A Life Worth Living

Lovelite Blog: Laying Down Our iDols

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:47:14 -0700

ahhh so much truth.

Andrew and I (Jen) are an Apple family. We should be getting some kind of endorsement or discount from that company for the amount that we use all of their products, both personally and for our music. Needless to say, I have an iPhone. I like my iPhone, but over the last few days, I’ve realized…

Identity Crisis...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:35:00 -0800

Merriam-Webster: Identity Crisis - a feeling of unhappiness and confusion caused by not being sure about what type of person you really are or what the true purpose of your life is.

I want to pose to you the question I have been tackling for the last couple of months: what defines you? In an attempt to describe where identity is found, many begin to list off some attributes, maybe talents, school, work, etc. For those of us who are saved, we would venture to say Christ. But here is my issue. I am saved, so I know that Christ defines me. I know He gives me my identity as a child of God, seated at the right hand of the Father. My faith in Him gives me this position no matter what I do, and this is a BEAUTIFUL thing. Yet while my eternal position is unchanging, how I live my life here on earth is conditioned upon what I really believe to be true. You see my understanding of belief (and one I think is highly supported in the Bible) is that true belief changes a lifestyle. My true belief in something should show in how I live my life. This means I can look at my life and see areas where my heart knowledge (my actions) doesn’t line up with my head knowledge (my stated beliefs). So back to the question of what defines me…I know I am found by Christ and my identity is in Him alone. But I live day to day in fear of man’s opinion, striving to be accepted and loved. I live looking to friends and peers to find my status, my identity. All this causes is anxiety, stress, struggle and strife. What nonsense! The problem here is easily identified: I have not yet acquired the heart knowledge to find my identity in Christ. You might find your identity in work or in school, in family or in relationships, in status and in popularity. If you seek your identity in ANYTHING other than Jesus Christ, you will be like me, suffering from an identity crisis, ridden with anxiety and consumed by unsettlement. To those of us who know Jesus Christ as Lord: we are children of the Most High God. Walk in the freedom and grace He showers upon us. He has accepted us. What more could we ever want?

Ephesians 1:3-8 - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence”

Food for thought:

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:22:00 -0800

“A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished.” -Proverbs 27:12. How do you respond when you know your areas of weakness?

Picture this:

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:59:00 -0800

God is for my enjoyment. As I grow in my knowledge of Him, I experience Him more and enjoy Him more. He enriches my life and that is why I have a relationship with God, right? WRONG. Well, kind of. Let me explain. You see, this has been my thinking for a really long time. And I probably would not have blatantly stated this, but as I have analyzed my walk with God, I can see from my behavior that I have understood God to exist for me. But notice, this is such a skewed point of view. Close analyses of Scripture reveals that you and I exist FOR God. Period. Now there is much truth in the fact that as we grow in our knowledge of who God is and as we grow closer in our walk with Him, we experience Him more and enjoy Him more. This is absolutely true. Yet, thinking that God exists for our pleasure is a deadly poison that misconstrues the meaning of our existence. We are for God. We exist for His pleasure, and He rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). He allures us to Himself and betroths us to Him (Hosea 2). His thoughts towards us are precious and countless (Psalm 139:17). He chooses us to stand before Him and to minister to Him (2 Chronicles 29:11). He sees His saints (us) as HIS inheritance (Ephesians 1:18). What an intimate understanding of our God this unfolds. View your life as it truly is: for your Creator. Live to bring Him pleasure. Let that change your life. I know it’s changing mine.

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” –Revelation 4:11

whatifweddings: Cami & Erik wanted to pray together before...

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:18:26 -0800

whatifweddings:

Cami & Erik wanted to pray together before the wedding but, they did not want to see each other.

I love this idea.

“Your Grace Showers Down” Romans 5:1-2:...

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:33:00 -0700

“Your Grace Showers Down”

Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we havepeace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Word. I want cute hipster babies. aubreew: I hope my someday...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:32:00 -0700

Word. I want cute hipster babies.

aubreew:

I hope my someday kids are cool

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I..."

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:03:37 -0700

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’”

- Psalm 91:1-2

Photo

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:49:39 -0700

Brokenness

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:30:00 -0700

Brokenness: what does it mean? Webster’s dictionary gives the following definitions for broken: “violently separated into parts, damaged or altered by breaking; having undergone or been subjected to fracture; disrupted by change; made weak or infirm; subdued completely; reduced in rank.” Brokenness is something the Lord has been teaching me to accept, forcing me to experience. Of the definitions previously listed, I was particularly fond of “disrupted by change.” Of course, brokenness is typically associated with recognizing that we are weak and sinful; as a response to these qualities, we are to submit humbly in fear of a holy God who still chooses to adore us. But for me, I have seen brokenness made clear by disruption and change, and as a result have recognized my weak and sinful state. I am not one to like change. In fact, I often grow distressed and depressed by it. But change is good. Change is usually a tool used to make me grow in dependence on the Lord’s provision. And this month, change has caused a major sense of brokenness in me. Even though I may not like these new trials I am walking through, I take joy in them, rejoicing, knowing that they are producing patience (James 1:2) and causing a broken spirit within me. “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart— these, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51: 16-17. Oh God, I am nothing. I am undone before You. Thank You, Lord, that my broken heart is a sacrifice to You.

how better to pass time in class than to attempt to draw your...

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:08:15 -0700

how better to pass time in class than to attempt to draw your own hand

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." -Proverbs 19:21

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:21:00 -0700

There are times in life when things happen that are beyond our control and that make no sense, times that are frustrating and do not unfold as we want. For me, I am walking through such a period. In my flesh I want to cry out in frustration and anger because things aren’t going my way. But these are such times when faith has the opportunity to be perfected by works. These are such times when trusting in the Lord’s plan proves so much better than what I planned or desired. Lord, help me to trust in Your sovereign rule, in Your sufficiency, in Your knowledge.

True Belief Is A Lifestyle. Period.

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:45:57 -0700

My mother is teaching a workshop at a women’s conference about belief, so she and I have been talking about what true belief looks like in the life of a believer (or really, in the life of any human being). I boil it down to this statement: true belief is a lifestyle. For example, if I believe that something is true, I will see resulting actions that support my belief. I can say all day and night that “I love Jesus.” But Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Therefore if I never keep God’s commands, I do not love Him. This verse does not show the life of a Christian to be one stricken to blatant obedience only, but rather it defines the truth that loving Jesus is demonstrated by a lifestyle of obedience to Him. For if I truly BELIEVE that He is my Lord and that He is holy, than my life will be one lived in fear of Him, in obedience to His authority. James 2:22-24 speaks of Abraham in a similar manner: “Do you see that faith was working together with his [Abraham’s] works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” Today, this verse clicked for me. ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, and his belief was manifested by his actions as he physically took Isaac up the mountain in obedience to the Lord’s command. I am challenged to consider my own beliefs (or lack of them) by this phrase a friend of mine shared in a sermon: “True belief results in action; therefore when I lack action, I lack belief.”

Beautiful Santa Barbara :) (Taken with instagram)

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:43:41 -0700

Beautiful Santa Barbara :) (Taken with instagram)

CUTEST girl everrrr!!! (Taken with instagram)

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:24:32 -0700

CUTEST girl everrrr!!! (Taken with instagram)

"By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing..."

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:15:25 -0700

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.”

- Hebrews 11:24-26.

Christians are like glow sticks: in order to shine they must be broken

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:12:54 -0700

"The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD..."

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:50:00 -0700

“The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that day, but the idols He shall utterly abolish.”

- Isaiah 2:17-18

Amen. Truth to cling to.

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:26:02 -0700

Amen. Truth to cling to.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are...

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:11:00 -0700

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” -Romans 8:1-2

True freedom. That’s what I’m talking about.