He delights in giving good gifts to His children!
If I ask Him for bread
why would I think He might give me a stone?
If I ask for a fish
why am I afraid He might hand me a snake?
I’ve had enough of small faith!
I’ve seen enough of His goodness
to know that I can expect to see more!
I’ve been held by Him in the dark
so I will trust He will carry me into the light!
Thank you, Abba!
Abba
the world…
it needs You
I am Your ambassador
it’s my calling
my responsibility
to represent You
to the world
I feel the weight
of the task at hand
I want to fulfill
this great calling
that I have been
blessed to carry
but it is too much for me
I kneel in prayer
and sink lower
onto my face
Abba
the world!
it needs You!
Yes
You whisper
it needs Me
and yes
you are My ambassador
so I will use you
to show the world Myself
but the world
does not need you
I am holding the world
and I am holding you
Let me take the weight
as you fulfill your call
but do not take on
My responsibilities
for I don’t need you
but I do want you
Remember this
that it may not be
a burden to you
but a blessing
I didn’t expect a book by a legal editor to be so beautiful
Lee Strobel may have spent the first part of his career chasing newsworthy stories,
but his focus now is sharing ugly-beautiful stories of redemption
From the first page, the hope the author knows
was evident and inviting
The experience only became better as I continued to read
Strobel weaves together sayings and stories
to craft a precious gift of encouragement
that will touch the heart of the reader
He takes true stories of utter darkness
and combines them with scripture
allowing the light of hope to overcome the dark
The physical elements of the book – cover, typography, etc. –
package the contents in such a way
that it truly makes a wonderful gift
A precious gift of encouragement for a believer,
grounding him in the “hope that does not disappoint,”
as well as for the unbeliever, presenting hope as a gift he may have too
I have meditated long and hard on the subject of hope
– it was my “word for the year” in 2013 –
and I must say, Strobel did the topic justice
Note:
I received this book free from the publisher through BookLook
I was not required to write a positive review
The opinions I have expressed are my own
Almost two years ago
I posted a poem with this title on my old blog
{you can read it here}
Today I revisit the idea…with minimal revisions
I’m surprised and almost brought to tears
at the beautiful lesson that He is still teaching me
I never pictured being here or doing this…
How many times have I said that these two years?
How many times have I made that basic statement:
that I never pictured myself living this life God has me living?
Why not?
Why not dream the big dreams God has for me?
Why not claim more territory for His glory and the blessing of others?
Because I don’t know.
I don’t know what are God’s dreams for me and what are my own imaginations.
I don’t know how to have faith to step into the great unknown territory He’s opening up.
It’s a hard line to walk.
On the one side are the desires God gives me.
On the other, the desires He asks me to give up to Him.
But there’s more than that.
What about the things God has for me that I’m not sure I want?
What about the things I’m sure I need that He doesn’t seem to be giving me?
Almost half a dozen years ago I sang this song with my mom.
Even then I could look back and marvel at where God had brought me.
But I couldn’t have imagined where He would bring me in just six short years.
I never pictured myself here.
So why do I try to imagine my future?
God has something bigger planned. Something I can’t picture.
And that’s a glorious thought.
What are stories made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice
Is that what stories are made of?
Not stories worth the telling.
Intrigue, battles, misunderstandings, suffering, darkness, accusations…
These are the makings of a good story.
Think of the greatest stories – books we are reading decades or centuries after their creators are in the grave. What makes us read and reread them?
Conflict. Hardship.
And the ultimate triumph over them.
Think of the Greatest Story – a Book written over decades and centuries by our Creator. What makes people across cultures and generations turn to it again and again?
Conflict. Hardship.
And the Ultimate Triumph over them.
Each of us has a story.
Will yours be worth the telling?
jordannewhouse.wordpress.com 