Renovations

You know the great feeling you get when you buy a new pair of jeans or shoes? Or in my case a new, large black sweatshirt? Well, I've got the same feeling about the renovations on my blog. After a few years of trying to figure out how to do design stuff myself, I finally went to a pro. She took my garbled vision of what I wanted and made it a reality. Thanks Jacki!

The timing is perfect because God is doing a lot of renovating in my heart. I'm looking forward to the chance to share some of what God has been doing. I've never been more thankful for what God has done for me or for the family He's blessed me with.

Lots of things have been solidified in my heart. No matter what, I can trust God to be there. I am convinced of His unfailing love more than ever before. I have been blessed through trials. I am content with His peace.

Here's to continuing adventures!

Are You There?

We were on our way downstairs to watch America's Funniest Home Videos Sunday night. I needed a good laugh. Unfortunately, some people think that the Oscars are more important than videos of people falling down and taking it in the groin. I have no idea why, but needless to say our evening ended in disappointment.

Maren was following me down the stairs and handed me her blanket and pillow to carry. When she saw I had my slippers on, she went to get hers. She told me to wait for her at the top of the stairs. I stood there holding open the door. She took off running but didn't get very far before she turned around and came back, checking to see if I was still there.

She did that several times. I kept reassuring her that I would wait for her but once she got around the corner and couldn't see me standing there, she had to see me with her own eyes.

It made me laugh. And cry. She didn't trust my word that I would stay there. Maybe it's because I'm not super trustworthy. Maybe it's because she's human.

I have to admit that I do the same thing with God. I don't trust him at his word. He says faith can move mountains (Matthew 17:20-21), change hearts (Luke 15:7), and heal the sick (Matthew 4:23). He says He will work good out of all things for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Seriously God? Because that sounds a little over the top religious to believe all that. Do I trust Him? Or do I keep coming around the corner to check up on Him?

Abraham is written about as a man of great faith, although the Old Testament is full of his screw ups. But when God promises this old man a son, he believes God. He trusts God at His word. Genesis 15:6 says,

"Abraham believed God, and he credited it to him as righteousness"

And Paul follows up on it in Romans 4:18-21,

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed...He faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God has power to do what he promised."

In the book Dictionary of Basic Bible Truths, the author Larry Richards helped me wrap my head around this. He said, "Abraham was fully aware of the circumstances. But despite everything Abraham dared to believe that God could be trusted to do what he promised. This is faith. Abraham put his trust in God and in God alone, and God accepted trust in him in place of a righteousness that Abraham did not possess."

So in place of my desire to believe God despite it all, he gives me His righteousness which I don't possess or deserve.

This week I've seen God change hearts in amazing ways, including mine. When I came around the corner in distress looking for Jesus, He was right there doing all that He promised. Just like He has along. And always will.

"The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness - for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Romans 4:22-25