Just the other day, I found myself wondering what the Bride as a whole – mind, body and spirit- looks like in God's and Jesus' eyes. I mean neither one of them are so shallow to be caught up in looks, but what makes her so special that she catches the eye of the Most High.
First, let me clarify whom I am talking about when I talk about the Bride of Christ and use the pronoun “she”. I am talking about the body of Christ as a whole – both men and women- who have dedicated themselves to serving and loving Christ. The Bible frequently refers to a pure and spotless bride. Just as sea captains refer to their boats as female, Jesus refers to the Body of Christ as his bride. He longs for them just as a bridegroom longs to be married to his beloved, and is ravished by their attentions towards Him (Read Song of Solomon). Here is what I wrote in my prayer journal - probably wrong but feel free to give me your thoughts:
"The Bride of Christ is not a meek-mannered girl dressed in all white. She's a warrior - a fierce creature -, trained in battle, and unafraid of anything because she is used to keeping up with her beloved (Not an easy feat considering that He is constantly on the move). Jesus looks fondly at her battle scars because they are proof of victory. He's not looking for a princess, but a girl who can hold her own. Yes, she has all the grace and power of a queen, but it's her strength and devotion that draws Him to her. She's dark but lovely. Her weakness is her strength. She is compassionate, loving, and kind. Steadfast, she wrestles not with flesh and blood."
Jesus never believed in hurting people, but He does believe in war. The bride understands the war is on the inside. The battle is for keeps. I find more often than not, I am not fighting against some dark powers that be, but my own will. Though I do not doubt the desire of the devil to watch me fail, I know my own flesh fights against me to help him.
The bride understands the Beatitudes. Read them until they get into your system – they will transform your life:
Mathew 5:3-11
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10
Blessed are those who are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
This is why I'm alive
I really like this song. I feel as long as He's with me I can survive anything.
Let’s survive this –Laura Hackett
Let’s survive this together
We’ve survived so much together already
But I want to live through this with you
Vs.2
This is why I’m alive
It’s moments like this I want together with you
Let’s just take tonight and breathe again
Chorus:
You feel pain tonight
You won’t always feel this way
You feel pain tonight
And it’s gonna be ok
It’s gonna be ok
(back to vs. 1)
Let’s survive this –Laura Hackett
Let’s survive this together
We’ve survived so much together already
But I want to live through this with you
Vs.2
This is why I’m alive
It’s moments like this I want together with you
Let’s just take tonight and breathe again
Chorus:
You feel pain tonight
You won’t always feel this way
You feel pain tonight
And it’s gonna be ok
It’s gonna be ok
(back to vs. 1)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
What I wish I had know before I got married:
1) Movies are completely wrong. I'll let you know when I see a realistic one.
2) You never completely know your husband - it's terrible when you stop trying to explore his nature. He needs to be pursued.
3) Your relationship with God changes, because all of the sudden you are one person in two people's bodies.
4) There is no Better Wives Bureau, but there should be.
5) Marriage can cause a sudden loss of friends.
6) Pet names for each other can be great as long as they aren't too graphic. The public isn't ready for such nonsense. And Hippo is never acceptable or cute.
7) A man's truck is his castle. Don't wash it with a brillo pad.
8) One chick flick to 10 action films is a reasonable deal.
9) Everything is a "that's what she said" and should be treated as thus.
10) Guys don't understand girls so go easy on them and spell things out a lot.
10.5) Which brings me to my next point -Use the term Halo numbers when exaggerating (It's easy to understand). IE: " I washed a thousand dishes in halo numbers of course." Quite similar to killing "9" grunts when in actuality you have only killed 4.
11) Keep a close eye on the unmentionable drawer.
12) Two walk-in-closets can sometimes not be enough.
13) Turtlenecks= shrugs
14) Bed and Breakfast= AWESOME
15) Don't skimp on the honeymoon.
16) Don't forget to put a why behind I love you occasionally or those three words become meaningless.
17) People will always look at you crazy when you tell your dog "mommy wants you to go find daddy."
18) There is no magical day when the fighting completely stops. You are two people dying to oneself. Doesn't mean you have to always agree.
19) Guns do complicate matters, but in the end are a good thing.
20) Champagne baths
21) One screw-up meal a month is allowed -That is all.
21.5) If you are not an expert, carrot is not a good base for a soup.
21.75) Remember to shell your crustaceans before putting them in a meal.
22) Buy the five pack of pregnancy test - it's completely worth it.
23) Love letters don't need to stop just because you got married. Looking back on your history is one of the best things you can do.
23.5) You should write her a love song because she asked for one, Cause she needs one - you see.
24) Apologies go a long way.
25) Don't let your dog play with your husband's soccer ball.
26) Frozen grapes.
27) Always remind your husband when you have the grill in the back of the truck especially when nearing the garage.
28) Nobody likes to be an iphone widower
29) Don't forget to pray over your husband in front of him. NOT SARCASTICALLY.
30) Never forget marriage means FOREVER... No outs.
2) You never completely know your husband - it's terrible when you stop trying to explore his nature. He needs to be pursued.
3) Your relationship with God changes, because all of the sudden you are one person in two people's bodies.
4) There is no Better Wives Bureau, but there should be.
5) Marriage can cause a sudden loss of friends.
6) Pet names for each other can be great as long as they aren't too graphic. The public isn't ready for such nonsense. And Hippo is never acceptable or cute.
7) A man's truck is his castle. Don't wash it with a brillo pad.
8) One chick flick to 10 action films is a reasonable deal.
9) Everything is a "that's what she said" and should be treated as thus.
10) Guys don't understand girls so go easy on them and spell things out a lot.
10.5) Which brings me to my next point -Use the term Halo numbers when exaggerating (It's easy to understand). IE: " I washed a thousand dishes in halo numbers of course." Quite similar to killing "9" grunts when in actuality you have only killed 4.
11) Keep a close eye on the unmentionable drawer.
12) Two walk-in-closets can sometimes not be enough.
13) Turtlenecks= shrugs
14) Bed and Breakfast= AWESOME
15) Don't skimp on the honeymoon.
16) Don't forget to put a why behind I love you occasionally or those three words become meaningless.
17) People will always look at you crazy when you tell your dog "mommy wants you to go find daddy."
18) There is no magical day when the fighting completely stops. You are two people dying to oneself. Doesn't mean you have to always agree.
19) Guns do complicate matters, but in the end are a good thing.
20) Champagne baths
21) One screw-up meal a month is allowed -That is all.
21.5) If you are not an expert, carrot is not a good base for a soup.
21.75) Remember to shell your crustaceans before putting them in a meal.
22) Buy the five pack of pregnancy test - it's completely worth it.
23) Love letters don't need to stop just because you got married. Looking back on your history is one of the best things you can do.
23.5) You should write her a love song because she asked for one, Cause she needs one - you see.
24) Apologies go a long way.
25) Don't let your dog play with your husband's soccer ball.
26) Frozen grapes.
27) Always remind your husband when you have the grill in the back of the truck especially when nearing the garage.
28) Nobody likes to be an iphone widower
29) Don't forget to pray over your husband in front of him. NOT SARCASTICALLY.
30) Never forget marriage means FOREVER... No outs.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A great evil has taken over my house
There is a great evil in my house. My dog seems to think the devil himself resides here now.
It all started yesterday. Helo (my dog) noticed the outdoors started becoming indoors. Bright lights attacked him from every angle and glitter covered his fur. Sure of the devil's hand in my Christmas decoration, he has lived in constant wariness. He sleeps with one eye open, sure his soul is about to be taken from him. Letting out little barks of warning at every turn, he tries to warn me of the impending doom. It doesn't help that these are dark days anyway as daylight savings time creeps up upon us.
My husband and I just wanted to decorate together for once before he goes back to work. We had no idea how it might crack our dog and send him to a puppy insane asylum.
Happy First Christmas Helo!
It all started yesterday. Helo (my dog) noticed the outdoors started becoming indoors. Bright lights attacked him from every angle and glitter covered his fur. Sure of the devil's hand in my Christmas decoration, he has lived in constant wariness. He sleeps with one eye open, sure his soul is about to be taken from him. Letting out little barks of warning at every turn, he tries to warn me of the impending doom. It doesn't help that these are dark days anyway as daylight savings time creeps up upon us.
My husband and I just wanted to decorate together for once before he goes back to work. We had no idea how it might crack our dog and send him to a puppy insane asylum.
Happy First Christmas Helo!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
James Bond
Okay, so maybe I have a problem. To comfort myself when my husband is gone, I have surrounded myself with many eyes. Bunnies, dolphins, snowmen - all in various shapes, sizes and textures give me that added sense of not being alone - at least until the lights go off. Then they peer through devilish eyes waiting to seize my soul.
I have always been the kind of person who wants to be alone on my own terms. I love being alone, but only when I decide that's the way I want it. Unfortunately, with my husband's job I don't get to chose these said times.
Our house is big and makes a lot of weird noises during the night. There is no knight in shining armor, no James Bond to rescue a damsel in distress... Only me and the killer bunnies. Monty Python has nothing on us.
I guess what I am trying to warn anyone visiting my house, if you see a bunny tail facing out - he's not in time out. I am just not allowing him to steal my soul. Not on my watch.
I have always been the kind of person who wants to be alone on my own terms. I love being alone, but only when I decide that's the way I want it. Unfortunately, with my husband's job I don't get to chose these said times.
Our house is big and makes a lot of weird noises during the night. There is no knight in shining armor, no James Bond to rescue a damsel in distress... Only me and the killer bunnies. Monty Python has nothing on us.
I guess what I am trying to warn anyone visiting my house, if you see a bunny tail facing out - he's not in time out. I am just not allowing him to steal my soul. Not on my watch.
Transformed...
Who doesn't deal with a bit of self loathing? In my freshman year of college, my psych teacher asked all of her students to write down the top thing we would change about our body -given a chance. As she read off the hated body parts, she came to a curious one. Thinking of nothing physically I truly hated, I wrote down my second toe as it was longer than the big toe and I had received many insults concerning it. My entire class broke out and started begging for the culprit to fess up.
Everyone else had weight issues, noses that were broken, or downright wanted to change everything. I have always found that the parts I wanted to change were never on the outside. I have seen people completely sold out to Christ and wanted that desperately. Always feeling like I fall short. Knowing the price of their relationship to be costly. I will always want to change. I will always want more. When I feel like I am slipping off the path, this hatred of what I am becoming always pulls me back.
I have been reading Jeremiah a lot lately, and he still slightly baffles me. He endured persecution, people who didn't believe him time and time again, devastation, his family betrayed him and yet he continued to preach the harsh message that God continuely placed on his heart. He was never popular and was hated by all. Kings suffered horrible deaths because they didn't listen to his warning. And I know, that if just one had listened it would have made me feel better. He suffered it all gladly because of the voice. He had the God of the Universe speaking to him -dwelling with him in the secret place. People take the voice for granted - until it leaves. Then they become desperate.
Oh that I was desperate!
The only time I can ever say that change came easy is when I married my husband. I won't say that it is easy being married or having one's identity completely tied into another persons. But from the second, I knew he was the one, I was a changed girl. I knew there was no going back. I wasn't right without him. I wasn't whole. Sometimes I feel like that about God, and other times I slip. I know my relationship to Jesus is a mirror of my marriage, but I guess having a husband who always let's his presence be known and demands my attention - makes it easier to keep up the relationship.
Everyone else had weight issues, noses that were broken, or downright wanted to change everything. I have always found that the parts I wanted to change were never on the outside. I have seen people completely sold out to Christ and wanted that desperately. Always feeling like I fall short. Knowing the price of their relationship to be costly. I will always want to change. I will always want more. When I feel like I am slipping off the path, this hatred of what I am becoming always pulls me back.
I have been reading Jeremiah a lot lately, and he still slightly baffles me. He endured persecution, people who didn't believe him time and time again, devastation, his family betrayed him and yet he continued to preach the harsh message that God continuely placed on his heart. He was never popular and was hated by all. Kings suffered horrible deaths because they didn't listen to his warning. And I know, that if just one had listened it would have made me feel better. He suffered it all gladly because of the voice. He had the God of the Universe speaking to him -dwelling with him in the secret place. People take the voice for granted - until it leaves. Then they become desperate.
Oh that I was desperate!
The only time I can ever say that change came easy is when I married my husband. I won't say that it is easy being married or having one's identity completely tied into another persons. But from the second, I knew he was the one, I was a changed girl. I knew there was no going back. I wasn't right without him. I wasn't whole. Sometimes I feel like that about God, and other times I slip. I know my relationship to Jesus is a mirror of my marriage, but I guess having a husband who always let's his presence be known and demands my attention - makes it easier to keep up the relationship.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Oh how I hate....
Several friends have prompted me to write about my upcoming wedding, and I would have already done so if I had a half-way decent internet connection. But alas, Rabbit Run Farm(My parents house) is stuck in the age of dial-up leaving me bitter and frustrated when it comes to blogging.
I plan on blogging about how I met the most wonderful man in the whole world (sometime in the near future), and what led me (a person deeply afraid of commitments) to take the plunge into the great unknown (needless to say he's really special and there is no way I could live without him).
But today, I think I will focus on garage sales. Garage sales are the bane of my existence... The absolute fuel that causes all the love in my heart to be drained. So why I agreed to participate in three of them is beyond me. The logic seemed worthy as my mom explained that my poor new husband was going to have to bear the brunt of all the trinkets I had collected since pre-school. I lived in horror of trashing out his house with polly pockets and grand champion horses. I was just about ready to do anything to save my pride from taking box after box of crap to my man's house. Plus, my mom explained that the money earned from the garage sale could go towards the wedding.
Three garage sales later - I was ready to kill anything and anyone in my path. But we did manage to make a little money (and all the stuff went to Goodwill so I never have to see it again. While in my head I know that garage sales and purging are not the end of the world, I think it is still going to take me some time to quit shuddering at the very mention of those words.
I plan on blogging about how I met the most wonderful man in the whole world (sometime in the near future), and what led me (a person deeply afraid of commitments) to take the plunge into the great unknown (needless to say he's really special and there is no way I could live without him).
But today, I think I will focus on garage sales. Garage sales are the bane of my existence... The absolute fuel that causes all the love in my heart to be drained. So why I agreed to participate in three of them is beyond me. The logic seemed worthy as my mom explained that my poor new husband was going to have to bear the brunt of all the trinkets I had collected since pre-school. I lived in horror of trashing out his house with polly pockets and grand champion horses. I was just about ready to do anything to save my pride from taking box after box of crap to my man's house. Plus, my mom explained that the money earned from the garage sale could go towards the wedding.
Three garage sales later - I was ready to kill anything and anyone in my path. But we did manage to make a little money (and all the stuff went to Goodwill so I never have to see it again. While in my head I know that garage sales and purging are not the end of the world, I think it is still going to take me some time to quit shuddering at the very mention of those words.
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