Purity..."His lilly-white likeness"

Purity...does it even exist in our culture today? During our Bible study last week, we covered the topic of purity. For many girls, they simply envisioned physical purity, yet we challenged them with the Biblical call to purity. Why are we to be holy? Because we are to imitate Christ. We are to be holy because God is holy. This is purity of heart that is reflected in our emotions, dress, lives, loves, passions, and dreams. It is so much more that the cultural idea of purity...if that even exists in our culture today. It is a pure heart that is fully devoted to seeing and savoring our Savior without the distraction of other loves. Here are a few great quotes that we used:

Elizabeth Elliot – “Purity, I fear has gotten mixed up in people’s minds with the caricature of Puritanism, which, in the popular imagination, is a dour, brittle revolt against all the pleasures of the flesh. Purity means freedom from contamination, from anything that would spoil the taste or the pleasure, reduce the power, or in any way adulterate what the thing was meant to be. It means cleanness, clearness – no additives, nothing artificial – in other words, “all natural,” in the sense in which the original Designer designed it to be.”

Leslie Ludy – “True purity is much more than a Christian “rule” to endure. True purity is so much more than the noble descision to “wait” for our future spouse. True purity is complete set-apartness for our Heavenly Prince. True purity comes only when we fall into the loving arms of our Prince, surrender ourselves fully to Him, and allow Him to tenderly shape us into His lilly-white likeness.”

How do you forgive someone?

For an update on our Bible Study. This week were studying holiness. As God's people, we have been called to a life of holiness...a life that continually radiates His greatness and His majesty. This opened up a lot of discussion as it means living a life that is completely different from the world. It changes the way that we think, our passions, dreams, and attitudes towards others.

In our discussion, one girl, the same girl who last week told us she had never read her Bible, asked how to forgive someone. This question seems basic, yet it is really profound. Forgiveness is so crucial in understanding the Gospel. Other girls responded graciously to her question by explaining that the picture of forgiveness is in Christ. How do we forgive? Like Christ. How can we forgive? Because we have been forgive in Christ. Please pray for these girls that the Word would penetrate their hearts and that they would taste and see that God is good.

Back to School Again

Its hard to believe that the school year has already begun. Classes are in full swing and life is a little back to normal again. This year is full of many new excitements and opportunities. Specifically, this year a friend of mine from school and I are leading a Bible Study titled "Living a Chosen Life." Last night, we had our first Bible Study together...what a blessing this was to see girls that God has placed in our lives! So many opportunities for the advancement of His Kingdom. At the beginning, I asked the girls to open their Bibles to 1 Peter 3. One of the girls then said, "Honestly, I've never actually read my Bible...where is 1 Peter?" Wow! This is so exciting to have the opportunity to point people to love, serve, and delight in our Savior through His Word. Apparently this girl had gone to church but never actually read her Bible. If you are reading this, would you pray for these girls that God would warm their hearts for a longing and love for Himself?

Waiting

I was reading the blog Girl Talk the other day. This is an excellent site for women who are passionate about following our Biblical role as daughters of the King. It is practical, theoretical, encouraging, and very funny at times. As I was reading, I came across this excellent quote.

"Waiting on God isn't about the suspension of meaning and purpose. It's part of the meaning and purpose that God has brought into my life. Waiting on God isn't to be viewed as an obstruction in the way of the plan. Waiting is an essential part of the plan. For the child of God, waiting isn't simply about what I'll receive at the end of my wait. No, waiting is much more purposeful, efficient, and practical than that. Waiting is fundamentally about what I'll become as I wait. God is using the wait to do in and through me exactly what He's promised. Through the wait He's changing me. By means of the wait He's altering the fabric of my thoughts and desires. Through the wait He's causing me to see and experience new things about Him and His kingdom. And all of this sharpens me, enabling me to be a more useful tool in His redemptive hands."

The Valley of Vision

Desires
O THOU THAT HEAREST PRAYERS
Teach me to pray.
I confess that in religious exercises
the language of my lips and the feelings of my heart have not always agreed,
that I have frequently taken carelessly upon my tongue a name never pronounced above
without reverence and humility,
that I have often desired things which would have injured me,
that I have depreciated some of the chief mercies,
that I have erred both on the side of my hopes and also of my fears,
that I am unfit to chose for myself ,
for it is not in me to direct my steps.
Let Thy Spirit help my infirmities,
for I know not what to pray for as I ought.
Let him produce in me wise desires by which I may ask right things,
then shall I know Thou hearest me.
May I never be importunate for temporal blessings,
but always refer them to Thy fatherly goodness,
for Thou knowest what I need before I ask;
May I never think I prosper unless my soul prospers,
or that I am rich unless rich toward Thee.
or that I am wise unless wise unto salvation.
May I seek first its kingdom and its righteousness.
May I value things in relation to eternity.
May my spiritual welfare be my chief solicitude.
May I be poor, afflicted, despised, and have thy blessing,
rather than be successful in enterprise,
or have more than my heart can wish,
or be admired by my fellow-men,
if thereby these things make me forget Thee.
May I regard the world as dreams, lies, vanities, vexations of spirit,
and desire to depart from it.
And may I seek my happiness in Thy favor, image, presence, and service.
-The Valley of Vision

Summer has begun!

Although classes ended almost a month ago now, it just now feels like summer is beginning. Kids are out of school... the pool is open... and its actually possible to get overheated. The joys of summertime...mine has been long awaited since I "missed" it last year in South America.










A few weeks ago, we went as a family to Washington, D.C. Unknowingly, we went in the middle of May when all the eighth grade trips were ALSO going to Washington. We had a good time despite the swarms of middle schoolers and the excitement of getting lost everyday! Here are just a few pictures of the trip.
This is the tomb of the unknown soldier...which is pretty cool just to watch. The little boy is the picture with Philip is a family friend of mine that I met in Argentina. We met their family at the zoo on our last day. The picture was too cute!

Spring Break and Easter

It was so good to be home again for a little Easter/Spring Break. The week was pretty much low key, just catching up with family and several friends from church and work. I substitute taught one day, fun but tiring...preparation for the future. Here are a few pictures we took on Easter.

"Those who look to him are radiant..."

The other day I was meditating on what it means to glow as a daughter of the King in His righteousness and glory. Despite how easily my heart gets distracted, he is always pointing me back to himself and the cross, making me most radiant when I am most fixed up on Jesus, not myself. I was reading Psalm 33-34 and Hebrews 12:2-3 the other day. In Ps. 34:5, David says that, "Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." I love that picture of being radiant...glowing..shining..with God's glory. His holiness, righteousness, and perfection shining through me, his meager, sinful yet chosen daughter. This is the holiness that I long for..the glory of God radiating through my life. Later, David says, "for those who fear him lack no good thing..." What a promise! Those who reverently trust and fear the faithfulness of our great God will lack no good thing! We may lack the things of this world, but we will never lack God's complete forgiveness, daily grace, and continual mercy. Do we get this? Do we live like this? So often I don't. So often I live like the Gospel isn't really real, like I am not completely forgiven. But we are! We are far more sinful that we can imagine, yet God's grace is far more abundant than we dreamed. This is how we radiate the glory of God...by daily resting and living bathed in the blood of Christ.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

By Robert Robinson

New Year's Update

Well, I have not updated for a long time so I figured it was long overdue. Christmas break just ended, and I came back to campus this morning. Christmas break was wonderful to be back with my family once again. Having been in Argentina over the summer, this was the longest I had been at home for a year. It was so good to reconnect (i.e. have long, serious conversations) with Mom and Dad and have fun (i.e. act silly and be made fun of) being the oldest, now the littlest, sister.

I also spent most of the summer working at a tea store. Although tiring, the job was lots of fun. I met and greeted customers and basically encouraged them to buy tea. The job was completely people oriented, which is what made it so much fun.

Until later,
Kristen