01.29.2008

Luke 12:35-37
Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.

Colossians 4:2-6
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

1 Peter 1:13-16
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."


Hello!

How are you? I hope that this Weekly Thing finds you well and learning from the Lord. Just the other day – when I started writing this – I learned an important lesson in watchfulness: don’t go to the other room to do something else when you’re boiling eggs on the stove because you WILL forget for much longer than what eggs should boil for. And then your foot falls asleep so you make quite a scene trying to run to the kitchen to turn off the stove. (I’m sure it would have been hilarious to watch!)

Now that I’m thinking about my little egg tragedy, it actually ties into what I was going to write about today. Many times in the New Testament – either by Jesus’ exhortations or in the Epistles – we are told to be “watchful.” This is an awareness of what’s going on around us, and an eager expectation for the second coming of Christ. I would also wager to say that we are to be watchful of where God is working and how, so that when we see those things we can turn around and praise the Lord for His works. And by all means, those moments are all around us but we don’t always see them.
Having self-awareness is another important point… a self-watchfulness that is sensitive to sin; a watchfulness that stays on the right path and is careful not to trip over sinful snags. We are to watch our speech and interactions with non-believers so that our actions do not hinder the Gospel. How can I make sure that what I say won’t cause someone to stumble or be hindered in their faith if I’m not being mindful of it? And how can I be mindful of it, if I don’t know how a follower of Christ should act because I’m not reading the Bible?

If we aren’t watchful we end up like the egg: cracked, dry, and unappealing. It might also note that I did not eat the eggs because they were no longer any good to me. When we allow our sinfulness sit and go unchecked it is difficult to be a representative of God.
So my encouragement to you, and the reminder to myself, is to be watchful. Read and study Scripture. Pray. Allow others to observe the in your life so that they can help you be watchful of your behavior.

I pray that we can be watchful of our actions and careful not to stumble into sin by relying on God’s mercy, and following whole heartedly after Him. I also pray that we would be people who eagerly anticipate and rejoice that our Lord Jesus Christ will return one day, and that our hearts would draw ever nearer to Him. May the Holy Spirit be working in us continually while giving us the words and ambition to share our faith with those who don’t know Christ.

In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne

01.17.2008

Rev 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

Hello friends,

There has been so much going on, and let me tell you: I am very tired! But, through all of my work and coming to an exhausting point, the Lord is encouraging me in little ways day by day. I hope that he has done the same for you.

“It’s all about you.”
Ok, since I got engaged I’ve heard this phrase from individuals encouraging me in my wedding planning, and I’ve read it in wedding catalogs quite a lot. I can’t seem to escape it without seeing it somewhere in cute cursive text… or at least some variation thereof. And I suppose the bride is the star attraction at the wedding, since she’s the one that gets special music walking down the aisle, she’s the one that the groom traditionally isn’t allowed to see the day of the wedding before she’s walking down that aisle. The bride’s the one that gets the really pretty dress that trumps everyone else, and she’s the one that will have everything done her way. When it gets really bad is when you end up with phrases and TV shows like “Bride-zilla.” Yikes.

Honestly, that whole idea is a little unnerving. I don’t like being the center of attention (and, thank goodness, neither does my husband-to-be). It makes my face get all flush when everyone is staring at me. No thanks.

As much as everyone can say “It’s all about you,” to me, I have to think and remind myself of how a Bride is painted in the Bible. If you’re wondering what in the world I’m talking about, let me get you up to speed: God’s people are frequently referred to as His Bride or the Wife. In the Old Testament the Wife is often referred to as being pretty wayward, but God always takes her back. In the New Testament, the Body of Christ is referred to the Bride of Christ in some of His parables and most especially in Revelation 19,21, and 22. The Bride comes before Christ to worship her Lord and King, and beckon others to “Come!” and take the free gift of the water of life (Rev 22:17).
So really it’s not about the Bride at all. Scripture clearly states in other ways peppered throughout that nothing is about the Body of Christ; only the Lord God Almighty is to be praised. The Bride in Revelation does not point to herself but instead points others to Christ. I think it’s fair to say that each and every one of us are included in that… not just the brides out in the world.

Would it be safe then to say that a wedding really is all about God? It’s pretty profound that Scripture uses a wife-husband or bride-bridegroom relationship to give us an image of what OUR relationship is to HIM. He uses what is meant to be the deepest and most profound human relationship any one of us will ever have to show us what a relationship with Him is like – and sevenfold. So my relationship is then supposed to trump my relationship with Scott!

Pretty crazy, huh? Now if I can remember all of that all the time, that would be great. And I pray the Lord would be patient with me in that endeavor as well as in your own! May the Holy Spirit be working mightily in us so that we can point towards God and not to ourselves; that we give HIM the glory and be reminded that it’s all about Him, not us.

In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne

1.6.2008

Hello and Happy 2008!

I hope that you had a joyous time over the holidays and that you’re also looking forward to what God will do in 2008. I for one am anticipating a very busy year.

As a way to start the New Year, my boyfriend recently proposed and I am now an engaged woman. As you could imagine, I’m ecstatic! This means new responsibilities to do, new things to learn, more things to grow in, and more things to add to an already busy schedule. However, over the past few weeks I’ve been reading through Proverbs and it couldn’t possibly come at a better time to remind me of the many ways that God is sovereign. In particular, Proverbs 16 is packed with verses like these:

16:1 “To man belongs the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the toungue.”
16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD establishes his steps.”

And you know what? Those verses then cast me forward to the New Testament, specifically to Matthew 6:25-34 about not worrying, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (26) “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (33)

If you think you’re life is hectic and you can’t possibly take on any other responsibilities, or if you’re stressed about finances or friendships or family, or if you think that you’ve got a plan set for exactly the way you want life to go… these are some passages to put into consideration. Let them remind you that God is taking care of you and there is a way that He has that’s best. If God is not only the creator of all things, He’s also the Lord of all things which consequently means that Time belongs to Him. Our plans belong to Him whether those plans are for tomorrow, six months from now, or five years from now. Why? Because God is the one that allows us to have that time at all! To me, it’s kind of crazy to think that every detail of my life is – or is meant to be – under the sovereignty of God. Only something infinite can take care of something finite, only something bigger can take care of something smaller. I pray that this is something I can remember as I’m making plans for a wedding, all the while also praying that all of my interactions with others will be glorifying to Him (for, “whether you eat or drink, do it all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray with me in this endeavor too! I’ll probably need to be reminded of this frequently.

I pray that we can all remember that every aspect of our lives belong to the Lord, no matter what it is that we are planning to do in the future. I also pray that we would continue to grow in increasing love and grace, desiring to be the light of God in a world in need. I pray that our love and identity with Christ would be evident, and that we would not be afraid to let Him be known… in our plans, in our speech, in our actions, in our prayers.

In love and in Him,
Your sister,
Yvonne