<a href="http://ministrysofabulous.com/"> <center><img src="http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc241/IrishMissy16/Taste%20Buds/button1minsofab.png" /></center></a>

Nightfall, Recycled

Night had fallen and it was pitch black. There, about twenty feet away, was a man staring at each of us. He appeared to be smoking a pipe and wearing an intimidating hat. I’ve got to be honest with you, I was seriously scared. Slowly my inner circle and I inched our way over to the place where this bulky guy was sitting and one brave soul among us shouted, “Hey! Who’s there?!?!?!?!”

Crazy guy did not answer. He just continued to stare us down. Pipe in place, hat secure, arms folded, body seemingly getting larger by the second. Those of us in my ‘inner circle’ who were scared before were now just downright terrified. Indeed, night had fallen and with it darkened enemies were revealing themselves.

The Camping Trip of ’99 was an eventful one for my brothers, cousins and I. Amazing to me that what was actually a tub of pretzels, a baseball cap and a lighter looked like a hired killer waiting for his targets (we, the teenage campers) to be within range. Since that trip experience I have never forgotten what night has the ability to do: Manufacture fiction as fact.

What a powerful spiritual lesson for each of us. How many times have we found ourselves in seasons of hardship and pain; loneliness and loss? How many of us have watched the sun set and found ourselves standing under the veil of night? I wonder how we react. Do we doubt and question the love Christ has for us in these seasons or do we rise up and offer praise even in hours of darkness?

Recently, I have been confronted by a powerful statement Elihu makes in the book of Job.

“But no one asks, ‘Where is God my Maker,

who provides [us],

with songs in the night…’”

(Job 35:10)

Again I wonder in times of deep darkness and depression what cycle we fall into. Are we on the lookout for Christ and His provision of songs in the night even then? Or are we at a loss, sure that His grace has surely been tapped out?

I’ve got news for you: The Christian walk is not one set with a cheery soundtrack and constant sunny days. It is hard. Challenging. Refining. We are called to walk in a world that Christ himself has told us hates us because it hates him. Night has fallen and the enemy, just as with Job, is desperately trying to strip us. These are turbulent times. Rise up. Shine your light. Make noise for Christ so that others may find their way. Let us be a group that sings the songs provided to us in the night.

And as we strive forward, hard as it is, let us cling onto Romans 13:12, “The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

So let us under the veil of night expose what is deception

and point to who is Truth: Jesus.

New Design

I've got a new design over at Taste Buds! Check it out. And you can grab the fun freebies I made over at A Heart Stirred! Enjoy.

The Rocks

Blessed with Grandparents who wisely invested in a Summer Home, growing up (and even still) I had the privilege of spending my summer vacations basking in all the glory of the sun. With a house that overlooks the Long Island Sound, a quaint seaside home, literally steps away from the sand and seashells – you can imagine how this girl soaked up the rays and worked on her tan as a teenager. You can also imagine all of the trouble one gets into growing up with the honor of a sun kissed retreat.

There were boys to bother. Tanning lotion to test. Barbeques to feast at. Salt water to perfect my backstroke in. And of course, there were The Rocks.

Now, The Rocks, named that because well, they were and still are tremendous boulders protruding out of the water, were considered The Feat of my summer house days. Off the shore in deep, dark water, The Rocks were no joke.

My brother, cousins and I would stare at them with the determination of amateur Christopher Columbus-like, exploration -hungry intentions. One morning we awoke and declared to one another that this was indeed the day The Rocks were going down.

And so we grabbed our inflatable raft, snorkels, and towels and journeyed our way down the beach toward The Rocks. The moment we had them in our sight, we jumped into the raft and began our passage.

We were doing so well until the halfway point.

Two of the four of us, my cousins, began to panic that we were too far from shore in the event of a raft sinking or shark attack.

My brother saw trouble ahead as he took notice of a change in the current.

I was still reeling over the fact that we had forgotten the oars. Using your hands to paddle out to sea is not the wisest of things to do, especially when there was talk of shark attacks.

Our little vessel was beginning to catch on to the current change and landed us in this whirlpool like rock enclosure. The water was churning in a circular motion, caught in between two smaller rocks and well, so were we.

Looking at each other, the four of us quickly surmised that we were, “GOING TO DIE!!!”

Screaming ensued. One of us jumped. Three of us tried to pull her back in.

The salt water was spinning so rapidly, you could taste death.

We were that close.

Of course, that is until our Dads took note of us on shore and started yelling out directions.

To save myself from further embarrassment, I will just say we ended up swimming back to shore.

Apparently, we were not as far off as we thought.

And clearly, though we lacked a flair for oceanography, we did indeed possess one for the dramatics.

But what powerful freedom we tasted in our Fathers’ rescue.

Much like the rescue we have tasted in Christ.

Colossians 1:13

"God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons.

He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much,

the Son who got us out of the pit we were in,

got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating."

Purpose of Exemplify

It is the exclusive intention of Exemplify to:

 

1. Encourage the study and daily application of God’s Word.

Anyone who knows me well knows I cannot stress enough how vital I believe God’s Word is. I’m not concerned with stuffing my head with knowledge, I’m into getting to know Christ more. And He continually meets me within the pages of His Word. Most of my posts here at Exemplify are scripture focused and it is my hope they encourage others to get to know Him through His Word.

2. Start an open dialogue on how daily life can and does invite us to get to know Christ more intimately.

It is my belief Christ is not sitting at church waiting around all week for us to come and talk to Him! The number one response I get to my blog is that “it is about everyday stuff and about Christ – wow!” That statement always brings me joy because well, that is the point. I actively look for Christ in the day-to-day and it is so awesome when I get to read what others are finding Him doing in their own lives. Next to the study of Scripture, this is the main purpose for me.

3. Express my thoughts on faith and life in an open creative format.

I like to do stuff. I’m a busy woman who welcomes being busy! I’m going to write these thoughts whether or not I have a place to share them so if I can post them in an open creative format and point to Christ with even one word then I consider it a privilege to write here.

4. Have some fun.

I’m big on fun. A main purpose here at Exemplify is to loosen up a little bit, share some of my “Lucy” moments and invite others in. I don’t know if I succeed at that always, but I do try. If you've been around here for a little while you know my favorite posts include: cooking disasters, coffee, coffee, coffee and of course, lattes. 

In all honesty, blogging is one of the most fun, rewarding things I have the honor of being a part of. And I truly am amazed at how deeply effective this writing format has become in the Christian woman community. I love being a part of it…

For more mission statements check out The Becoming Me Mission Tour. 

My Determined Purpose

Thumbing through an old journal of mine, from a very specific time of prayer in my life, I’ve been thinking back on what I felt as I wrote the words on those pages.

One entry, from May of ’06, I remembered very well. Almost like a movie in my mind, the memory plays out: I was sitting in my backyard, with my Bible and my pen, two of my favorite things and I was staring off at nothing in particular. You know, it was just a moment of reflection and a day where solace was something I was aching for.

I remember well, I was hungry and I was warm.

And I remember thinking; journaling: “It’s not what I expected is it? Not what I thought at all…But now I can say to you [and mean it!]: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” I went on to write, “It is You or nothing for me. You or none of it. You. I want.”

I don’t know if writing these words can really do justice to what journaling something like that to Christ means in this life of mine.

As a matter of fact, I am rather confident my Mom and I may be the only two who fully understand the weight of that miracle. Because had you looked at me or heard me speaking my thoughts on Christ a few years earlier; you, or any Christian, would have been appalled.

Because I didn’t want Him. As a matter of fact, I wanted nothing less.

So to write, “I want nothing more than You,” is a downright miracle. And a testament to the transforming power of Christ Jesus. I cannot stress that enough.

What I thought and wrote next that day still comes back to memory for me on a rather regular basis. It is something the Lord reminds me of continually, as if to whisper His remembrance of it as well.

For it was at that moment, in that backyard, on that day, under that sun, that I looked upon a portion of the lawn covered in dandelions. It just ushered in for me, the childhood recollection of pulling as many out of the soiled ground as possible and wishing.

And so I wrote:
“If could pick those ‘wishers’; I’d wish for you, Lord. I wish you, Jesus.”

Philippians 3:10-11, penned by Paul, says, “I want to know Him. I want to have the same power in my life that raised Jesus from the dead. I want to understand and have a share in His sufferings and be like Christ in His death. Then I may be raised up from among the dead.”

All of our lives we wish for things, many of us missing that everything worth anything lies in knowing Christ now; because if we know Him now, our pasts are redeemed and our future is secure.

This is a hard one because in order for us to know Christ more and the power of His resurrection we have to accept knowing Him in suffering.

We have to even still in the midst of loss and heartbreak; in the barrenness of desert land and serious heat; in the seasons of falling leaves and bare branches – even then we must press on with the determination of following Him.

I am confident it is in those moments, those heart-heavy days, where those who still wish for more of Jesus will find more of Him.

May He and the power of His resurrection be ours abundantly; even if it means suffering…

Hebrews 2:9 (New International Version)
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."

Forgive me for this reprint from Taste Buds - I'm still playing catch up!

I Believe You Are All I Need

If you have a few minutes you should watch this amazing video. 

 "Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed;

       save me and I will be saved, 

       for you are the one I praise."

Jeremiah 17:14