home with some very high highs and some equally low lows but through it all the Lord is still faithful and sovereign. I've got too many thoughts that aren't forming words, so here's a song that always makes sense to sing.
Lord, You are always there and always sovereign. Whether I am in the storm or the calm or the desert or lush garden, You are still You. What Jesus did 2,000 years ago is still there, and the love You've always felt for me never fades. I lift all of my joys, all of my concerns up to You, because You're the One who elevates them and uses them as a part of something much bigger than I can comprehend. All of my life, in every season, You are still God; I have a reason to sing. i have a reason to worship. And that's what I will continue to do all my life. Love You. Amen
But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:3
Look unto Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:22
My soul, praise the Lord! Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with majesty and splendor. He wraps Himself in light as if it were a robe, spreading out the sky like a canopy. Psalm 104:1-2
Lord, You are always there and always sovereign. Whether I am in the storm or the calm or the desert or lush garden, You are still You. What Jesus did 2,000 years ago is still there, and the love You've always felt for me never fades. I lift all of my joys, all of my concerns up to You, because You're the One who elevates them and uses them as a part of something much bigger than I can comprehend. All of my life, in every season, You are still God; I have a reason to sing. i have a reason to worship. And that's what I will continue to do all my life. Love You. Amen
But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:3
Look unto Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:22
My soul, praise the Lord! Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with majesty and splendor. He wraps Himself in light as if it were a robe, spreading out the sky like a canopy. Psalm 104:1-2
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Can I Just Say Wow!?
So pole vaulting has been such a struggle for me lately. I've been leaving practice frustrated and generally in a bad mood. Today was the biggest breakthrough I've had in such a long time though. I had an incredible practice, and I was just glowing. My teammates and coaches could see how happy I was. It felt so awesome to finally be free.
Right before practice, I did a few things. The first was to re-read my information on mental blocks. It said to come up with a word that would be a sign of strength, and calm confidence. I was thinking of what my word would be, and it hit me, "indescribable". If you remember some of the lines of that song, it says, "From the highest of heights to the depths of the seas...You are amazing God". "Indescribable" instantly brought me to the cross, which is exactly where I needed to be. The other thing I did was grab my guitar and play the song "I Will Lift My Eyes". The line I focused on was, "I will lift my eyes to the Maker of the mountains I can't climb" I guess I just needed to really own the fact that Christ's strength is really all I need. To Him, I am worthy of love and strength and power, that He gives to me. He has won all of my battles for me, and through Him I can do all things.
Jesus is Victor, and He shares that victory with me, so long as I abide in Him. Praise to our Father, Amen!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14
Right before practice, I did a few things. The first was to re-read my information on mental blocks. It said to come up with a word that would be a sign of strength, and calm confidence. I was thinking of what my word would be, and it hit me, "indescribable". If you remember some of the lines of that song, it says, "From the highest of heights to the depths of the seas...You are amazing God". "Indescribable" instantly brought me to the cross, which is exactly where I needed to be. The other thing I did was grab my guitar and play the song "I Will Lift My Eyes". The line I focused on was, "I will lift my eyes to the Maker of the mountains I can't climb" I guess I just needed to really own the fact that Christ's strength is really all I need. To Him, I am worthy of love and strength and power, that He gives to me. He has won all of my battles for me, and through Him I can do all things.
Jesus is Victor, and He shares that victory with me, so long as I abide in Him. Praise to our Father, Amen!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Mistress to Bride
I love the book of Hosea. Well I love the whole Bible, but I don't want this post to be a novel, so I'm going to focus.
In case you don't remember, this is the account of the Lord asking Hosea to take a promiscuous woman as his wife. Hosea's a pretty good guy, and loves God with all he is. If I were him, I'd be pretty confused. But he's obedient and marries her anyway. Well it's no surprise that she is unfaithful to him in their marriage. In Old Testament times, this was grounds for divorce. Hosea easily could've said, "I tried, but it's just not worth it". But he doesn't. He continues to extend faithful love to her, though she mocks their marriage and the Lord by sleeping with other men.
I hope you know me well enough by now to know where this is going. Jesus Christ somehow is able to put up with us, and the ways we mock Him. Every time we lash out at someone, we have failed Him. Every time we look to someone or thing other than our Father to please us, we have failed Him. We perpetually fail Jesus and fall short of His glory, but still our God relentlessly pursues us (Isaiah 41:4). If only we could learn to accepted ourselves as His Beloved.
I will take you to be My wife forever. I will take you to be My wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. I will take you to be My wife in faithfulness, and you will know the Lord. I will sow her in the land for Myself, and I will have compassion on No Compassion; I will say to Not My People: You are My people, and he will say: You are My God. Hosea 2:19-20, 23
But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God. Hosea 12:6
In case you don't remember, this is the account of the Lord asking Hosea to take a promiscuous woman as his wife. Hosea's a pretty good guy, and loves God with all he is. If I were him, I'd be pretty confused. But he's obedient and marries her anyway. Well it's no surprise that she is unfaithful to him in their marriage. In Old Testament times, this was grounds for divorce. Hosea easily could've said, "I tried, but it's just not worth it". But he doesn't. He continues to extend faithful love to her, though she mocks their marriage and the Lord by sleeping with other men.
I hope you know me well enough by now to know where this is going. Jesus Christ somehow is able to put up with us, and the ways we mock Him. Every time we lash out at someone, we have failed Him. Every time we look to someone or thing other than our Father to please us, we have failed Him. We perpetually fail Jesus and fall short of His glory, but still our God relentlessly pursues us (Isaiah 41:4). If only we could learn to accepted ourselves as His Beloved.
I will take you to be My wife forever. I will take you to be My wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. I will take you to be My wife in faithfulness, and you will know the Lord. I will sow her in the land for Myself, and I will have compassion on No Compassion; I will say to Not My People: You are My people, and he will say: You are My God. Hosea 2:19-20, 23
But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God. Hosea 12:6
Sunday, April 3, 2011
All-Consuming
Sometimes it's easy to get back in the gym after a bad meet. Today, however, was not one of those days. I dragged myself there because I know what I need to do and I'm the kind of person who just gets it done. I was just going through the motions when I got the idea to pray over my pole. I've been having such a rough time with it and it's really been wearing me down. It sounds a little weird for me to say out loud, but I want Christ to rule over every part of my life, and I want to invite Him in to consume all of me.
As I prayed, the Lord was working in my heart. When a vaulter makes a good height, people look at him or her. The pole literally gets thrown to the ground and ignored. But without the pole, the vaulter wouldn't have gone much of anywhere. God is my pole. Sometimes it looks like I'm doing something well, but really I'm nothing without His Spirit reigning over my body. All the glory truly belongs to Him, and I exist to show more of HIs love and sovereignty to the world.
I want to feel that all-consuming fire burning deep within my soul. I want to burn for the Lord Savior Jesus Christ. I want Him to take me further than I think I can go, and I want to do more than just go through the motions.
Lord, I want to feel You so far deep within me, moving me wherever You want me to go. You are everything that I need, and Your passion for me is matchless. Help me to love You more.
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24
As I prayed, the Lord was working in my heart. When a vaulter makes a good height, people look at him or her. The pole literally gets thrown to the ground and ignored. But without the pole, the vaulter wouldn't have gone much of anywhere. God is my pole. Sometimes it looks like I'm doing something well, but really I'm nothing without His Spirit reigning over my body. All the glory truly belongs to Him, and I exist to show more of HIs love and sovereignty to the world.
I want to feel that all-consuming fire burning deep within my soul. I want to burn for the Lord Savior Jesus Christ. I want Him to take me further than I think I can go, and I want to do more than just go through the motions.
Lord, I want to feel You so far deep within me, moving me wherever You want me to go. You are everything that I need, and Your passion for me is matchless. Help me to love You more.
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)