Back Home from DG

We have arrived back home from an active and encouraging conference weekend. Although both Mom and I are pretty exhausted, we are thankful for the opportunity to worship and learn with 3,000 other believers. Our hearts are full.

I cannot wait to expound more on what the Lord is in the process of teaching me from the sessions and speakers; hope you are up to hearing them! I can't wait to process through my notes and implant what truths God has for me - and write to secure what I'm learning.

While at the conference I met a few fellow bloggers, Olivia, and Abraham and Molly Piper (and little Morrow!), and Carolyn McCulley, which was uniquely exciting. They were all incredibly nice and remain true to their perception found on their blogs. It is rather exciting to meet people face to face whom you would only otherwise only meet in blogosphere. God is so good.

I also met John Piper. (Yeah, I know!) That was an amazing experience. For so long I have enjoyed his books and writings, and to finally meet him face to face was incredible. He signed the inside cover of my Bible and we got to talk for a short while. For such a powerful and passionate speaker, in conversation he is sincerely gentle and interested in everyone. Even after preaching intensely for over an hour he was constantly smiling and never rushed any of us along. I am so thankful to Lord allowed me to meet him.

Well, I have many insights swirling around in my head that will hopefully rest on paper soon. Again, I thank you for all your prayers and kindness with your comments. I have missed you all! But I am back with many words in my heart, and instruction on how to properly and biblically let them out.

God has spoken. God is speaking.

The Desiring God conference opened with the thunderous anthem of singing, "God has spoken..." For me it was a settling call to listen with an open, Spirit-prepared heart to the Word of God especially for me this weekend. As I sang, I realized with new clarity that God has spoken, and He gave me ears to hear. And I am overwhelmingly thankful.

My thoughts carried me deeper. Imagine for a moment if God would have sat in silence before a formless and void earth, resolving to never utter the words, "Let there be light." Our world, our lives, would be nothing. No singing would fill this hall with praise. No speakers would minister to our souls with words of conviction and truth. Words powerfully shape our worlds, our souls, our vitality, our hope, and our futures.

Which brings me to the special encouragement the Lord brought to me as I continued to sing (and meditate). God is still speaking. We open the treasure of the Word and His breath is as fresh today in our souls as it was the day it was penned with the quill. He not only spoke long ago, but inside our beings He continues to speak holy words personally through something we call the Word.

God is not silent. He is still speaking. I want to be quick to listen.

Desiring God is amazing...

This is going to be a rather quick update, but I wanted to let you know that I am loving this conference! All of the sessions have been a conviction and blessing, giving me lots to think on for the flight home. My heart and head are full of truth and I am processing it all into practical application, which will probably take the rest of my life considering the vast and important subject we are studying.

We are about to go and hear Paul Tripp, which I am looking forward to. And John Piper is scheduled for tomorrow. All in all, I am having a blast and being richly blessed. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. You'll be hearing from me soon!

Here I Go...

Today my Mom and I are getting on a plane and heading to Minnesota for the Desiring God Conference! I am sure you can imagine my excitement... to see John Piper (and others) preaching right before my eyes. It should be an event I will remember the rest of my life. Ah, I can't wait...

I will try to update while I am there, although I don't know how well my internet service will be. Please pray for Mom and my safety, and for the Lord to prepare us for the work He will do in our hearts. I am truly looking forward to the lessons to be learned and understood. (and spending some special alone time with Mom) :)

Hope to bring you an update soon!

Follow your heart. Really?

We have all heard it before. The greatest advice the world (and sadly, sometimes even Christians) can offer us, especially young people, is “Follow your heart…”

But is that really good advice? Does the Bible give this instruction?

Jesus said in His sermon on the Mount, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:21) The logical question every Christian must ask would be: is it possible for your heart to value (treasure) something that is wrong or harmful - something that isn’t biblical or solely Christ Himself?

Umm, yes. It is a struggle all fallen humans face, to value Jesus as our infinite Treasure at all times. We treasure many other things like friends, cars, music, education, video games, money, and/or fame more than Christ. I am guilty of it, sadly. That is why this “follow your heart” advice has the potential to be very dangerous. Our hearts can at many times be in the wrong place, like focusing on ourselves instead of Christ, or enticed by worldly things instead of treasures in heaven.

We should follow Christ above our hearts.

Our hearts can lie to us. They are deceitful, as Jeremiah tells us. “The heart is more deceitful than all else… who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9)
So who can understand the heart? God can. “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the result of his deeds.” (Jer. 17:10)

When we can't trust our own hearts, we can come and rely on God to test the motives and conditions of our hearts, and reveal what is truly there. 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try my and know my anxious thoughts. And see if there my any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
Psalms 139:23-24

Tea and Books: September

Well the month has almost passed me by and books are being finished. Early in the month I didn't make a lot of time to read, but I have refocused and hope to finish at least a few books before this month is gone. Despite my tardy reading habits, my "book wish list" is steadily growing. I don't ever see it slowing down. And I am totally fine with that. Below are a couple of the great reads I am enjoying.

Please feel free to share what literary and infused findings you have with me too. My favorite discussions are oftentimes encompassed around books and tea.

Books:

A Place of Quiet Rest - Nancy Leigh DeMoss
If you are searching for a resourceful book devoted entirely to your "devotion time", I highly recommend this book. I honestly didn't know a book like this existed, but here is a gem. Reading only the first few pages excited my heart with the need for this book in my life. Devotions are a subject kindred to my heart. Written in a creatively practical and gently instructing tone, I have found answers to the silent questions I have in my heart about my devotion time. Highly recommend this one.

Lies Young Women Believe - Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh
I am actually reading this one out loud to my sisters before bedtime. It has been an awakening for us all as we begin to recognize the subtle lies we believe that effect us deeper than we know. The lies we believe about God and ourselves (plus many more areas) can cripple any growth the Lord desires for us. I would enthusiastically recommend this book for ladies of all ages. It is a powerful tool for the kingdom.

Tea:

Tangerine Orange Zinger is becoming one of my favorite herbal teas. Mom and I like to rotate between this the Raspberry Zinger tea.  As the weather begins to cool down I know my tea mug is going to be refilled more often throughout the day. (maybe that's why I like cooler weather?) I sure hope the price of tea doesn't go up or I will have to ration out my amber delight. :)

Summer's last moments

The trees whizzed past me as I drove down the country road. The speed of my vehicle created a pleasant breeze that I enjoyed with my windows down. The sun was beginning to lower into it's slumber for the night and the crickets awoke to play their music. Old barbed wire fences channeled the road and protected the drowsy cattle on the other side. A whirlwind of freshly fallen leaves followed behind my car. The tall aging grass swayed in the fields. Trickles of color splashed among the fence rows blooming before summer breathes it's last.

With the birth of new seasons comes the death of old seasons. Their last moments are their most brilliant. The vivid colors, happy weather, and sheer beauty bid us goodbye before they fade into the next season. God is gentle in His revolution of seasons. Sometimes we hardly recognize summer is over before autumn begins. We just wake up one morning and enter a new season. But sometimes we eagerly appreciate the slow metamorphosis that happens before our eyes.

Tomorrow we welcome the new season of autumn. I am probably bias since autumn is my favorite time of the year, but I am ready for this new season. But I am learning to relish the season I am in, so this afternoon on my drive I enjoyed every moment I could.
Because for everything there is a season...