A childlike faith, in real life.

I was listening to a podcast today, from Solid Rock church. Great church, by the way. The teaching was taken from 1 Samuel 13 (I think!) It was talking about how the Philistines and Israelites were preparing to go to war with each other.

The passage says in verse 5: 'The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore.' The italics are mine.

Later, in chapter 14, verse 2, it goes on to say: 'Saul (the king of Israel) was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about 600 men...'

You get the picture.

These dudes are WAY outnumbered. Its 600 men against an army 'as numerous as the sand on the seashore.' I would be shaking in my boots... or my flip flops.

However, the story is not over. Saul was unrighteous, and an ungodly man. But his son, Jonathan loved and trusted the Lord. Jonathan was probably rather young here, maybe a teen. Its not known exactly, but he was young, passionate and full of energy.  

This is Jonathan's response:

"Jonathan said to his armor bearer, '...Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.'" WOW! That response blows me away. What a man full of faith. He did not doubt God, even in the midst of great strife.

The speaker of the podcast mentioned how there was more faith in those thirteen words, than in many Christians entire lives. I would have to agree.

Jonathan, a young, teenage boy, trusted God. Despite the fact that, humanly speaking, the odds were against the army of Israel, despite the fact that many did not trust God, despite the fact that his own father was a poor ruler, and selfish leader. Jonathan was full of faith... and with great reason. The Lord had never left him, and He knew that his life was not his own, but rather, it belonged to God.

Here is the rest of the story: "When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. So the Lord rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven." (14: 22-23.)

The more I read and think about the words of scripture, the more obvious it becomes; God blesses those with great faith. He blesses those who do not doubt, even when others are, even when it would be the easiest thing to do.

Think of how David defeated Goliath, the giant with a few small stones.

Remember how Abraham obeyed God when he told him to sacrifice his only son. There is no account of Abraham hesitating, or arguing with God. And in the end, God spared his son, because, in the words of God, from Genesis 22, verse 12: "Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." Of course God knew Abraham's faith, but now Abraham knew, too, just how deep his faith was.

Think of Joseph. He became second in command in Egypt, and never wavered in his faith. He fled temptation and served prison time because of it. He was reunited with his family, and continued to worship God.

There are dozens of others I could mention. These men (and women... such as Ruth and Mary) were not spared from hardship... many of them had incredibly difficult lives, but that did not hinder their faith. They believed, in spite of the hardship in their lives. They believed, because God had always been true to His word, and continued, throughout their lives, to be faithful. And, the good news is, He is the same God today, as he was at the dawn of time. The same faithful God that was evident in the aforementioned  lives. He continues to keep his promises. He loves us.

Oh, to have a childlike faith.

Freedom

When something changes, it is usually a slow process... much like aging. You don't really notice things changing, while its happening, but you look back, and everything is different. It always blows me away. Being drug through the mud and mire seems too much to bare at the time. But then I realize, it really wasn't as bad as I made it out to be. And I gained so much from the experience. But I digress...

Sometimes you don't even realize that that little green monster called jealousy, envy, or bitterness is there. He hides well. But he does rear his ugly head from time to time, and threaten our relationships and health. Even though he hides well, he affects ones life dramatically. Its so hard to have growing, productive relationships when he is present.

 He is also a stubborn one.

Bitterness is a hard one to get rid of. I wish I could wave a wand and rid the world of bitterness. But I can't. It is present in more lives than we might care to admit. I know it was in mine. And I would like to say, I am glad that he is gone. Although we're all susceptible, we don't all want to admit it. Its not something that we can get rid of with will power. Bummer, I know.  But it is something that CAN be healed. By none other than the Master Healer. Again, its a p-r-o-c-e-s-s. But we were meant to live in freedom in Christ. Only through Him can we be saved. We have to let Him change us. God does not force himself upon people. He wants to heal. Let Him heal.

Live in FREEDOM!

Differences

It dawned on me today. Today is the first day I have really realized and thought about it. But I am sure glad that I did. 

The older we get, the less our differences seem to matter. Its true.

When you're a child, differences matter almost more than life itself. If you don't play with the same toys, or watch the same videos, or know the same songs, its hard to relate. Many people tend to flock toward those that are similar to them in regards to age, interests, politics, religion, etc. This is true for children as well as for adults. But I just realized that differences don't seem as 'bad' anymore. They almost seem like a treasure. Like a breath of fresh air. 

 

Granted, differences are the cause of many arguments and tension, but variety is also the spice of life. Once I got past my pride, and engaged in conversation with people I would normally avoid, I realized just how fun they are, and what used to come off as an annoyance I could now see as a treasure. You begin to see the unique things that individuals have to offer, you begin to appreciate their eccentric qualities and realize their worth. It is how its supposed to be.

I love the realities and revelations that come with time. Grudges, hurt feelings, and misunderstandings get peeled away, and we see the treasure of a person that we had been missing the whole time! I feel as though it is a tiny glimpse into the joy and unity we can and should have as the body.

The illustration of the human body is perfect. The hand works with the fingers to grasp things. The torso works with the hip bones to enable us to twist. And so on. That is exactly the same with the spiritual body. We are all different, but all equal. 

How beautiful when we can see past differences, and instead, find joy in the things that make each other unique! 

Societies take: "Dream Big"

There are so many things that I want to be. Society tells us to 'dream big.' And I commend that statement, but what if my 'big dream' is different than what people tell me it should be? What if my big dreams aren't to climb Mt. Everest, or to become a millionaire, or to star in a movie? What if my big dreams are mediocre dreams to someone else? Weren't we all made with different hearts, passions and goals for a reason? 

We cannot all be CEO's or 'stars.' But we can all strive for something, and work ceaselessly toward that goal. The thing is, 'dream big,' is such a vague statement. What does that mean? Do we ever define it for our children? It is kind of unspoken, but we all know what it means. Strive for excellence and do something great in your life. 

It seems to me, while it is a worthy goal to 'dream big,' we need to change our philosophy of what that means. My big dreams are not the same as many. But they are no less relevant. I dream for so many things, but none of them are to become famous, or to be the best cook or anything of that nature. Mine may seem simple to some. But to me, they are everything.

We were wired to dream, to plan and to achieve and conquer. But we were not wired to be clones of one another. Our dreams are placed inside of each of us for a specific purpose. If everyone were amazing musicians, where would our doctors be? If everyone were teachers, where would our mailmen be? What if our dream is something that many achieve in life? What if it isn't all that 'unique?' Each dream, each profession, each calling is unique and special. We NEED mothers and fathers, we need teachers, lawyers, engineers, scientists, doctors, policemen and business men and women. And we need so much more.

My dream is not better or worse than yours. It may be different, it may be unique, but it is the dream that was placed inside of me. It is the one that I hope to fulfill. In my tiny little corner of the universe, I hope to make a difference. And making a difference doesn't always require riches, or fame, or material possessions. Its just a willing heart, and determined soul. 

Dream YOUR dream, and dream it big!

excited??!

Its been a while since I have written on my blog. This may be for many reasons. But I felt like it was time to update it. Summer is blissful. I love it, but I am so excited for school to start back up pretty soon. There are so many new things that I am looking forward to this year.

I am going to a different campus of the same college,  and will be able to be involved in more things, and be a part of the college life a bit more. I am really, really excited for that! I have always wanted to be able to be involved in different groups, and activities on campus, and I finally get my chance! And there are a lot more classes offered, because its the biggest branch of the school, so scheduling classes was a breeze. Thank God. Usually it is a nightmare.

Anyhow, I am enjoying this last bit of summer, looking forward to visiting with friends, but really looking forward to fall term. Its weird to say, but I am excited for school, social life, work and everything! I'm telling you, this is the life. :)

I know with the changes taking place this year, there will also be heart changes as well. I am  hoping to be involved in Campus Crusade. I really think that will be an awesome experience. My hope is that I will enjoy my year, grow and thrive. But most of all, that I will learn more of who He is, and learn how to serve Him more faithfully.

Looking ahead joyfully,
Hannah

my job...

My blog looks a tad bit boring in my opinion. I don't like boring things. But alas, I must settle because it is not a big enough deal to fret myself over. 

This week has been incredibly busy so far, filled with family, friends, camping and lots of sunshine! It has truly been a great blessing! I have so many things I want to share... what a fantastic week its been! Its so funny too, because I feel like nearly every second of everyday this week has been filled. And I feel exhausted, but in a good way... 

Every time I look at my life I realize more and more just how blessed I am. I could write a book about it, but it would probably bore everyone. I just know that these blessings don't come by chance, they are indeed a gift.

In the busyness of life I stopped today to think of what is my job, my role on a day to day basis, and what are my goals? Well... my job is to be a loving example of our incredible Father. 

To speak kindness when I want to speak harsh words,

To see beauty where it might be hard to,

To love just a little more,

To be patient when its hardest,

and to forgive others when they hurt me, because I have been forgiven.

Those are hard things to live by, and not something that can be perfected on this side of heaven, but it seems like if we only remembered how important other people are, and how fleeting this life is, then we might live with more purpose. That is my prayer, that each of us live with a great purpose each day. Because we were bought and paid for at such a high price, how can we live any other way??

On that note, I'll leave you with a few shots from my great week so far!

Live, love, laugh.

My blog...

is in sad shape. It just takes me a long time to figure out how to make these things look good! And I am so tired right now... I will fix it soon, I just don't have the time or brain energy right now. But please excuse the look.