Friday, October 3, 2008

"God is so amazing."

 I should start all my blogs that way. :-)  My entire life is a testimony to how awesome He is.  To think that He would take my life, which was nothing, and make something out of it is incredible.  Sometimes I look back on what He has done, and I am speechless.  "God..." I usually start, and that's about how far I get.  Who can express the depth of the love and grace of God?

 I think about what has happened in the planning of the purity seminar, and I see His grace a lot.  During the planning process, I have battled depression, been excited, made mistakes, watched plans going forward, have doubted, believed, struggled, succeeded, failed, then seen the awesome victory of God.  Sometimes I am so excited because I see God's hand at work - like today.  But it hasn't always been like that.  Even on the best days, I have gotten up in the morning so depressed.  Sometimes I don't see how things are going to work out, and sometimes I have had to cling to faith in God because I have no idea how things will work out, and I cannot see what is going on.

 But God is faithful, and He is able to do anything.  No matter what happens, He is there, and is doing some amazing things.  I cannot always see when He is working, but I know He is at work.

 Just this last week, I saw Him do some amazing things in the planning of the conference.  He has provided over and above what I could see or imagine.  Our plans are moving forward faster now than they have before, and many hindrances have been removed.  I can definitely see the victory of God.

 So... here is a word of encouragement for those of you who are battling depression, or not seeing God's hand at work in your life: God is there, and He is able to do whatever is needed.  Cling to that truth.  No one can trust God for you, and no one else may understand what is going on in your life.  But He does.  And He will never leave you.  Cry out to Him.  He is not far away.

 Sometimes the things that I have described - doubt, fear, and depression - hit people in leadership when they are doing something important for the kingdom.  However, those things are temporary, and they don't mean that God is not active in your life.  They don't mean that you've failed.  God is still there for you, and if you reach out to Him, He will help you.  He has definitely been there for me.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

God is so amazing.  I spoke to a Sunday School class this Sunday about SFM and our message to Christian youth.  It wasn't that big of a crowd--they were actually just a few.  But the amazing thing was that God blessed that opportunity and used what I said to encourage those boys.  That was very special.  One thing that meant a lot to me was knowing that  Sunday was the start of my part of the public speaking ministry.

I remember several weeks ago when I felt very strongly that God had called me to speak publicly.  I knew that He would use me every single time I spoke.  I still know that.

In fact, when I was thinking about what I would say on Sunday, I did not have peace from God about preparing a message.  Instead, I felt the Lord say quietly, "Let Me give you the words as you speak."

...and He did!  I was never at a loss for words.  It all came so easily.

I would like to encourage you with the same thing I told the class on Sunday:  If God has given you a dream, pursue it.  He told me that I would speak, and I did--not because of anything I did, but because He brought all sorts of opportunities for me to speak.  The only thing I had to do was be obedient and walk through the doors he opened for me...and knock on a few others when He asked.

God can do anything.  He wants to do a lot with your life if you will let Him.

Blessings to you!

--Victoria


Monday, July 21, 2008--a note I wrote on facebook:

Saturday, June 5, 2008--Jeremiah 29:11

Today was incredible.  I went to a friend's wedding, where I knew many people from the community, saw another friend in town, talked with another friend on the phone, went to a church I have been wanting to visit, got invited to speak to a youth group, and had the opportunity to blog here (yes!).  God is so good.

The most amazing thing that happened today was that my time alone with God was more real than it has been in days.  I was able to go deeper into Him than I have in a long time.  For the past eighteen days, it has been so hard to push past all my worries, distractions, and confusion so that I can reach Him.  To be honest, I would have to say that I sometimes have not really wanted  to focus on Him, though I know I should, and I know it is what I need more than anything else in the world.  I have cried out to Him several times to help me, and I have seen very real answers to that prayer, especially today.

For any who are going through that same fight, I have some verses for you:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

This is Jeremiah 29:11 and 12, and it was a prophecy to God's people that when they called out to Him and turned their hearts back to Him, He would help them.  They had walked away from Him, as we often walk away from God.  Even then, God had good plans for them if they would follow Him:

No matter what your life is like right now--whether you are running away from God or trying to serve Him, He has good plans for you and wants to fill your life with His goodness.  If you feel like you cannot find Him, cry out to Him.  He will answer you.  Seek Him with all your heart.

He wants you even more than you want Him.

That is something I have realized many times when I have not felt Him or knew I was ignoring Him.  I knew that I would have to seek Him, but I knew that He wanted me to be with Him, and I needed to stop doing my own thing and instead chase after Him with all my heart.

Every single time, I have found Him.

May you be encouraged as you, too, chase after Him. God's blessings on you today!

Victoria Grace

Monday, June 30, 2008--Resting In God

I read back over my last blog post (have I really not written since December?), and I realized that I still have not completely applied everything I wrote about trusting God and not worrying.  My recent trip to Hawaii revealed and conquered many fears that have been in my life for some time, and the job I am working right now is doing much of the same thing; God is showing me insecurities and fears that need to be taken out of my life, not just ignored or accepted.  It seems like now is the time that God is ready to reach deep inside me, to the deepest, most insecure, most unsure places of my heart, and start working on some of those areas.

I have often tried to make myself what I thought was perfect, and I would hate it when I made a mistake of any kind, especially in my relationship with God.  The problem with that, though, is that when you try so hard to perfect yourself, you distract yourself from all the wonderful things that God wants to do--and can do--in your life.  We should be focusing on the Lord, not ourselves, anyway.

It is not wrong to want to please God, but it is not right to spend so much time looking at ourselves that we forget to look to Him.  God wants us to spend time with Him, to wait on Him and to be with Him.  When our eyes are on Him, our lives will change--just being with Jesus will make us more like Him.

Some weeks ago the Lord spoke to me and showed me that there would be a period of rest in my life when I would begin to love Him and rest in Him as I never had before.  I also felt that He was leading me to spend more time alone with Him than I had  been getting in the previous months.  Even though I have so many ministry opportunities and so much to do, I know this is a time of rest for me.  The amazing thing is that as I have begun to rest in Him more, I have noticed that more ministry opportunities have come my way.  Things are also starting to happen more quickly with the ministry.  Basically, God is working while I am waiting on Him.  Isn't that an amazing thought?

Some days I sense that God wants me to work on several different projects, and other days I think He just wants me to be with Him.  He always uses me, though, and He brings along opportunities that I could never have had without Him.  It is almost like He is proving to me that He can take care of the ministry while I am spending time alone with Him.

Resting in God is not a  waste of time.  I realize now that I could spend my whole life rushing around trying to do things for God and trying to make myself everything I think I should be; however, in the end, all of that would be wasted.  Being with Jesus and letting Him guide your life works a lot better because He can make you everything He wants you to be without your exhausting yourself.

God bless you all.  Enjoy life!  Enjoy God...

Victoria

Sunday, December 23, 2007--God's Peace, Even through Finals

Since finals week ended at my school, it has seemed that I am living in a different world; the demands and pressures of college life came to an abrupt end on the fourteenth, and, though I am still very busy, my lifestyle is relaxed--at least compared to what it was during the semester!  This feels almost unreal, especially considering how intense this semester was.

I worried far too much during the semester, even during finals week.  On one occasion, I let my worry get out of control.  During one of my finals, I let it affect my attitude, and my actions during that time were not very Christ-like.  Other times I would be so stressed over a test that I would neglect to pursue opportunities that God gave me to minister to others.  I think I trusted God to a certain extent, yet now I see that my week could have gone much more smoothly had I stopped worrying and trusted God completely.  Peace, not dread, would have filled my life during the whole week.

Worrying is useless.  In Luke 12:25, Christ asks his followers, "...which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?" (KJV)  All of our worry does not have the capability to change our world; it keeps us busy and frustrates us, but often we realize that our worry was a waste of time.  God is powerful, and He can do anything; however, we in of ourselves are often helpless to change our circumstances.  Though many times we learn from our mistakes, there are moments when things are obviously out of our control.  In those instances, we need to have faith in God and stop being consumed with worry.

Worrying displays a lack of faith in God.  God, who is all-powerful and all-knowing, is not rendered powerless when circumstances are difficult; even when we are overwhelmed, He is strong.  During those situations when we can do nothing, we show our faith in God by trusting Him; we should our lack of faith by thinking that somehow that anxiety or even depression will somehow help the situation, instead of turning to God for help.  It is amazing to realize that our Heavenly Father can do anything, yet we still seem to act as if we can do a better job of managing life than He.

Focusing on the attributes of God is a great way to eliminate worry.  God is loving and kind, and He cares about us; therefore, we can be assured that He wants the best for us.  God is faithful; therefore, we can know that even when we do not deserve His goodness, He will still bless those who serve Him.  God rewards those who diligently seek Him; therefore, the Christian that seeks God knows that he will have God's blessings in one form or another.  When we remember these characteristics of God, knowing that He is in control, we realize how small our problems really are.  When placed in the hands of our great God, problems do not seem so overwhelming.  We know that God can help us.

One passage of Scripture that I enjoy reading is Matthew 6:25-34, because it speaks very frankly to every part of me that wants to worry, whine, and complain.  Reading this passage always changes my perspective when I am stressed about something.  In the following passage, Christ says to His followers:

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.  Are ye not much better than they?  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (KJV)

I experienced God's provision through finals week and even afterwards, when I received my grades.  God helped me to work hard those last few days, and He blessed me with good grades in two challenging courses.  One course, in particular, was very difficult for me, and my test grades kept dropping.  I knew that only God would be able to give me an "A" in that class, and I prayed that He would.  He did.  I still maintain a 4.0 average, even after struggling through the whole semester, not knowing what I would get and wondering even at the end what grade I had made.

Now that the pressure is gone, things feel more peaceful; however, I know that God's gift of peace is not solely contingent on my having a relaxed schedule.  There were many moments in this semester where I was actually able to have peace, even when it seemed I was failing at everything.  God brings a calm to a person that is so incredible, and that peace often keeps a person from being crushed by the weight of their circumstances.  Worry, depression, frustration, and anger--those things can surface, and a person can allow them to draw him away from God, but God's peace, which is beyond human understanding, is a blessing that can fill a Christian's life as they trust God and serve Him.  God's peace is not only available when things seem to be going well; rather, the peace that God offers to a Christian is constant even in the midst of failure and difficulty.

In closing, I would like to leave you all with a few verses that have given me a new perspective on trusting God and not worrying.  (The first one I mentioned earlier.)


"...seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
     --Matthew 6:33 KJV

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
     --Proverbs 3:5,6 KJV

"Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
     --Psalm 37:4


May God guide each one of you, and may you all, as well as I, learn to trust Him more and more.

In Christ,

Victoria C.

Hello everyone!

This post begins my first blog as editor of Spoken For Magazine.  What I write in this online journal is for the encouragement and edification of all readers because this blog is intended to honor Christ and encourage others to grow in Him.  My entries should be very honest--I want others to see the Christian faith in reality, not just as it appears.

I would like this blog to accomplish four things: 1) I want the Lord to be honored with my words, 2) I want you, the readers, to be encouraged in your Christian faith, 3) I want to be able to show young people what it is like to serve the Lord, not the world.  I want you to see what it is like to really live for Christ, 4) I want you, the readers, to learn more about God and about His word as I talk about the attributes of God and the meanings of different verses I might study.  Please let me know if I neglect to work towards these four goals in my posts.

God is good.  May He bless each one of you as you seek Him.

Victoria Crow
Editor
Spoken For Magazine