Cup of Tea

On people pleasing- a little something I thought up tonight after reading some of the greats.


Tea

O be sincere with me,

Be I your cup of tea?

Be a friend, if thou like to drink-

And a lover if ye tasted

Perfection think.

But if thou taste indifference,

Feel ye not worse for it;

Go find a cup of tea you like,
And be thankful for it.

Gaining What You Cannot Lose

I'm writing this post in part to encourage myself, and hopefully you will be encouraged as well.

     Okay who has plans. Probably everyone. But lets be honest, who sticks to them? Not I. Either by fault of laziness or they just don't work! Let me tell you where I am at with this. I am restless... It is like I have ants in my pants. (And it really is because my legs are pealing/itchy thanks to tanning so fast over spring break...)
     I am also bored with routine. This boredom leads me to invest in facets of my life otherwise untouched. Wanting things such as: a plan. a new atmosphere. new friends (even though I absolutely adore my current friends!). new place to live. A life-partner (husband). A talent, for praise of people and in part to praise my God. ADVENTURE.

     I worry about making the 10% of students who get accepted to grad school for physical therapy. Are you kidding me? It will have to be VERY divinely inspired for my acceptance because on average my grades are B's and C's. Not the 3.8ish requirement for gpa. again... I have no idea how this will be accomplished. Hard work and dedication sure... but seriously. Crap. But I guess if that girl from Legally Blonde can get into Harvard... It is possible for me to get into Georgia State.

     Also from about thirteen till nineteen I saw myself on the mission field. I'm not as passionate about that at all, at least in going to other countries. I don't know what to tell people anymore. I don't know what to tell myself anymore about what my future is/could/should be.

     It is the strangest feeling to have no direction, or very little.

     What is the coolest thing ever though is that Jesus does not require anything else but that I just love Him. Everything I have strived to accomplish is in vain if i have not loved Him with a devoted love.

     All this to say it doesn't matter what I do with my career, what I do to earn money. Not really. All that matters.. all that matters.. is that I focus on christ and do all I do as if unto Him: that all I do be done as an offering of PRAISE. Not grudgingly working through school, restaurant biz, dating, whatever. It must all be done in praise to mean anything to Jesus. That is hard. Do you know how selfish and grumpy I can be? I can give you a few numbers to call if you want proof.

Also, this invokes a scary as hell prayer onto my heart. "Jesus, do with my life as You please. Let it be glorifying to You, and only You. Also have my heart. Also have my income. Also have my romances. Also have my friends and family. Also kill the 'me' I have created, so the 'me' you have created will exist in harmony with You." Scary but good. So good. The goodness of good.

Do you realize that Jesus doesn't call us to OUR full potential? Do you realize that Jesus allows things to happen that take away arms, legs, friends, family, loves, sight, hearing, any happiness aside from Him? Do you realize that we control no  thing.

"He is no fool who gives what He cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."


Here's to giving God what we cannot keep.

-Casey

Nurtured Faithfulness

"Her trust in God was real and warm and alive, because it had been nurtured through those early years of hardship."

     This quote from Catherine Marshal's book, A Man Called Peter, is one of my favorites. Do you know the moments in which you are so desiring any assurance of the Creators faithfulness? goodness? I've often wondered about how God's hand works in this world, when He is all around us, within us, and up in Heaven, wherever that may be. This book has stilled my heart many times; just reading its pages about this one man whom God "tapped on his shoulder", as he liked to put it, and his wife.
     This quote in particular is about a character who is only mentioned in the beginning chapters of the book, Peter's mother. Peter had the greatest affections for her. She wore a rested heart, and comforted Peter gracefully as they faced hardship together. As a young girl she experienced "dire economic necessity"in which she had developed a strong, willing, and "handspun" faith. She wove fabric, and mended things beautifully and skillfully with her hands that Peter so admired. Some of her fingertips were worn with age and household work, but most of all, because of her love and servanthood.
     I am so impressed with this woman who is hardly mentioned at all in this book, as I am often drawn to the characters whom I know so little of. In the Bible I am drawn to Ruth, the story of her redemption is laid out bare but what of her heart? What of her trials? Her sins? What of her joys? I can imagine that Ruth and Peters Mother were quite similar for they both survived the death of their husbands, were poor, and yet gave everything they had to serving whom they loved. Faithfully feeding, cleaning, nurturing those in the household regardless of their own preferences.
     These women have carried their cross, cast their own lives into the fire for the joy and comfort of another. As a comparing woman myself, how I desire, oh how I desire, am jealous for a faithfulness such as theirs. A faithfulness to my God, my husband, my call of duty... however that continues to unfold. I want to bring a vibrancy of life to my family and friends, those I meet at the grocery and in my classes.
     If you have ever experienced such a person that you feel drawn to be in their presence, not that you have known them for any amount of time, but just their joy, their life is so captivating to you; their beauty wells up and is so much more than beauty, it is a feeling that I imagine being with Christ would thousand fold.
     I guess what I really want to get out to yall is that hardship is key to faithfulness. I've never been inspired or encouraged by a story which had the pleasure of forgoing trials and pain. Though in my own life I try so hard to stay above the waters. It will take more than wonderful lazy afternoons, such as the one I am having this moment, to bring about the faithfulness that I hope to bestow and bring to others. If you have read this, be quick to pray for steadfastness for yourself and for me. (Be on the lookout for an upcoming post on the power of prayer.) I love and accept any offer of focused prayer for myself because countless times I have seen it work, and I so love to see fruit in my own life. As my readers, know I will also pray for you. If you have any comments/questions please share with me!

learning to be warm and alive and real,
Casey

Are you Compassion-ate?

    



     There are children waiting for you to love them. Waiting for Jesus' love to be made known to them. Sometimes, you will be called to adopt. Which is definitely awesome and for those of you who can afford and support it, ask yourself if God might be calling you to invite children into your home. There is another option though too, for those of us who cannot afford a kid... or who don't want one... but understand the world doesn't revolve around them.

     Did you know that you can actually sponsor a child without having to brush their teeth, wipe their tushies, blow their noses or clean their messes? You would not be obliged to wake them up in the morning, find sitters (if you have dates and such), or spank them when they are sassafrassy.

     Your sponsoring, however, WOULD feed the child, clothe them, provide education, school supplies and medical care. But wait.. there's more! Your money also provides their parents training and education so they can get better job opportunities if they aren't stably employed. And thats not all! The child's community also receives aid! (Aid varies depending on resources the country is able to offer.) All of this for ONLY 38$ a month!

     Now I know what you're thinking... Casey, how can this be true? Well, sir or madame, I don't think you were born yesterday. Im not pulling your leg. You can literally provide for a child, their parents, and their community for almost a dollar a day.


First, let me tell you why this is better than one time donations:

1.  You get to know the child you sponsor. They write letters and color pictures, and if this doesn't sound magical to you, it isn't. Its better than magic, it is sooo lovable. Bless 'your' child by caring for them.

2. You get to stop being selfish. This doesn't sound like fun because it isn't. But if you follow Jesus and have "my money"in your reasoning, you have a bad habit. Nothing is yours, everything that has been given to you is to be used for Jesus' glory! If you're not a christian, first I would stop reading this, look into who Jesus is and what He is about (which you can do in my blog if you so desire). That is most important.

3. Financial efficiency is important. While saving is good, you might die tomorrow and your money would not benefit you. Use the money you've been given to bless others today. (And get on that will!)

4. You start planning for someone else's well-being who will never benefit you. --A side-note to the 'be selfless' reason that deserved its own number.

5. You don't have to be in this alone. You can have your youth group, close friends, family, entire church, club, college ministry, or what-have-you all pitch in for the cause. If you have ten people willing to pitch in 3 dollars a month, one child and their community can benefit. And with more numbers comes more money so I would then encourage you to sponsor more than one child!

6. You will get to watch your child grow up. The time frame for sponsorship is from 4 to 22 years old. You will get to impart your hard earned wisdom on these unsuspecting children. (Who wants wisdom at 6, 8, 10 years old.. candy candy candy) And they will love listening to you because your'e not their parents. Some things don't change in foreign countries. Also your money provides volunteers opportunities to love on these children to, so they will get all the love money can buy.

7. Your investments in their life is a personal 'show and tell' that someone they have never-ever met is willing to provide for them, learn about them, love them, and pray for them. They know they are not able to give you anything! This is a representation of the Gospel, people!

8. 'Your' child will get to learn from you, consider you an important person in their life, and love you. For those of you who are hard to love, these children won't have to try. Your words of encouragement, support, prayers offered up and gifts are enough to tug at their heart strings. Bless someone by allowing them to care for you.


     If any of these reasons made you think twice about sponsoring a child, please don't ignore them. They aren't putting on sad faces, begging for your attention. They will never know you exist unless you reach down and show them. (You reach down because kids are short.)

Here is the website that has every ounce of information you could need, and better put than what I had to say. --> www.compassion.com

And if you are thinking about adoption because maybe you actually snotty noses and cleaning booboo's, (I do!) Then consider buying/loving a kid thats already been made before/while/after you make your own. Making your own is good, too.

Christians..."John's" way

Just reading over Mary's and Jesus journey and I noticed a few things, again.

This time... less about Mary, Jesus, or Elizabeth. (It's always about Jesus if you catch my drift)

John, the baby in Elizabeths womb, lept when Mary and Jesus came to visit. Before he had his first breath, John was following Jesus. His life was about telling of the coming Jesus, and without shame. He never even saw the Messiah until he was well into his adulthood! That is faithful living! No shame in HIS fame! That's why I put Chrianity Johns way on my blog title. John is a good example of how we should proclaim Him, and guys, we know Jesus. Personally. Thats more than John could say for a long time, and he still would shout, "Prepare the way, the Messiah is coming! Prophesy is being fulfilled this moment! Come on guys! This is as real as it gets!" I can just imagine that sometimes he would be so crazy with passion that he would shout it in the streets. Ive never seen a person shout about Jesus on the streets (not at road corners with megaphones) with passion except in the "pulpit". Myself included.

Seriously, where our passion lies is where we focus. Yes, I do have passion for Jesus and spreading the gospel. But I am spiritually fat with passion. Thats so gross. I am a hoarder of knowledge, stocking up for my own satisfaction. It might even be better for me to never learn a new concept or verse in the Bible  and share everywhere what I know now. I know all I need to know, honestly I do. Death, victory over death, grace, mercy, love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, acceptance, holiness, grace grace grace.

Am I willing? Am I able? Am I chosen? Is this my calling? Is this The Way? Would sharing Him unconditionally be glorifying to God?

Looking for Love

I just went through my posts examining where I have been with my tangents on life and hearts and such, and I came across the Tenth Avenue North post.
"Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough"


These questions arose: Do I look for love? Do I think God is not enough to fill my heart up? Do I embrace His love, and love Him back? 


I know I long to be in love with a man. To do the whole marriage thing is on my wish list. But am I distracted by my desire? or is this a good desire? Or maybe its a good desire and im distracted.


Im fully aware of how powerful prayer is. Jesus has transformed/is in the process of transforming my heart and my mind, down to what my core desires are. And at the core of my heart, my desire is not about being wanted by a man. Its not about being needed by kids. Its not even about intimacy with a man through him knowing me inside and out and i the same. 


Its about being confidant that Jesus is caring for me. And its as simple as that. Caring about me enough to use me because He knows I want Him to be proud. Caring about me enough to provide tender mercies and graces. Caring about me enough to show me HE has a plan for me to join Him in Heaven for eternity. 
Those lovey dovey things arent bad by any means. But the things of this world are never what the desire of our heart is, our foundation is not built on things that will pass. 


and though i said "I" and "Me" a lot in this... nothing is about me. Im nothing to this world, if i didnt exist, no one would have missed anything. Everything is so amazingly about Jesus. Even my blessings and good works are about HIM! They point to HIS goodness, not mine. 

Confidence

The Lord gives His people strength, the Lord grants His people security. -Psalm 29:11

Do not throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. -Hebrews 10:35-36

Be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart. All you who hope in the Lord. - Psalm 31:24

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.- Romans 8:37

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge, His truth shall be your shield and buckler. -Psalm 91:4

As people we will struggle with confidence. For me, I go over the day in my head and think about the things I did right... or wait... were they right? And what confidence I had during the day, is gone by the time I'm able to think. I think this is one of the reasons Paul instructs us to think on heavenly things, things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. That is powerful. Christ fulfilled His promise, and He is seated at the right hand of God. 

Those verses at the top are life for my heart. Reminders of who I am in Christ. The past few weeks I have felt so unworthy to have attained salvation. Even questioned my own salvation. When my thoughts focus on me ... I will undoubtedly be consumed with confusion, numbness, apathy, sadness, ect. The point of the Cross is that through the High King taking our burdens and sin upon Himself, He might be glorified. 

Hmm..this word is satisfying to me. I pray we will have this satisfaction of really trusting and believing the promises of God. My soul is so weary of trying to fix my own heart. 

Beautiful design, isn't it