Just Have to Laugh!

I just love this picture! =) What joy to see our Savior laughing!

until the day we say "i do..."

Wow... It's been a long time since I've posted anything up on here. So many things have changed for the better. I've recently gotten engaged to my wonderful Benjamin. =) And, let me just say, that God has really given me a gift by giving Ben to me.

This last year of my life has been such an adventure. It was awesome watching and learning as Ben taught teenagers at our church about Jesus.

The Fruit of the Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." ~Galatians 5:22-23

"An examination of the fruits of the Spirit can be intimidating. Working all nine of these traits into your life seems impossible, and indeed it is. But the moment you became a Christian, the Holy Spirit began a divine work to produce Christ's character in you. Regardless of who you are, the Spirit works from the same model, Jesus Christ. The Spirit will immediately begin helping you experience and practice the same love that Jesus had when He laid down His life for His friends. The same joy He experienced will now fill you. The identical peace that guarded the heart of Jesus, even as He was being beaten and mocked, will be the peace that the Spirit works to instill in you. The patience Jesus had for His most unteachable disciple will be the patience that the Spirit now develops in you. The kindness Jesus showed toward children and sinners will soften your heart toward others. There will be a goodness about you that is only explainable by the Presence of the Spirit of God. The Spirit will build the same faithfulness into you that led Jesus to be entirely obedient to His Father. The Spirit will teach you self-control so that you will have strength to do what is right and to resist temptation.

"All of this is as natural as the growth of fruit on a tree. You do not have to orchestrate it on your own. It automatically begins the moment you become a believer. How quickly it happens depends upon how completely you yield yourself to the Holy Spirit's activity."

~Experiencing GOD Day-By-Day devotional, written by: Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

Persecution

Can I stand alone? Would I stand for Christ if it means I would be completely shunned by those around me? It’s the million dollar question when I think about persecution. I have little doubt that I would say ‘I believe’ if someone was holding a gun to my head and that answer meant the trigger would be pulled. The fear I have is that I couldn’t withstand ongoing persecution. Then again, that is the whole reason for the Holy Spirit as our comforter, right? Would you say the whole point is that we can’t do persecution alone and that is why we would develop a closer relationship with God and a close bond with the Holy Spirit?

This is on my mind this morning as I think about doing hard things in this world. It's easy to say I am going to do hard things for the Lord, but what are these things? Easy answers that first arise are "help at a charity" or "get into the Word with other Christians" or even "get involved in the Church." The harder answers are ones about persecution, because...who likes to be persecuted? I think about what Paul was talking about to the Corinthians, "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take PLEASURE in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." But then I think...what does this persecution even look like now? It's definitely not the same as during Paul's lifetime, although sometimes I wish that. But no, it's so different now. Of course it's around us when friends laugh at us for doing something with the Church, or even when we talk about God to unbelievers and they just kind of roll their eyes. How, then, can I be persecuted? Can I crave this painful thing so much as to, in my mind, dare people to persecute me for my love in a life with Christ? Could the response from my friends, or my persecutor drive the passion inside of me to keep on living in Christ and talking about Him to all?...even if they will try to make me look dumb for what I live in and for?

Do. Hard. Things.