Dancing with God

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Please VOTE!!!!!!

As you can observe by looking at my sidebar, I am trying to take a poll to see how many people think I should write a speech on a certain missionary. Please voice your opinion! Thank you very much for your participation! :)

I have the cutest brother!

This is Titus being really cute. And by the way, I did not tell him OR Gracie what to say!! They came up with it "all by themselves" as Gracie would say.

I have the cutest sister!

This is Gracie. She was so sweet!!! See if you can understand what she says, it really is precious.

ADOPTED for Life (by Russell D. Moore)

My dear mama and I are right now reading an absolutely wonderful book written by Russell D. Moore. As you've probably guessed by the title of this post, it is called "Adopted for Life." Mr. Moore is dean of the School of Theology and senior vice president for academic administration at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. (Okay, I just got that from the back of this book ;) Anyway, This book is basically about his and his wife's journey to adopt their two sons from Russia. But it's also about the Christian life. It's about how we, as Christians, are all adopted by the King of Kings. He illustrates many of the parallels between physical adoption and spiritual adoption. C.J. Mahaney, who wrote the foreword for Adopted for Life, put it well when he said in the first sentence, "I was adopted when I was eighteen years old. I wasn't an orphan, the way most people think of that term. I wasn't an abandoned child. But I was in a condition far more serious: I was a stranger to the family of God, a slave to sin, and an object of the justified wrath of God." He continues on by saying, "It would have been extraordinary enough for God simply to redeem us, to forgive our sins, to declare us righteous. But He does not stop here-- He makes us His children. Galatians 4:4-7 'But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, coming into being out of a woman, having come under Law, that He might redeem those under Law, so that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So that you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.' Christian, if you have ever wondered whether God loves you, wonder no longer. God the Father has adopted you as His son or daughter through the person and work of Christ. Here you will find the richest proof of God's personal, particular, and passionate love for you." But one of the last things he says in his forward really compels me to write this, so here it is: "I am so grateful that my friend Russell has written the book you hold in your hands. I want many more people to read this story, to be amazed at God's love displayed in the doctrine of adoption, and to consider the possibility of adopting children themselves. You may not agree with all of Russell's conclusions, but his book will challenge you to carefully consider both the doctrine of adoption and its implications for your life."

So I challenge you, as a friend and brother or sister in Christ to read this book! I haven't finished it, but I am excited to read more! Whether you have adopted, have not, or think you might some day, this book will change your perspective on adoption... both in the physical sense (i.e. orphans in China and Russia and Ethiopia) and in the spiritual sense (i.e. sinners reconciled to a holy God.)
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!!!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal

God has blessed me with the best friend ever.

Okay, we were being kind of silly in the picture. (I was being particularly nuts!) But really and honestly, Haley is such a wonderful friend. You may be wondering right now why I'm talking about Haley when the title for this post is "What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Well, it's because this year on my birthday card Haley wrote a verse that really sums up the Christian life. I was very touched by what she wrote on the card, but for the purpose of this post I won't put what she wrote but rather my own musings on this verse. The passage that she quoted is found in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed dayd by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." I think that this verse is so meaningful for a Christian, especially one who is going through a rough time.
If you are feeling discouraged right now, please do not lose heart.
If you are feeling abandoned, please do not lose hope.
The Lord never promised that the Christian life would be easy, but He DOES promise that the troubles that we endure in this life will lead to glory that far outweighs them all. The verses preceding this passage, chapter 4:7-9 say, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but no crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." Although we may feel hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down, God will sustain us. And He is the only One Who sustains.

I remember a time I went through, a couple of years ago, when I felt very perplexed. I wasn't reading my Bible every day. I felt sad and discouraged. And discouragment often leads to desperation. And desperation- Jesus = more discouragment. You see my problem was not really what I thought it was, but rather that I did not depend more on Jesus during this time. He is the true Protector!
So I would encourage you if you are going through a hard time, don't do what I did. Instead of reading your Bible less, read it more. Instead of feeling discouraged and fearful, remember that we serve an awesome GOD who is far more powerful than discouragment and fear! And remember His promise in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."

Now I know beyond a doubt that some of you reading this are going through a far worse time than I ever have. But all I can say is that the temporary struggle you may be enduring now is leading to an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

To God be the glory!!
With much love,
Rachel

Friday, August 7, 2009

Nothing but Christ Jesus and Him crucified

Hello friends! Today, I would really appreciate your prayers. I will be speaking at the WATCH homeschool conference and I need prayer in a few specific areas. Please pray that I would...
1. Have a right heart. Please pray that I would remember the words in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'" Please pray that I would remember that God works more clearly through my weaknesses.
2. Do it all for Jesus. Please be in prayer that the only thing that I would desire to know is "Christ Jesus and Him crucified." I've been trying to dwell over 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 recently, and they are wonderful verses. The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians about how he first came. 2:2 "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crufied. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."
3. Do well! Pray that God would use this speech and use me even though I am weak.
Thank you for your prayers.

Monday, August 3, 2009

VBS pictures

Me during Evangelistic time. If you can see the picture, you'll notice the the children Dee, Cy, and Paul are stuck on one side of a huge cliff without any hope of reaching the other side. This picture represents black, our sin.