April is looking like it will be an insanely busy and blessed month...I have my focus on ONE, but He has my energy going in about 45 different directions. :) [ps to K-Dog: thank you for the break today! Praying that your knee is being restored as I type..]
Not to boast or gloat, but just to give you all a glimpse of my full plate (hence, the reason why He causes our cups to overflow!!!)...what a typical week entails:
+My quiet time (the only thing in an intentional place; everything else is kind of random)
+Work
+Church
+Dance
+School (lastquarterlastquarterlastquarter! Then onto the next school...=)
+Internship (w/Atlanta Beat! Do you have your Season Seats yet?! Home Opener is May 9th! hahaha, I am waaaay too sympathetic to be a salesperson...it's kind of funny)
+Family & Friends (thankfully, lots of them are interspersed among the above activities..)
+Traveling (with/for family, friends, dancing, Jesus...pretty exciting!)
haha, I was looking at all of this a few weeks ago, just breathing and wondering how in the world all of this was going to balance out...and it's as if I could hear God chuckle and go, "ah, April showers..."
Right. More like an April monsoon. (Yet, I'm honestly not worried/stressed about all of this.) I know that God has been and IS faithful to order my steps, and He has ordained this season for a specific reason. So, I searched and realized that God has these kind of showers in mind:
And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. (Ezekiel 34:26)
Praise God - showers in their season. =) I can do this - through Christ alone! As I was updating my Google calendar earlier this week, I had the passing thought, 'wow - Father, please help me to seek YOU first through all of this.' Revelation - "Emily, you have been seeking Me first; that's why I've added all of these things to you..." (Matthew 6) wow. Not much else to say, but choose to keep on seeking!
Another encouragement given just yesterday, my Mom was at it again with Streams in the Desert:
"The very instant you wholeheartedly turn away from every symptom of discouragement and lack of trust, the blessed Holy Spirit will reawaken your faith and breathe God's divine strength into your soul. Initially you may be unaware that this is happening, but as you determine to uncompromisingly shun every attack of even the tendency toward doubt, and depression, you will quickly see the powers of darkness being turned back.
Oh, if only our eyes could see the mighty armies of strength and power that are always behind our turning away from the hosts of darkness toward God, there would be no attention given to the efforts of our cunning Foe to distress, depress, or discourage us! All the miraculous attributes of the Godhead are marshaled on the side of even the weakest believer who, in the name of Christ and in simple, childlike trust, yields himself to God and turns to Him for help and guidance."
So, it's not cocky to not feel anxious or worried - it's taking God at His Word! (what a concept...) I have to thank Gilberto for his insight - to be a radical Christian, all you have to do is simply believe that He IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Now I'm lost in Your Freedom
Oh, this world I'll overcome...
My God's not dead!
He's surely alive!
And He's living on the inside
Roaring like a Lion!
Thank You, Lord...guard my heart and take my thoughts captive to Your Will.
Concept from Gilberto reminds me of "Rebel" by Lecrae. Being rebellious in modern times is being the ONE that follows Christ, sees Him as EVERYTHING, carries the Word not just in print but in the heart, and chooses to resist the devil instead of just accepting him as part of normal life. Basically, taking God at His word when He says "I am exactly who I say I am."
ReplyDeleteThanks - as you become more like Him, I realize there's hope for me, too.