Got my thinking cap on

 

I don't know about you, but I like to think.

My thinking cap is almost always on.

The 'what-if's  tend to boggle my mind.

The 'I wonder's like to creep in.

The 'I wish's tend to take over.

I mean, I'm not the only one, right?

 

It's not that I dwell on the past.

I know that the past is past, but when it comes to the future, that's a whole other story.

My mind just loves to jump ahead, but my feet just can't keep up.

I think that's pretty normal for us, human beings.

If only, we could see ahead.

If only, we could find out what's next.

I'm always thinking about the uncertain.

What about you?

 

I don't think it's necessarily a problem to think about the uncertain future that lies in front of us.

However, when it starts to take over and the thoughts turn into worries, it becomes a problem.

 

The truth is, God holds us in His hands.

In His hands, not only does He hold our present, but He holds our future.

This truth should create an overwhelming excitement in our hearts that allows us to be certain in uncertainty.

Jeremiah 29:11 - 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'"
 

If it all depended on me, I wouldn't be able to be confident in the unknown, but knowing that God has it under control is such a relief! I hope this amazing truth gives you relief and creates a yearning to be in God's will, because it is never too late to put your faith in Him!

 

I love what Oswald Chambers says in "My Utmost for His Highest", "Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in - but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him."

 

Don't forget to pray for the unreached people group of the day!

Reading plan for the week:
Today: 2 Samuel 4-7
Tuesday: 2 Samuel 8-12
Wednesday: 2 Samuel 13-15
Thursday: 2 Samuel 16-18
Friday: 2 Samuel 19:21
Saturday: 2 Samuel 22-24

 

 

Day 6 In Him we find

 

Well, it's the big day...election day!

Don't worry, I'm not going to talk about who I voted for (although you could probably figure that out), who you should vote for, or anything like that.

So no matter what side you are on you might be afraid what the future holds. Even if you are reading this from outside of the U.S., you are probably afraid of something right now. However, I'm going to challenge you to NOT be afraid. That may be hard, but then again, it shouldn't be. Yes, this is a huge day for America, no doubt, but we have to remember that God knows what is going to happen. He has it under control and He has a purpose for everything, no matter who becomes our president. We should not put hope into man, but we should put our hope into God. He is the only one who can really give us hope. Now I believe that He can bring hope through a person, but ultimately He is our one, true hope. Humans mess up, but God doesn't. Now I'm not saying, don't worry about voting.

As citizens, we should vote and we should pray for God's will to be done.

So no matter who wins, God tells us to "Fear not, for I am with you...(Isaiah 41:10)". Psalm 112:7 (NLT) says, "They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them." So don't fear, but be confident in God's promises.

 

In Him we find confidence.

 

Check this video out! Mike, the lead singer from Tenth Avenue North talks about fear. Yep, another Tenth Avenue North video. What can I say, I love them!

 

This is the song that goes with it...

So fear not, be confident that God is strong enough to save!

 

The scripture for the read-your-Bible-in-a-year plan is Luke 21-22.

 

 



Life is like a chess game

My family and I were eating dinner last night and the conversation of lifesize chess games came up...yes, lifesize chess, real intriguing, huh?  We have interesting conversations at the dinner table...well, anywhere haha. I don't know about you, but I've never played lifesize chess. I haven't even really played regular size chess before (unless you count moving the pieces around as if they're dancing). You know why I've never played? My dad tried to teach me and I gave up. It's too complicated for me. I'm a simple kind of girl. It's just not my kind of game, so I can't imagine what it's like playing it life-size. It has to be really hard to play life-size chess because you don't see the whole board. You have a totally different perspective than you would have playing a regular size chess board.

So here is how I look at it, right now, in this moment, we are playing a game of life-size chess. Our perspective is limited to what is in front of us, behind us and nearby us. This perspective can make it difficult to move along in life.

•  A lot of times we want to predict what is going to happen in the future and try to reach the back row of the chess board to checkmate (goal of the game). If we focus only on the future, we lose sight of what's going on around us. We miss out on living in the moment.
• Same as when we focus on the future...when we live only in the past, we are unable to live in the present (Did ya catch that? haha). Usually when we focus on the past, we are holding onto things that can't be changed. We hold on to hurt. We hold on to memories. We hold on to guilt and so on. All of these past experiences keep us from moving forward (which is definitely not good).
• Then when we focus only on the present, we lose sight of goals, dreams, and forget about our past.  

Obviously, these three perspectives can be a bit problematic. So we need to gain a  clearer perspective like God. You're probably thinking, "Whoa Chelsea, how can we do that?" Just keep reading :) I think of God's perspective being more like a person who is playing a regular chess game. He sees what's behind us, what's around us and what's in front of us.

 Psalm 139:1-6  says:

 "You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain..."

 

Although we will NEVER be all knowing like God (it's just not possible, don't even try), we can learn from many different perspectives.

 

So here is a strategy for our life-size chess game:

1. Don't focus on the future 100%...you'll lose sight of everything else.

2. Don't focus on your past 100%...it will keep you from moving forward.

3. Don't focus on the present 100%...you'll lose sight of your goals & forget your past.

4. Have goals for the future, learn from the past, live in the moment.

A sweet balance :)

5. Ask for perspective from others, because they have a different point of view, but especially ask for the perspective of your Creator

(He know's what He's doing, trust me).

 

Life-size chess can be pretty confusing, but when we take in all the different perspectives, it helps us get our checkmate!

Today's scripture is Matthew chapters 24 & 25, if you're following along in the year-long reading plan!

"That's MY story & I'm stickin to it!"

So I made it to church again! 2 Sundays in a row for me and I hope it keeps going! Last Sunday, I blogged about the sermon because I felt that it was great information for us and today is the same. Maybe every Sunday my blog will be my perspective on the sermon I heard that day...hmm "Sunday's Sermon Notes"...I like that.

Anywho, the sermon today was about sharing your story. No, I'm not talking about sharing your funny story about your dog eating your homework or when you spilled spaghetti on your pastor (yes...I've done that...oops!) I'm talking about the story that God has written specifically for you. Did you know that God has written a story for you? He has your complete story on His bookshelf, while all you've read is the current chapter you're in and the previous chapters. I know, I know, all you want to know is how your story ends, trust me, I do too! However, I hate to break it to you, but you can't. No fortune teller or psychic can tell you how your story ends, but God can. That should be encouraging though because remember Jeremiah 29:11? It says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" I know I use that verse all the time, but it is full of hope and I think we all need some hope every once in awhile.

You may be thinking, "Why do I need to share my story? Who cares about my life?" Well, God made you for a reason. There is a reason that you are alive today. When we put our faith and trust in God, He turns our bad story into a good story. He wipes sins away. He gives us a new start. When He does these good things in our lives, we should shout it from the rooftops!

Maybe you're thinking now, "Well, my story isn't interesting...I'm an ordinary Joe." I've got news for you, it doesn't have to be interesting! God can use anyone and anything to show people His love, grace, and mercy. He can use any ordinary Joe. In fact, I think maybe He prefers to use ordinary people. Think about it,He used an ordinary man to build an ark that would save them from the flood. He used an ordinary teenage girl to be Jesus' mother. He used Moses even though Moses claimed he wasn't a good speaker. He used the twelve disciples who were uneducated fisherman and other tradesmen. These are just a few examples, but you get the point...God isn't looking for the most educated and skilled people to use, but He is looking for the ordinary too!

So think about your story right now. Think about how God has provided for you, protected you, changed you and so on. If you have trouble thinking about those things, I can for sure tell you one thing...He has kept you alive! Yes, you may have faced some hard times and things may not have gone your way (remember life on Earth can't be perfect), but I know that God has given you something to be thankful for. Pastor Doyle said, "we should all be able to say that even though we may have an ordinary story, it's extraordinary because God's in it." So think about ways and people you can share your story. God can use you when you talk about your life! Someone may be going through what you went through 3 months ago. Use what God has given you and share it with others. I'd love to hear your story!