As I write I cannot contain my smiles. The Lord has been more than faithful to me this week and I am growing in appreciation for who He is and what He is doing in my life, and more importantly in my heart. Read on to learn about my smile-filled Friday. :)
Feeling overwhelmed with joy and the Spirit as I write this. Maybe I am just more grateful for my Creator this week. Grateful for His promises, for His wisdom, for divine appointments, for who He is and the crucial role he plays in my life. Thankful for the Spirit who is capable of giving us those real life “tinglies” in moments like that with the Lord.
My week started with an evening service to my Colorado church which was the last sermon in our series Building Stories. It was a four week series and well, I only gotta see the fourth week. Ha! Regardless of my sporadic church attendance the message – given by our lead pastor Shawn Johnson – was beyond Spirit filled. This particular series has been about what the Lord is doing through Red Rocks Church in the lives of those in the Denver Metro Area and how as a church family we are ‘building stories.’ To finish up the series our wonderful worship team put together this song and video to remind us of what the Lord has in store for His obedient children. Click the button below to be redirected to redrockschurch.com and hit 'Watch Story' to see this outstanding video. (Don't worry, you won't navigate away from this window.)
My week started with an evening service to my Colorado church which was the last sermon in our series Building Stories. It was a four week series and well, I only gotta see the fourth week. Ha! Regardless of my sporadic church attendance the message – given by our lead pastor Shawn Johnson – was beyond Spirit filled. This particular series has been about what the Lord is doing through Red Rocks Church in the lives of those in the Denver Metro Area and how as a church family we are ‘building stories.’ To finish up the series our wonderful worship team put together this song and video to remind us of what the Lord has in store for His obedient children. Click the button below to be redirected to redrockschurch.com and hit 'Watch Story' to see this outstanding video. (Don't worry, you won't navigate away from this window.)
Please, please watch it. I sat in church with tears running down my face Sunday as I sunk into the lyrics of this song. I am not kidding you. I'd much rather you watch this video than continue reading my blog. Check.It.Out.People!
My week progressed as normal. Nannying and working evenings at 24-hour fitness. By the way, have I ever mentioned how ridiculously adorable the kids I nanny for are? Seriously. I mean I know everyone always says kids are so darn cute, but really. Click here & take at look at these two beautiful creations. They are possibly THEE most adorable kids I have ever seen. And as an added bonus their parents are just as ridiculously awesome as they are. Anyways. Friday night I spent time with my awesome SFC’ers (SFC-Snowboarders & Skiers for Christ) in downtown Denver watching a snowboarding documentary followed by a stellar Smith. concert. (If you’re into hip-hop but can’t stand the vulgar and atrocious lyrics in many popular songs these days check out David Smith’s [Smith.] music. You will be thoroughly entertained.) I had a couple girls show interest in renting my room after I move out and one even came over Saturday to check out the place. (Such a relief, praise God!) I had an awesome phone chat with a woman I have never met from halfway across the US. We talked for a while and she shared with me a new and exciting opportunity through Fashion&Compassion that would help me raise money for my internship fee (blog to follow, stay tuned!). Overall, a pretty normal week full of His presence and love.
This week was just full of blessings, well actually every week I am filled with the Lord’s blessing but like I said before this week I was just a little bit more aware of them. I was driving to Joe & Katy’s (the super fabulous family I work for) one morning and I just had an overwhelming moment thinking about all of the things the Lord has blessed me with. I said to myself, “I have a car. I have a job, three to be exact. Never in my life have I spent a day hungry. I’ve never slept in anything but a warm bed crowded with a surplus of blankets and pillows. I am surrounded by people who love me. I serve a God who is faithful. I have clothes to wear. I have so many clothes that there are numerous items in my closet I haven’t worn in while. I have so many pairs of shoes that I get ‘shoe-angry’ every morning when I grab my TOMS because there are too many stinkin' shoes in my closet.” I was behind the wheel of my car amazed. There has not been a single day in my life where I have lacked a anything. Not one single thing. I almost felt guilty, like I didn’t deserve it. Honestly, I’m still replaying that moment in my head and trying to sort through all of the things the Lord was trying to teach me that morning.
I dug into a book I am currently reading called Gods at War by Kyle Idleman and like always, it was exactly what I needed to hear; the title of the chapter was ‘god of money.’ Lately, I’ve really been wrestling with this topic. My worldly self is saying, “You have a master’s degree. Shouldn’t you have a ‘real’ job instead of spending all your time babysitting and working at a fitness center? What good was that year at DU (University of Denver) if you aren’t even going to apply what you spent all that money on.” Kyle boldly brings up some very sensitive topics regarding money and the emphasis our society has placed on its value. Kyle discussed the fact that we pay “lip service” to money; often saying that money “isn’t that big of a deal” yet we spend the majority of our time worrying about bills, debt and the money we haven’t made. It’s hard to hear, but it’s true. What we spend our time pursuing reveals a hidden part of our heart we often aren’t aware of. Money has taken such a stand in our culture it’s difficult to take a step back and get a realistic perspective on how it has consumed us. Kyle talks of a very common but almost deadly word in our culture today: mine. Think about this, when a toddler first starts to talk what is one word they have absolutely NO problem saying. You guessed it, “mine.” They could be the sweetest, most charming baby you’ve ever laid eyes on, but the second someone takes away their toy, food, sippy cup, movie, etc they turn into a broken record; crying and screaming while yelling the infamous word, mine. Am I right? This is totally a thing, it happens all the time and not just to those crazy toddlers. We lose our phone, our keys, our wallets, somebody takes something and doesn’t return it; our immediate reaction is “Where is MY phone?” “Where did I leave MY wallet?” “That was MY favorite pen I can’t believe he/she borrowed it and kept it.” Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Kyle offers a little bit of wisdom around this infectious word “mine.”
"Go through your day sometime just recognizing that everything is God’s. Get out of God’s bed and walk into God’s bathroom, and turn on God’s shower, and then put on God’s clothes. Eat God’s cereal and drink God’s coffee. Get in God’s car and head to work. When we start to see all our resources as God’s it helps us develop an attitude of gratitude that leads to a heart of worship."
Did you know that of the 38 parables Jesus tells 16 of them are about money? Ironic? Maybe. Or maybe he just knew how hard this subject would be for his children to understand. We, or at least I do, think that when we finally get ‘that car’ or ‘that big bonus’ things will finally be okay. But eventually we get the car, and then we get a raise but our level of joy and contentment doesn’t change. Idleman quotes, “The more you feed it [the god of money], the hungrier it gets.”
The reason I am sharing this chapter is because I am in an endless battle with the god of money. I’m not sharing this to try and be some kind of financial advisor because I am far from having a worthy financial track record. But I’m sharing this because our Heavenly Father is very clear about what the god of money can do to our lives. Check out the story Jesus tells in Luke 12. How about Philippians 4:19, Ecclesiastes 5:10 and Deuteronomy 14:23. Remember this, your worth is not found in a simple dollar sign, it is found on the cross in the death of man who came to this earth to trade his life for yours.
I hope all of you have had fantastic weeks and even better weekends! Know that I super appreciate you taking time to read my blogs and I pray that you find encouragement in them and that the Lord uses them to open doors in your heart.
Pay attention to where you mind wanders this week. What you pursue and where you spend most of your time is often an indicator of who is on the throne of your heart.
May the Lord bless you as you go,
-V
Joshua 1:9
PS: I am convicted of my own words as I sit here Sunday night posting this. News flash Vic, we aren't perfect people. Mistakes happen and sometimes the choices we make aren't always the most honoring to God, but when we remember to fix our eyes on His holiness we are free and redeemed. Lookin' up and trusting in my faithful Father. Love you guys!
My week progressed as normal. Nannying and working evenings at 24-hour fitness. By the way, have I ever mentioned how ridiculously adorable the kids I nanny for are? Seriously. I mean I know everyone always says kids are so darn cute, but really. Click here & take at look at these two beautiful creations. They are possibly THEE most adorable kids I have ever seen. And as an added bonus their parents are just as ridiculously awesome as they are. Anyways. Friday night I spent time with my awesome SFC’ers (SFC-Snowboarders & Skiers for Christ) in downtown Denver watching a snowboarding documentary followed by a stellar Smith. concert. (If you’re into hip-hop but can’t stand the vulgar and atrocious lyrics in many popular songs these days check out David Smith’s [Smith.] music. You will be thoroughly entertained.) I had a couple girls show interest in renting my room after I move out and one even came over Saturday to check out the place. (Such a relief, praise God!) I had an awesome phone chat with a woman I have never met from halfway across the US. We talked for a while and she shared with me a new and exciting opportunity through Fashion&Compassion that would help me raise money for my internship fee (blog to follow, stay tuned!). Overall, a pretty normal week full of His presence and love.
This week was just full of blessings, well actually every week I am filled with the Lord’s blessing but like I said before this week I was just a little bit more aware of them. I was driving to Joe & Katy’s (the super fabulous family I work for) one morning and I just had an overwhelming moment thinking about all of the things the Lord has blessed me with. I said to myself, “I have a car. I have a job, three to be exact. Never in my life have I spent a day hungry. I’ve never slept in anything but a warm bed crowded with a surplus of blankets and pillows. I am surrounded by people who love me. I serve a God who is faithful. I have clothes to wear. I have so many clothes that there are numerous items in my closet I haven’t worn in while. I have so many pairs of shoes that I get ‘shoe-angry’ every morning when I grab my TOMS because there are too many stinkin' shoes in my closet.” I was behind the wheel of my car amazed. There has not been a single day in my life where I have lacked a anything. Not one single thing. I almost felt guilty, like I didn’t deserve it. Honestly, I’m still replaying that moment in my head and trying to sort through all of the things the Lord was trying to teach me that morning.
I dug into a book I am currently reading called Gods at War by Kyle Idleman and like always, it was exactly what I needed to hear; the title of the chapter was ‘god of money.’ Lately, I’ve really been wrestling with this topic. My worldly self is saying, “You have a master’s degree. Shouldn’t you have a ‘real’ job instead of spending all your time babysitting and working at a fitness center? What good was that year at DU (University of Denver) if you aren’t even going to apply what you spent all that money on.” Kyle boldly brings up some very sensitive topics regarding money and the emphasis our society has placed on its value. Kyle discussed the fact that we pay “lip service” to money; often saying that money “isn’t that big of a deal” yet we spend the majority of our time worrying about bills, debt and the money we haven’t made. It’s hard to hear, but it’s true. What we spend our time pursuing reveals a hidden part of our heart we often aren’t aware of. Money has taken such a stand in our culture it’s difficult to take a step back and get a realistic perspective on how it has consumed us. Kyle talks of a very common but almost deadly word in our culture today: mine. Think about this, when a toddler first starts to talk what is one word they have absolutely NO problem saying. You guessed it, “mine.” They could be the sweetest, most charming baby you’ve ever laid eyes on, but the second someone takes away their toy, food, sippy cup, movie, etc they turn into a broken record; crying and screaming while yelling the infamous word, mine. Am I right? This is totally a thing, it happens all the time and not just to those crazy toddlers. We lose our phone, our keys, our wallets, somebody takes something and doesn’t return it; our immediate reaction is “Where is MY phone?” “Where did I leave MY wallet?” “That was MY favorite pen I can’t believe he/she borrowed it and kept it.” Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Kyle offers a little bit of wisdom around this infectious word “mine.”
"Go through your day sometime just recognizing that everything is God’s. Get out of God’s bed and walk into God’s bathroom, and turn on God’s shower, and then put on God’s clothes. Eat God’s cereal and drink God’s coffee. Get in God’s car and head to work. When we start to see all our resources as God’s it helps us develop an attitude of gratitude that leads to a heart of worship."
Did you know that of the 38 parables Jesus tells 16 of them are about money? Ironic? Maybe. Or maybe he just knew how hard this subject would be for his children to understand. We, or at least I do, think that when we finally get ‘that car’ or ‘that big bonus’ things will finally be okay. But eventually we get the car, and then we get a raise but our level of joy and contentment doesn’t change. Idleman quotes, “The more you feed it [the god of money], the hungrier it gets.”
The reason I am sharing this chapter is because I am in an endless battle with the god of money. I’m not sharing this to try and be some kind of financial advisor because I am far from having a worthy financial track record. But I’m sharing this because our Heavenly Father is very clear about what the god of money can do to our lives. Check out the story Jesus tells in Luke 12. How about Philippians 4:19, Ecclesiastes 5:10 and Deuteronomy 14:23. Remember this, your worth is not found in a simple dollar sign, it is found on the cross in the death of man who came to this earth to trade his life for yours.
I hope all of you have had fantastic weeks and even better weekends! Know that I super appreciate you taking time to read my blogs and I pray that you find encouragement in them and that the Lord uses them to open doors in your heart.
Pay attention to where you mind wanders this week. What you pursue and where you spend most of your time is often an indicator of who is on the throne of your heart.
May the Lord bless you as you go,
-V
Joshua 1:9
PS: I am convicted of my own words as I sit here Sunday night posting this. News flash Vic, we aren't perfect people. Mistakes happen and sometimes the choices we make aren't always the most honoring to God, but when we remember to fix our eyes on His holiness we are free and redeemed. Lookin' up and trusting in my faithful Father. Love you guys!