Lily Starts Soccer

I had to post some pictures from Lily's first soccer "practice". She is playing for the YMCA's Kiddie Kickers team (3 and 4 year olds). It was super cute and exciting to watch her experience her first practice...and she just happened to be given the number 22 jersey which was always my sports number :-) I will save the part about when practice was over she fell to the ground screaming crying-complete meltdown. When I finally got her to calm down she kept saying she didn't want practice to be over...can we say overly tired!! Bedtime came early tonight but the good news is that she had a fun time and already made some new friends!

Day 11/40: Becoming Best Friends with God

“Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him.”
Psalm 25:14a

Our relationship with God has several faces: Creator and Maker, Lord and Master, Judge, Redeemer, Father, Savior, Healer, and Friend (along with many others)

Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved is God’s greatest pleasure

How do we become friends with God?

1. Constant conversation: Okay, this one I am good at! I think people must think I am crazy half the time I am driving because sometimes I am talking to God-full blown conversation! I do, I talk to God throughout the day. That is one of the reasons I love car trips by myself (mainly the 4 hour drive I make between Atlanta and Nashville too often) because I get some quality God conversation in. Not to mention it keeps my attitude in check when I am driving if I talk to God...I am much less likely to get mad at the person who cut me off or who is texting while driving or sitting in traffic if I am talking to God (this is a huge benefit since I live in Atlanta!!).

2. Continual meditation: mediate on who God is, what He has done, and what He has said, meditation is simply focused thinking. This is when I think I have adult ADHD! I struggle to focus! The thought of having to sit and look at something for an extended period of time stresses me out because I get so out of focus so easily. I have learned that small periods meditating on God's word throughout the day is effective for me and that it is okay. God didn't make all of us the same and it is okay that I can't sit still for an hour. That lesson has been difficult for me to learn but I have finally come to grip with it.

"Prayer lets you speak to God, meditation lets God speak to you. Both are essential to becoming friends with God."

Day 10/40: The Heart of Worship

“Surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.” Romans 6:13b

True worship is when we give our whole self to God, complete surrender. Rick Warren describes how many people feel surrender is such a negative word and I completely disagree. I find it to be a beautiful word which requires profound strength, faith, and obedience. There are three main limitations that keep us from completely surrendering which are fear (this is the one for me...what if I give up control?!?), pride, and confusion. We need to know we can trust God and admit our limitations (we all have them, another hard thing for me to admit).

Surrender = Peace, freedom, and power.

The great paradox: Victory comes through surrender. Surrender doesn’t weaken you, it strengthens you.

The book talks a lot about surrender on this particular day but all I can think of is the old church hymn we would sing many Sundays. I thought the lyrics sum it all up beautifully.

1. All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live. I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now. I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

3. All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine. I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

4. All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me. I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

5. All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name! I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

I was looking for a version of the song I liked for you to listen to (I love music). I came across this video and thought it was a true testament to what this song is all about!

Day 9/40: What Makes God Smile?

“The lord in pleased with those who worship him and trust his love.”
Psalm 147:11

There are five main acts of worship that make God smile:

1. When we love Him supremely. He commanded us to love Him with all our heart, our mind, and our soul. “Learning to love God and be loved by God should be the greatest objective in your life.”

2. When we trust Him completely. This means having faith that he knows what is best for our lives.

3. When we obey Him wholeheartedly. And not just because we have to with an attitude or chip on our shoulder (much like when we were 15 and our parents made us do something) but we must obey him enthusiastically and joyfully. We gain our eternal place in heaven by grace rather than obedience but it makes God smile when we obey him.

4. When we praise Him and thank Him continuously.

5. When we use our abilities. “Every human activity, except sin, can be done for God’s pleasure if you do it with an attitude of praise.”

The question posed at the end of day 9 was in what areas of your life do you need to work on trusting God more? Personally, the future in general is where I need to trust God. I can get so caught up in what will my career look like, where will I live, when will I get married, how many kids will I have, can I have kids, what will my health look like, I need to be healthier, and so forth. I need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and let go. Keeping it in prayer and asking God for guidance and peace while letting go of taking control. Just trust!

Mmmmm, waffles!

I recently discovered this incredible blog-http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/. It is all about eating real food and staying away from processed foods. I signed up for the 10 day pledge of eating only real food starting Monday but I already started a little this weekend to ease myself into it (and I have realized it will be expensive, a little time consuming, and will require some planning). I am super excited for this little adventure.

Friday's post was 22 breakfast on the go ideas (which is very popular in my house considering I always eat in the car, CJ grabs something quick at the house, and Lily eats a pre-breakfast in the car to hold her over until school serves breakfast at school). I decided to try one of the recipes out this weekend and since Lily asked last night for waffles I figured the waffle recipe was a must and thankfully I had all of the ingredients at the house. I highly recommend it! They were tasty and super easy. The recipe made about 6 waffles which I split in half then froze them with wax paper in between for a quick grab and go in the mornings. Here is the link to the blog and the recipe-Enjoy!

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/26/real-food-tips-22-on-the-go-breakfast-ideas/

Whole Wheat Waffles
-2 large eggs
-1 3/4 cups milk
-1/4 cup oil (I used olive but the recipe recommends coconut oil)
-1 tbsp. honey
-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I used 1 tsp because I really like cinnamon and didn't think it would have been enough with only 1/2)
-1/4 tsp. baking soda
-1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (the recipe recommends King Author's organic white whole-wheat flour which is what I used and it was perfect)
-2 tsp. baking powder
-1/8 tsp sea salt
-100% pure maple syrup and fruit for a topping
-the recipe didn't call for it but I added 6 tbsp. of ground flax seed and it came out perfect

Directions
Preheat your waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, honey, cinnamon, and baking soda until well combined. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together just until the large lumps disappear.

When the waffle iron is hot, spray on a little bit of cooking spray and then ladle some batter onto the center of the iron. Follow the instructions that came with your waffle maker to know how long it should be cooked (mine takes about 3 – 4 minutes each). Keep waffles warm in the oven (on 200 degrees F) until you finish cooking all of them. Top with pure maple syrup and fruit. Enjoy!

I Love Projects

When I found out the date my mom would be starting chemo I hated not being able to do anything, especially being that I was 4 hours away from her. I love arts and crafts but unfortunately don't get to let my creative side loose very often. I figured this would be a perfect time to start a project. Never having experienced chemo personally I didn't know what to expect or how to best help my mom. I tried to put myself in her shoes and think, "What would I want to do for 3 hours while sitting in the chair?" That started a panic in me...3 hours sitting! No thank you! She needed something unexpected to take her mind off things. So, I came up with the idea below. I am including the email I sent to anyone I could think of: family, friends (of my parents, myself and my sister's friends as my parents love our friends), coworkers, church friends, random facebook friends, etc. I even feel like I turned into a bit of a stalker trying to track down some people through friends of friends. Anyways, it all turned out. I know I probably left some people out and I am so sorry if you were one of those people. My mom also asked me about several people who I realized I did not contact. So, I am adding a round two. If you want to add something, please let me know!! The more I can add the more she will have to read as her treatments continue. I have been blown away by the response to this project. If you ever know of anyone or have a relative go through something like this I highly recommend this project!!!

Here it goes:

As many of you already know my mom is currently fighting her second battle with breast cancer. Thankfully the Lord has once again given her a great prognosis and nothing more than she can handle with the support of those who love her. She is scheduled to begin her first chemo treatment on Wednesday, August 24. Throughout the last couple of months she has been incredibly upbeat and has had such a possitive attitude. I know as time gets closer to her treatment she is getting a little more anxious about what the chemo experience will be like and how she will handle it.

As a way to remind her of all the people praying for her and thinking of her as she begins this new adventure I am putting together an encouragement book for her. I am hoping for messages (short, long, a bible verse, an encouraging quote, a letter, song lyrics, whatever you feel in your heart) to include in the book for her to read during her first chemo treatment and I am sure it will accompany her to the other treatments as well. Hopefully the words of family, friends, coworkers, and all of those people who have influenced and continue to impact my mom's life will help keep her focus off of her treatment and on all the positive thoughts and prayers being sent her way. If you would like to have something put in this book I would love to include you! You can email me your message or send it via snail mail. I am including my address at the end of this message. My request is that I receive all messages by Saturday, August 20 (sorry this isn't much notice) so that I can have the book properly assembled before I travel to Nashville for her treatment next Wednesday. I am hoping to keep this a secret so please try not to say anything to her if possible.

Thank you all for the impact you have on my mom, all the kind words that you have sent to her already, and for the prayers and positive thoughts. She is incredibly lucky to have such an incredible support group! There may have been people I left off accidentally or did not know to include. Please feel free to forward this information on...the more people the merrier!

Thank you!

Amanda Brantley and family
ambrantley@gmail.com

"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

(I left off my address for the sake of the blog...don't want ALL of my personal information floating around)

And it was a total surprise...she had no idea!!! Great job everyone for not letting the secret out!

Day 8/40: Planned for God’s Pleasure

The Lord takes pleasure in his people.
Psalm 149: 4a

So I have gotten to the point of the book where we find the first purpose of our life:
#1: We were planned for God’s pleasure. We exist for His benefit, his glory, his purpose, and his delight.

We are able to enjoy pleasure on earth because God made us in his image. He gave us five senses to enjoy the world around us. I am taking a minute right not to think about what my senses are experiencing at this exact moment. Sight: an endless lake with a gentle breeze moving the water with mountains in the background (I know, it is beautiful). Smell: fresh snickerdoodle cookies in the lobby. Hear: little kids playing checkers and my keyboard clicking away. Taste: soon it will be one of those snickerdoodle cookies but right now a glass of merlot. Feel: my hot laptop on my legs and the itchy fabric on the chair I am sitting in (currently in a resort in North Georgia for the weekend). This is a great place to really use the five senses to take in all the beauty God has created.

We please God through worship. Worship takes different meanings to different people. It is more than just the music, scripture, prayer, sermon...it is all of it and more! Real worship is about falling in love with Jesus. I think of the two main churches I have gone to in my life and how completely different they were. I also think about how I worshiped God in those two different environments. At Brentwood United Methodist, my childhood church, I worshiped best through the sermon. We had an incredible pastor, Dr. Olds, who lost his life to cancer. His battle with cancer was long and he preached each Sunday as though it may be his last. I can say, it was incredible to be part of his journey and to grow deeper in my faith because of the way God used him. I highly recommend you check out the following blog http://www.faithbreaks.org/! It has one of his last sermons as well as his book, which I turn to often for tidbits of wisdom from an old friend!

I think of the way I worship today and it is incredibly different than how I worshipped as a child or teenager. In fact, the church I go to today I could not stand for the first two years I went there but my friends went so I went with him. The place is huge and has “loud” music. It is funny how I have grown to not be able to imagine my life without Buckhead Church, especially the music. I grew up singing hymns with because I didn’t want to be embarrassed, nor did I feel the urge, I did not sing at the top of my lungs. Stand next to my at church tomorrow and I am singing as loud of God will allow my voice to be...thank goodness the music covers my voice! I am usually overcome with emotion because this music speaks to my heart and this is the way for me to worship. Here is one of my favorites and a song that is speaking to my life right now. (note, this is not my church but another great church in Atlanta)



I think one of the best examples of worship comes from a discussion over lunch with a friend, Laura. When she had her babies she took maternity leave but her husband continued working. Since he had to get up early in the morning and she was the one with the boobs, she would be the one to get up during the night to feed her daughter. She started to get resentful that every night she would have to get up from sweet dreams and feed. She started turning that time to worship time. She would listen to audio, sing worship songs, pray, read scripture...whatever her heart desired. Her little girls are now 2 and 4 and she told me there are many nights where she craves that time she would spend with God in the middle of the night. What an incredible way to worship God!!!

“Do everything as if you are doing it for Jesus.” That is profound when you think about all the things you do every day and all the people you come into contact with. This means treating customers as though they are Jesus, reacting to loved ones as though they are Jesus (that is really hard to do when in a disagreement with a significant other...I tried the other night and it was HARD), doing homework...all of the things we do throughout the day we should do as though we are doing it for Jesus. Challenge yourself to try that this week!

Day 7/40: The Reason for Everything

For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Romans 11:36

We are commanded to recognize God’s glory, honor His glory, declare His glory, praise His glory, and live for His glory. It is easy to read this in the Bible or in a book but what does that really look like. I tried, before I read the list outlined in the book, and I had a hard time coming up with ways which I glorify the Lord in my daily life. But, after reading how Warren suggest we glorify God I realized I do it every day in many of my activities. So how do we glorify God?

-we bring glory to Him by worshiping Him: not just going to church, singing and praying but in everything we do, the way we treat the grocery store clerk (and trust me, some people out there are not nice people), how we drive in bad traffic or handle it when someone cuts us off on GA-400, how we handle bad news or disappointment or criticism
-loving other believers: “As I have loved you so you must love one another.” John 13:34
-becoming like Christ: we do this the more and more we invite Christ to live within us
-serving other’s with our gifts
-telling others about him

I think I am best at glorifying God with my gifts. I have a gift for caring for others. I denied that gift for a long time but I finally went back to school to make use of that gift by becoming a nurse practitioner where I can take care of others daily. The place where I need to most work in glorifying God is telling others about him. I get caught up in not wanting to cross a professional boundary or not feeling like I know the answers to nonbelievers questions. Sometimes I don’t feel as though I am a worthy enough Christian to spread the word...but I am! This is one area where I am working towards growth!


A picture from my MSN Graduation from Vanderbilt two weekends ago. One of the ways I am using my talents to glorify God in what I do.


*A quick side note. I know I started this project with the goal of reading The Purpose Driven Life each day for the 40 day period and posting about it. The main reason to do it publicly is to have accountability. I know I haven't posted in a few days. I have read every single day so far and knowing that I would be held accountable has greatly helped. I am using one of my gifts from God to do a special project which is why I have not been prioritizing blogging for the past few days. I will catch up and do a post for each day I have missed. I will also share, later in the week, the project I have been working on. God is doing some work in me right now and helping me with some healing and growth. It is AMAZING and I can't wait to write more about it soon!

I'm Gonna Love You Through It

As many of you already know my mom is fighting breast cancer for the second time. She has a great prognosis and has such an positive attitude. She had surgery last month and will be starting chemo next week for 18 weeks (6 treatments every 3 weeks) followed by radiation every day for 6 weeks. I was watching Good Morning America this morning as I do most mornings. My mom always had it on while she was getting ready in the morning and it has now become part of my morning routine. Robin Roberts, one of the hosts on the show, is a breast cancer survivor. This morning she showed everyone the premiere of the new Martina McBride video she participated in. One of my mom's friends told me about this song and I can honestly say I was blown away. I would be putting it mildly to say I shed a few tears. Martina told my family's story. The most incredible part is that it is so many families' story. I am including the lyrics and the video below. So glad God had this in just the right place at just the right time for me to see!!

"I'm Gonna Love You Through It"

She dropped the phone and burst into tears
The doctor just confirmed her fears
Her husband held it in and held her tight
Cancer don’t discriminate or care if you’re just 38
With three kids who need you in their lives
He said, "I know that you’re afraid and I am, too
But you’ll never be alone, I promise you"

When you’re weak, I’ll be strong
When you let go, I’ll hold on
When you need to cry, I swear that I’ll be there to dry your eyes
When you feel lost and scared to death,
Like you can’t take one more step
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.

She made it through the surgery fine
They said they caught it just in time
But they had to take more than they planned
Now it's forced smiles and baggy shirts
To hide what the cancer took from her
But she just wants to feel like a woman again
She said, "I don't think I can do this anymore"
He took her in his arms and said "That's what my love is for"

When you’re weak, I’ll be strong
When you let go, I’ll hold on
When you need to cry, I swear that I’ll be there to dry your eyes
When you feel lost and scared to death,
Like you can’t take one more step
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.

And when this road gets too long
I'll be the rock you lean on
Just take my hand, together we can do it
I’m gonna love you through it.
I’m gonna love you through it.

And for all of you that have been praying for my mom and my family, thank you! I will put an update on here and on Facebook when the first chemo treatment is completed on Wednesday and let everyone know how she did.

Day 5/40: Seeing Life from God’s View and Day 6/40: Life is a Temporary Assignment

“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones.”
Luke 16:10a

Day 5 and 6 go together which is why they are one posting.

The Bible offers three metaphors to explain God’s view of life...

1. Life on earth is a Test: God tests our character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty. God is constantly testing us with temptations and trials and watching to see how we respond. “You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies...God tests my faith through problems, my hope by how I handle possessions, and tests my love though people.” I have always believed we can use each opportunity in life to grow and learn and I think that is exactly what God wants us to, to use hardships to develop our character. Sometimes we might not respond in the correct way but we can always learn from it and grow stronger through those experiences.
And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13


2. Life is a Trust: things on this earth are not ours, rather God’s. He lends them to us during our time on earth and when we are gone they will be given to someone else. God entrust us with His things and at the end of our time we “will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you.” God gives three rewards in eternity: affirmation of a job well done, a promotion for greater responsibility in eternity, and finally honored with a celebration! God also uses money as a measure of spiritual life.
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48

For further reading, here is the story of a man (he was my clinical “teacher” for a semester but quickly became my friend, and an incredible example of how God calls each of us in our own ways) who was blessed to be born into a family of incredible wealth. He realized that this was not his money, rather it is God’s money so it needed to be used to glorify His kingdom. He is now impacting the health of thousands of the working class poor and homeless all over Atlanta. Read more about his story and that of The Good Samaritan Health Center at http://www.goodsamatlanta.org/pages.asp?pageid=19809.

3. Life is a temporary assignment: Two truths to remember, 1) life is extremely brief compared to eternity and 2) earth is a temporary residence. God intends for there to be discomfort on earth so we do not get comfortable and content here rather he wants us to yearn for our eternal home where all of our longings will be fulfilled.
So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4: 18

From a Carrie Underwood song, Temporary Home...
"Old man, hospital bed
The room is filled with people he loves
And he whispers "Don't cry for me, I'll see you all someday"
He looks up and says "I can see God's face"

"This is my temporary home, it's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passing through
This was just a stop on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this was my temporary home"
This is our temporary home"

http://youtu.be/LraOiHUltak

Day 4/40: Made to Last Forever

“He made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11

This life is a dress rehearsal, a preparation for the next life in eternity. The relationship each one of us has with God here on earth determines our future with Him in eternity. The closer we are to God the more trivial things here on earth become. If we take time to realize how small (and so small that our brains can not come close to comprehending) our life on earth is compared to heaven it can put into perspective the upsets, disappointments, and heartaches here on earth.

Matthew Henry said, “It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our final day.” Most of us don’t sit around every day thinking about death. In fact, most people I talk to do not want to talk about death. I am not sure if that is because they think it is morbid or are scared of death. Death is probably one the biggest things I am not scared of. Yes, I don’t want to die in a painful or torturous way which I guess the “how I will die” part scares me a little. But I am not fearful of what will happen once I die. In fact, I am pretty excited about it. If you haven’t yet, you MUST read Heaven is for Real by Todd and Colton Burpo (http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Real-Little-Astounding-Story/dp/0849946158)...wow! What an amazing first hand account of what heaven is really like. Shortly after I read the book a friend of mine from college was killed at work. I did grieve the loss of her life and her beautiful, infectious smile as well as I grieved for her close friends, husband, and family. I remember sitting in my living room after watching countless hours of news coverage trying to hear the latest developments with tears streaming down my face and suddenly I couldn’t help but giggle (I know, sounds creepy). I thought of this beautiful woman sitting with Jesus and God in heaven and how could I cry anymore! She is experiencing something that my heart will long for until the day I stand next to God! We were not made soley to endure life on earth but rather we were designed to spend an eternity with our heavenly Daddy in heaven!!


The Purpose Driven Life has a question to consider at the end of each day’s reading. Today’s question is “Since I was made to last forever, what is one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing today?” I have done some thinking about this throughout the day. The one thing I should stop doing is over scheduling myself (this one piggybacks off of yesterday’s lesson). If I cleared up time in my daily schedule of things I feel obligated to do and filled them with things I feel God calls me to do (spend more time talking with Him, spend more time in the Word of God, devote time to those in my community). I guess that actually answers the second question, too. I feel like God is placing things in my heart (the main one that comes to mind right now is the overwhelming desire I have had for years now to go to Africa and lately Somalia) and I am dishonoring him by making excuses not to fulfill his plan for me. This is an area where prayer is needed in my life. I find a million reasons why I can’t go (finances, mom starts chemo, taking boards, finding a job, etc., etc.). What I need to do is take a leap of faith and realize that if God is placing these desires in my heart over a period of years that this is his purpose and desire for my life.

Maybe I need to spend some more time on the computer today looking up trips to Africa and of course praying about it!

*The picture above is by Akiane Kramarik and was painted when she was 8. It is called Prince of Peace. It was talked about in Heaven is for Real...one of the many faces I can't wait to see in heaven! Here is a video link to Akaine's CNN feature...http://youtu.be/rmm-0-Rdxo8

Day 3/40: What Drives Your Life?

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you.”
Isaiah 26:3

The purpose driven life, what does that really mean. It means a life guided, controlled, and directed by a purpose but not just any purpose...God’s purpose. What drives your life and mine? Rick Warren lists the top 5 things that control people’s lives (I love lists!!).

1. Guilt: running from regrets, hiding from shame, manipulated by memories. We are products of our past. Our past shapes us into who we are right now and who we will, or will not, become in the future. We don't have to be prisoners of our past. This has taken me a long to see and if I am honest with myself I am still a work in progress. I was in a past relationship where the person made me feel as though I was constantly falling short due to his expectations of what my past should have looked like. Yes, I have made mistakes. Yes, I have sinned. But the amazing part, the part that he never reminded me of (hence the reason why it was a past relationship) is that I am forgiven! God forgives me. He sent his one and only son to die a horrific death on a cross so that I can have every mistake and sin erased from my past! Psalm 32:1 says "Happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned." We do not have to live as prisoners to our past but rather live as those who have been given a purpose by our God.

2. Resentment and anger: good point he makes- “those who have hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment” How true! That relationship I mentioned in number 1, it took a lot not have resentment for constantly making me feel as though I was not forgiven. Once I let that resentment and pain go I was able to live freely!!

3. Fear: always playing it safe and never taking risks

4. Materialism: possessions only provide temporary happiness, “real security can only be found in what can never be taken from you-your relationship with God”

5. Need for approval: this one is me big time! Always wanting to please everyone and never wanting to fail

“Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. Without a purpose, life is trivial, petty, and pointless.”

Whoo hoo, another list! There are five benefits of living a life driven by purpose-not guilt, resentment, anger, fear, materialism, and the need for approval:
1. Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life. For some reason every time I read this line all that comes into my head is...

You're the meaning in my life
you're the inspiration.
You bring feeling to my life
you're the inspiration.
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me sayin':
No one needs you more than I need you.

A little Chicago tune for the blog today! In all seriousness though, “the greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without a purpose.” Look at Jeremiah 29:11 (“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”) and Ephesians 3:20 (“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”).

2. Knowing your purpose simplifies your life. God didn’t intend us to be running around like crazy with a million things to do and not enough hours in the day. God intended for us to carry out our purpose and he gave us the energy and stamina to that. A good question to ask yourself when faced with activities to fill your schedule with is “Does this activity help me fulfill one of God’s purposes for my life?” I think I need to write this in my planner every day!

3. Knowing your purpose focuses your life...”never confuse activity with productivity”

4. Knowing your purpose motivates your life.

5. Knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity. It isn’t about what others say about your life rather what God says about your life as you stand before him.

Warren points out two questions, derived from the Bible, that God will ask when we stand before him...

1)What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ? Did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him?
2)What did you do with what I gave you?

The first question determines where you spend eternity, the second one is what you do in eternity. What is your answer to the questions?

Day 2/40: You Are Not an Accident

I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.
Isaiah 44: 2a

God uniquely created me. He knew what day I would be born, had a plan for every day of my life, and He knows when I will leave this earth. “God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes.” He made me knowing every short falling I would have, every sin I would commit, and all the times I would turn my back on Him. God made me for no other reason than to express his love. Ephesians 1:4 “Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.” He will always take care of me and will always love me.

Romans 12:3 states “Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.” Finding meaning and purpose in life comes from making God the center, the reference point of our life.

You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what He wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!

-Russell Kelfer

Check out this website to dive in a little deeper...it has some good reflection questions as well as a challenge to create a life purpose statement. Guess I need to start working on mine!!
http://www.1saviorforme.com/life_purpose_statement.htm

Day 1/40: It All Starts With God

“...all things were created by Him and for Him”
Colossians 1:16b

How many days have I wasted wondering what my purpose is? I have read books, I have listened to “experts”, watched Oprah and Dr. Phil. That was all a waste. The only place to find the answer to my purpose is in the Bible. My Creator is the only one who can tell me why I was created- that seems obvious considering He is the one who made me! I was born by Him for His purpose. I was not created for me, for my purpose. It is sometimes very difficult to admit the world doesn’t revolve around me! Day 1 in The Purpose Driven Life tells us that “it is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny.” It is not through relationships, family, success at work, education, wealth, status but rather through God.

There are two options to discovering your purpose according to Warren: 1) speculation which is what most people chose, guessing what your purpose on earth is and 2) revelation which requires asking God for the purpose of our life.

My small group finished studying Ephesians last month and I feel everywhere I turn is a reminder of what we studied. Ephesians 1:11 gives us insights into our purpose (according to Warren there are a total of five purposes which God reveals to us in His Word, this verse in Ephesians tells us three purposes).

“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”


1. Our purpose is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. I was having a conversation with someone last night about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. My church’s mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We were discussing how this works. I wish I had the answer for him however Rick Warren states he will help explain it later on so if you are in the same place as my friend I hope to give you the answer shortly. Personally, I don’t remember the exact moment I asked Christ into my life because I feel He has always been there. I do recall one time in middle school being at a church retreat and being overcome with emotion as I felt Christ working inside of me. That happened many more times on church trips though high school and Young Life camps and events. I think sometimes I put God to the side and at times where I was really listening I would let Him talk to me and work in me. That is part of my current journey...listening to God all the time. He truly is my best friend, my true Daddy.

2. God was thinking of you long before you ever thought of him. He planned our purpose long before I was actually a baby on this earth, long before my parents or grandparents ever fell in love. He planned me, every hair on my head, the color of my eyes, everything about me he chose and beautifully created- which for me is very hard to accept. It is easy to see my flaws, all of them but to God I am perfect. I am a masterpiece to Him!

3. The purpose of your life fits into a larger cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity. It is not just about me. And it is not just about life on earth. My life has a cosmic purpose-a little difficult to wrap my brain around. My purpose is not for whatever the average life span, my purpose doesn’t end when my body stops functioning. Rather my purpose is for eternity!

How can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself? This is one area of my life where I have been working diligently. This life, this body is created by God and for His purpose. Just remembering that is a good place to start. Asking God to show me direction as to how I can best fulfill His purpose for me is of paramount importance to live a life I was created to live. And most importantly, learning to listen to Him. Wouldn’t it be nice if God would just give us a phone call, a text, an email in response to our prayers. I would even get on twitter if it meant hearing from God! Learning to listen for subtle responses to my prayers isn’t the easiest. Most people I know who are struggling to grow in their faith or who have difficulty believing state the reason is because they don’t hear God talk to them. From a past sermon at Brentwood United Methodist, God speaks to all of us, with every breath we take He speaks but we don’t usually listen. God is everywhere, in our everyday activities. We need to evaluate circumstances, our senses, our hearts, our souls, and spend time reflection to see how God is speaking to us.

Live intentionally.
Listen intently.


For anyone interested in doing some further reading, here are some verses to read which further solidify Ephesians 1:11...
Deuteronomy 4:20
Isaiah 25:1
Acts 13:48
Romans 8:28-30
Ephesians 1: 5, 9, 14, 18
Hebrews 6:17


For more information on the book: http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/AboutUs/AboutTheBook.htm

40 Days of Transformation

Two Sundays ago I was in church and listening to the middle school pastor, Justin Grunewald, speak on shocking statements made by Jesus. He started the message talking about mountain climber Aron Ralston’s experience as shown in the movie 127 Hours. To make a long story short, to survive a fall which left Aron’s arm stuck under a huge rock he had to break the bones in his arm and cut off his own arm to climb out of the canyon to save his life. Wow! Take a second to think about breaking your own arm...and then cutting it off! I can not begin to imagine the desperation, fear, suffering, and pain. In talking about this story Justin mentioned two key things that every adventurer knows and Aron did not do on this one trip...1) Tell others what you are doing and 2) Never go alone. I was thrilled! This sermon is going to be something I so badly need to hear! I am quite the private person when it comes to my faith and spiritual growth. This is an area of my life that I am trying to hard to work in and I thank my small group for helping me push past my comfort level and share intimate details of my inner thoughts and my heart. Anyways, I thought this sermon would be about accountability and growing alongside others. It wasn’t about that at all, although that week’s message was still great. Justin, if you for some reason ever read this blog I think the two points you made would make a great sermon, just sayin’!

These two key points have ruminated in my soul and I have not been able to shake them from my thoughts. I love being outdoors from running in my neighborhood to hiking in the mountains to kayaking rapids (mild ones). And Justin is right, always tell someone where you are going and never go alone. I never break those rules. Why is it that in my spiritual life I not only disobey those rules but I run from them? This has been weighing heavily on my mind for the past two weeks.

It is undeniable that God has been working in me. I wish I could put into words the extreme thirst I have had lately to know Him more, to get closer to Him, to hear from Him, to please Him, and to simply be still with Him. I have sat and asked God what he wants me to do and have not heard Him (although I am sure He was talking to me all along) until last night. I was reading through a friend’s blog, Laurie, last night- she is blogging her journey of not dating anyone for one year as a challenge posed by our pastor, Andy Stanley (check her blog out: http://dreamsunspoken4.tumblr.com/). As I read her words I found them powerful. How incredible to put your thoughts on paper each day, even on days when you don’t feel like sharing with anyone. Also, what a testament to being held accountable! It was amazing to read her words and she how God is transforming her life!

As I went to sleep last night, I felt as though God dropped a challenge to me into my head. I read The Purpose Driven Life back in 2003 when I was a junior in college (my friend Abbey gave it to me for my 21st birthday). I have changed and grown so much since then that it is comical to see my notes and answers to questions printed 6 years ago on the pages of my book. Today, I started it all over again. And as much as it makes my skin crawl to be out of my comfort zone, I am being held accountable because I am documenting my journey over the next 40 days for anyone to read...this is not going to be easy as I am about to be completely vulnerable (and it has been years since I have journaled)! But in the end, isn’t that what allows us to grow? Imagine if we never did anything out of comfort zone!

I read through the introduction today. Rick Warren states that the Bible is clear in considering 40 days a spiritually significant time period as evidenced by Noah, Moses, the spies in the Promised Land, David and Goliath, Elijah, the transformation of the people in Ninevah, Jesus in the wilderness, and in the 40 days the disciples were given to spend with Jesus after his resurrection. In the same way, 40 days dedicated to growing in God’s Word can transform my life. In Romans 12:2 it says “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” This verse was also pointed out to me last night in The Search for Significance, a book we are reading in small group, regarding Satan’s deception that we must perform and succeed to gain acceptance but rather we mush find truth in God’s Word and renew our minds as evidenced by Romans 12:2. Thanks God, I love it when you point things out to me several times so I know it is something important...sometimes I am not the best at listening the first time!

“Real spiritual growth is never an isolated, individualistic pursuit. Maturity is produced through relationships and community.” With that said, I would love comments and discussion as I go through this journey and I would challenge anyone reading this to join me. According to Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up...Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

God predestined us for glorious living (Ephesians 1:11). I want to hear all He is calling me to do!!