The Promise of Peace

If you’re anything like me, you cherish winter break for more than its traditional Christmas cheer, notorious excuses for eating absurd amounts of holiday sweets, and precious time spent with family and relatives. Secretly, I look forward to winter break because it means I don’t have to deal with the pressures of daily life. I don’t have to panic about homework deadlines or think about endless ballet rehearsals.

For me, winter break seems like an escape. For a few weeks out of the year, people strive to maintain happy holiday moods and can come together to sing serenely of “peace on earth.” But after the festivities of Christmas and New Year draw to an inevitable close and people return to work and school, we disregard “peace on earth” as nothing more than an annual Christmas comfort. 

Now, we are standing on the brink of another spring semester of school classes, job stresses, and extracurricular activities, dreading to jump headlong into our hectic schedules. 

Yes, there will be drama, frustration, pain, and problems. But we don’t have to be discouraged by that. Instead, we can delight in the discomforts of this life because that is where God promises to be with us. 

While I am in no way disregarding God’s presence in times of peace and prosperity, I would like to emphasize God’s promise to be with us in pain and problems. Why? Because it is in those moments of frustration that we tend to forget about God. We mistrust the power of His peace. 

Consider Psalm 91:15 which says, “When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him.” God promises to be near to us in trouble. What love, that He who is incorruptly perfect would be near to us in the imperfection of our worldly troubles. Just as Christ came to a world stained by sin, so He comes to us in the midst of our suffering. In love, He seeks to be close to us. 

Does that mean He will snap His fingers and whisk away our homework or social drama? No. But that’s okay. If He is near, that is enough. 

We often mistakenly perceive peace as the total absence of stress or sorrow. But peace is found wherever Christ is. If we respond to His constant call to draw near to Him—whether in times of rest or trouble—the surpassing power of His peace can reign in our hearts. 

We should rejoice in the testing of our faith, patience, or humility, because it is there that we recognize our neediness. In the absence of fear, we forget about faith. In the absence of trouble, we forget about trust. In the absence of stress, we forget about stillness. In the absence of pressure, we forget about purpose. Why should we run from the very things that can draw us close to God, who promises to be with us in the midst of trouble?

So, do not be afraid of the trials this semester might bring. Do not be afraid of the pain you might feel or the tears you might cry. Do not live in dread, but in delight! For there IS a God who loves you and longs to be near you in trouble. Call to Him in all things, and trust that He will answer. Trust that He will give you peace in His presence. 

 ~Hannah

She Laughs

I LOVE to laugh. It is one of my favorite things to do and one of my favorite sounds to hear. And I LOVE how just like God gave us all unique voices and physical attributes and personalities, He also gave us such unique laughs! No one has or ever will have my laugh, and the same goes for you! But, I also believe that just like every other gift God gives, He desires for us to use our gifts to glorify Him, especially our laughter. 

Being an 18 year old girl who just graduated high school and is about to embark on the huge college adventure, I think the love of laughter is definitely something God has been instilling in me over the past year. For me, being at a place in my life of big transition like this, I believe that my laughter can be yet another form of worship, and I’ve realized that life is so much better when I can learn to laugh at the little things! In fact, I think “living in the moment” and “laughing at the little things” go pretty hand-in-hand. :) And believe me- God gives me SO many opportunities to LAUGH! 

…Sometimes (ok a LOT of times haha) I laugh at myself. Like when I am literally standing inches away and still somehow manage to land my gum on the floor instead of in the trash can… sadly, that has happened more than once. So embarrassing, I KNOW, but also totally hilarious! 

…And sometimes I laugh at the things others around me do. Like when once in the middle of the night my little sister sat straight up in her bed and started reaching for objects on my dresser in her sleep! That was QUITE a sight and I was giggling pretty hard to myself as I watched and wondered what she could possibly be dreaming about! 

But anyway, I think laughter is SUCH a gift! And being in the middle of a somewhat  nerve-racking season where so many choices are being made and changes are taking place in my life, I think that laughter is definitely “the best medicine”. :) It’s a tool I can use to glorify my Savior, in the little and big things alike! Which brings me to one of my favorite verses for this season I’m in right now: 

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25 NLT

…she laughs without fear of the future. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the sound of that! I want to be known as the kind of person who can stop and laugh without being afraid of where I’m going or what’s to come. The kind of person who laughs without fear of the future like the Proverbs 31 woman does. 

I’m really into the Blue Letter Bible App (highly recommend it if you don’t already use it to dive deeper in your Word), so when God reminded me of this “she laughs” verse, I immediately looked up the Hebrew root for the phrase on my app. 

Sachaq- the word for “she laughs”- means to laugh, play (as in instrumental music, singing, dancing), or mock. And if we break that down further, it can mean to make sport of something. To tease. 

When I first read that definition, I felt like that made laughter sound pretty harsh honestly. It didn’t sound like the kind of laughter I wanted to be known for, this idea  of laughter that mocks others and makes sport of their issues. But as I thought about it, I was immediately reminded of Sarah in the Bible, who laughed at God when He told her she would bear a child- 

Then the Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” 

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” 

Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 

Genesis 18:10-14 NIV 

The difference between Sarah and the Proverbs 31 woman is what they were laughing AT. Yes, they were both laughing in mockery, but Sarah mocked God’s Promise, while the Proverbs 31 woman mocked the future. Sarah laughed at the God who had been faithful to carry her so far and was about to give her the desires of her heart, while the Proverbs 31 woman laughed at the cares of this world that tried and failed to rip her from God’s hand. That’s a BIG DIFFERENCE. You can laugh at the cares of this world all you want- your fears, your insecurities, your weaknesses, your failures- but you better not ever mock the One who meets your every need, the One who holds you in the palm of His hands, the One who is faithful to fulfill all of His promises to you. Because Is anything too hard for the Lord? 

So LOVE to laugh! Love to shove your Savior in the face of your fears! Love to laugh without fear of the future (NLT)… laugh at the days to come (NIV)… smile at the future (NASB)… and rejoice in time and season (KJB)! And take pride in your laughter- even if it is, as in my case many times, laughing at your own stupidity!- because the enemy hates your joy! He hates when you have enough real love and joy and peace to just sit back and LAUGH at the cares of this world. He hates when you laugh because you realize you’ve been wearing your shirt inside out all day. He hates when you laugh because your dad ordered a “tai chi” instead of chai tea latte at Starbucks. He hates when you laugh because no matter how often you watch it, that one scene from that one movie makes you DIE every time! So laugh it up! Laugh in the enemy’s face! Glorify the Lord with your laughter- your very unique laughter- your own instrument of praise to your Savior! Because after all, as the Hebrew root points out, laughter isn’t solely a from of mockery, but more importantly an instrument of PRAISE! So the next time the cares of this world make you question your Heavenly Father, I hope you can laugh in their faces and say, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” 

xoxo, Kenna 

God is Faithful

In a world where feelings are fleeting, loyalties are broken, and high hopes and expectations sometimes result in disappointments, faithfulness can be a hard concept to grasp. Sure, we can look at the love of family and the support of friends as loyalty. But in the end, they're humans just like us. And their faithfulness cannot compare to the faithfulness of God. 

Have you ever been waiting for something? Expecting for something miraculous or wonderful to happen? Have you ever been hoping so desperately for God to intervene in your life or in the lives of your family and friends that you spend hours praying for them? For over a year now, I personally have felt JUST like that. I pray, pray, and pray some more for God to reveal His love and mercy to those who need him most in my life. 

But sometimes, it doesn't look like anything's changing. 

Or maybe you're trying to figure out what to do after you graduate high school or college. What will you do with your life? What does God want you to do? And how? So you pray, pray, and pray some more for God to reveal His perfect plan to you and show you exactly how to get there. 

But sometimes, the answer doesn't come right away. 

Or maybe you just feel lonely sometimes. We all do at some point. Though we may be surrounded by family and friends, it's easy to feel alone. Alone in our troubles. Alone in our anxieties. Alone in our thoughts. Sometimes, the glaring emptiness of our social accomplishments or the shame of our mistakes makes us feel so alone that we're scared to go to God at all. 

But I have to tell you something. God is faithful. 

From someone who's been in all three of those places I just mentioned, I understand completely that it can be SO HARD to be "in the waiting." It can be so hard to keep believing for a miracle when things seem unchanged. It can be so hard to trust God's plan for my future when answers don't come. It can be so hard to come before God sometimes and lay everything down. 

Why does God's faithfulness mean so much then? Why must I endure the heartache, the worrying, and the loneliness if God is faithful? 

I'm realizing that God was, is, and always will be faithful. He will always be just. He will always be good. Because of that, through heartache and tears, through storms and in sunshine, I can know that He has not given up on me, my life, or the miracles I'm believing for. His faithfulness to me does not automatically eliminate any pain or trouble or question from my life. He does not instantly transform hearts or shower me with answers. 

But His faithfulness to me, His steadfast love for me, is what gives me hope. Hope for those I love. Hope for my future. Hope for myself. Hope is what strengthens us as we wait upon the Lord. Hope is what enables us to let go of our expectations and fears and let God work in His way, in His timing, for His purpose in our lives. 

Though you may feel like giving up on something you've hoped and believed for, you can trust that God is STILL working in your life and in the lives of those you love. Though you may not feel God's presence or love in your life all the time, you can trust that He has never and will never leave your side. 

He is faithful. God is faithful to you. 

"Cast all your anxiety upon him because he cares for you." 

1 Peter 5:7

~Hannah~

Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53

"Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. 

He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. 

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. 

But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. 

We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all. 

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. 

Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away, and who would have thought any more of his destiny?

When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people, a grave was assigned him among the wicked and burial place with evildoers, though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood. 

But the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity. If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him. 

Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. 

Therefore, I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; 

And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses." 

The Song of My Father

 









 


I don’t know about you guys, but Hannah’s “Songs of Praise” post last week really encouraged me, and so I thought I would kind of continue where she left off because it’s amazing how many of the truths she wrote about are the very same truths God’s been revealing to me as well!
 

Isaiah 12~ Songs of Praise
 
In that day you will say:
“I will praise you, O Lord.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.

In that day you will say:
“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord, for he has done
glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”


Isaiah 12 (which is actually entitled, “Songs of Praise”! How cool!) is one of my most recent favorites, and it has been a great reminder of the fact that “The Lord is my strength and my song”, which is the theme God gave me for 2018. It’s a new year and for me especially, being a Senior in high school, I know there are a lot of new things coming my way. So I have been determined to start this year off with the right mindset: Singing a new song unto the Lord! Which is exactly what Hannah talked about in her beautifully written post!

“If the birds sing and the wind whistles to bring glory to its Creator, how much more so should we humans, who are made in the image of God, use our every breath to praise the One who created us, saves us, and sustains us all out of love!”

Hannah shared all about what our song we sing to the Lord should sound like, and now I would like to talk about the flip side of that: what GOD’S song He sings to US sounds like. Because gosh! There’s just so many things to say about the Lord’s song! It never ceases to amaze me how good of a Father God is… and I can’t find any better explanation of the Lord’s song He sings than in Zephaniah 3:17, which says,

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”

An article I read a little while ago from Goodness of God Ministries really opened my eyes to the significance of this verse: 

"In one of the most amazing verses in Scripture, the Bible describes the deep and abiding love God has for us. O how hard it is in this generation to believe that God loves us; that God cares for us; that God treasures us and that God is concerned about EVERY detail of our lives. In the depth of our hearts we have failed to believe that God really loves us. Yet Zephaniah declares a breathtaking truth about God’s love.

In Zeph. 3:17, “rejoice” is translated from a Hebrew word, meaning to “spin around under violent emotion,” or basically to dance. So Zeph. 3:17 is more accurately translated as, “Yahweh, your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His Love, He will dance over you with singing.”

Can you imagine this that God is literally dancing over you with shouts of joy? Oh how we have missed this beautiful picture of God’s love. How beautiful must be the sound of His voice. How wonderful must be the song? How breathtaking it must be to see God dance. And it is all over you, His beloved child. " (goodnessofgodministries.wordpress.com)

Being a dancer myself, I love this realization that God is physically dancing and rejoicing and singing his song of love over me! It makes me want to sing a new song right back up to Him, and dance my whole heart out in worship before the God of all creation- the God who chose ME and loves ME! And it makes me want to remind myself over and over again of all the amazing promises wrapped up in that one verse that God makes to us!

…The Lord your God is with you. He is Immanuel- “God with us”- and He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6) He hems you in behind and before (Psalm 139:5), tucking you in and surrounding you with His Presence like a huge, warm blanket of love! And the plans He has for you are good, good plans (Jer. 29:11).

…He is mighty to save! El Shaddai! God Almighty! He tells us that He can do ALL THINGS and NOTHING is impossible for Him! In this world, we are guaranteed to have trouble, but we can take heart and rest assured in knowing that the Lord fights for us (Exodus 14:14) and he has already overcome the world (John 16:33)!

…He will take great delight in you. He is our good, good Father, and he finds so much joy in watching us live life for Him! He is so proud of you, his child, and he is constantly rooting for you and cheering you on toward victory! So learn to delight yourself in the LORD (Psalm 37:4), for He already infinitely delights in you!

…He will quiet you with his love. All your fears will be drowned in the light of his perfect love, for perfect love casts out ALL fear (1 John 4:18). Gaze upon him and remember his great love for you- his almighty, unending, never-failing, all-consuming love- and He will help you to simply “be still and know that he is God” (Psalm 46:10) as you learn to rest in His Presence. 

…He will rejoice over you with singing! And His song- the song of Your Father in Heaven- is a song that NEVER ceases, NEVER gets old, and NEVER looses it’s sincerity! He is overjoyed by you! And just like that article talked about, the Lord God Almighty literally jumps and dances and leaps for joy at just the thought of you! :) He loves you soooo very much! And He is so proud of you.

So, as you go about your day, remember Who is thinking about you…Who is watching you…Who is singing over you and rejoicing in your every move! For God Almighty- the Lord of Heaven and earth- takes great delight in you as his child, and he never stops singing his song of love over your life!

I close with a song that beautifully wraps up just about everything I’ve mentioned about God’s song. It’s called “Song of My Father”, by Urban Rescue, and it’s been very close to my heart recently, so I hope it encourages you, and reminds you of all these truths I’ve talked about that God's been showing me. :) 

"Song of My Father"  
https://youtu.be/m8dYLZVjwhA


~McKenna  



 

Songs of Praise

As the sweet sound of birds singing outside my window reaches my ears, I am reminded of a simple and special truth. How beautiful are the praises of God's creation! Wind rustling the leaves, thunder pealing, waves crashing onto a sandy shore, rain splashing onto the ground, a baby giggling...they are all songs of praise. 

God "calls forth His praise from the lips of children and infants" (Psalm 8:2) and "the stones will cry out" if we keep silent (Luke 19:40). God's creation was made to praise Him, for He is glorious and ultimately deserving of all praise. If the birds sing and the wind whistles to bring glory to its Creator, how much more so should we humans, who are made in the image of God, use our every breath to praise the One who created us, saves us, and sustains us all out of love!

Notably, we humans often do not use our lives for the glory of God, but rather for the glory of ourselves. I am guilty of this. It's easy to let our minds and hearts wander toward selfish thoughts during a moment of worship in church while our lips move soundlessly. It's easy to strive toward personal gain, academic success, and human acknowledgement instead of using our lives and talents as we should. 

Who provides us with each breath as we run frantically throughout the day? Who calls the sun forth in the morning so that we may wake? Who instills dreams and desires in our hearts? What are their purposes? Are we given talents and abilities so that we may be another person on a pedestal, holding gilded trophies above our heads as if it was by our strength or choosing that we have achieved anything noteworthy? Are we given desires for the purpose of chasing after what we crave when we crave it? 

A song sung for oneself is empty and lacking. The world is humming a tune of selfishness, of personal longings appeased by wealth, fame, and fleeting love. Many of us have become so accustomed to hearing the cacophony of voices and meaningless words and promises that we have forgotten how beautiful a song sung for God is. We have chosen to ignore how fulfilling a life lived for our Creator is because the noise of this world has plugged our ears. What does it sound like to hear a song sung for God? 

Yesterday, at my church, there was a rose procession in remembrance of the 45th anniversary of the legalization of abortion. Mothers and fathers, children and teenagers, walked down the aisle, carrying a single rose that represented all the unborn children aborted during each year since the Roe v. Wade case 45 years ago. Thus, 45 roses were brought forward and placed in a basket. 

Seeing this procession brought me to tears and opened my ears to the beautiful tune God's people were singing all around me. They were singing for the wonder, the beauty, and the preciousness of life. They were praising God, the giver of all life. They were thanking Him for each heartbeat, each breath He grants to all living things. They were not 'singing' for themselves, for their personal wishes. They were not singing the songs that the world was telling them to sing. They were singing songs of praise. Praise to God. 

Such a song touched my heart in more ways than I can explain. Seeing others bring the rightful glory to the Lord, the giver of life, comforted me. It made me want to praise the same God they were praising, to feel the same special love that overflowed from their hearts. It was beautiful. 

In the same way, the song we sing with our lives, with our actions and our words, reaches the ears of countless people each day. I pray that the melody I sing and the words I profess would not promote myself or my accomplishments, but would bring glory to the One who made me and blessed me with unique talents and dreams. 

We have been made to praise, to sing a song of love to our Creator and Savior. Our life's song will either bring glory to God or to ourselves. Like the songs of birds outside my window, may our lives be like a sweet melody that reminds all those around us of the One who fills our hearts with joy and our lips with praise. 

Merry Christmas!!!

We hope you and your families have a wonderful, special Christmas! May we all celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ with great joy, for He has given us the greatest gifts of life and love!! We are praying for you this season and can't wait to share more posts with you in the new year! Merry Christmas!!!