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It's the last day of the year and I'm sick. 😷
Nothing like a pounding headache and a throbbing nose to help put the ending year and the upcoming one into perspective. 😏 When I think about 2017, I waver between guilty sadness at the bouts of disobedience that stunted my progress this year and an accomplished-kind-of-happy at what the Lord has achieved through me... especially with CFJ. Whatever your feelings about 2017 are, this I can tell you: God's not done with you yet. If He was, you'd no longer be here. But you are. Here. Reading this. I have been instructed (and I have a sneaky suspicion that the instruction is not just for me) to "[forget] the past and look to what lies ahead."* We are yet unfinished. *Philippians 3:13 It's Day 36 of the 36-day challenge, y'all! 😀
. . Yet there is still one more day left in the year. 🤨 I could say that Math is not really my strong point to save face, but I like Math, so that'd be untrue. So how come tomorrow is going to be the 37th day in a 36-day challenge that was supposed to last till the end of 2017? Umm...I simply miscounted. 😅 I kinda already figured out that I miscounted a few days into the challenge, but I didn't re-count or attempt to backtrack to rename the challenge. You know, I do that sometimes (okay fine...a lot of times): I hide from a problem or mistake hoping it'd disappear, or become a non-issue. If the situation persists, instead of praying and working it away, I hide behind "all things work together."* Don't get me wrong. All things do work together... I have been using it as a crutch though, instead of a promise of hope like the Lord meant it. Maybe you do the same. Maybe you don't. The lesson the Lord is teaching me as I enter into 2018 is to not sit complacently by. The Lord is teaching me to fight the good fight with persistence. To not hide. To not accept, unless He tells me to. When poop hits the fan in 2018, instead of accepting it, I want to run. Not away. But to Jesus to ask Him to help me fight. *Romans 8:28 Next year, I promise to be better.
To do what the Lord says to do, when He says to do, where He says to do it, and how He says to do it. Next year, I want to be better. To do all the Lord says to do without reservations or doubts. Next year, I pray to be better. To be wholly who Jesus wants me to be. Next year, I cannot be better. By simply promising or resolving or determining. Next year, I cannot be better. By simply wanting. Next year, I want, resolve, pray to be better. God leading me. My chief goal in life, I am told, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.**
You wanna know why it's so important that our lives be lived according to God and what He says? Because it's in doing so that we can get the best that life has to offer. It took me a while to realize that God is not some invisible dictator in the sky who touts "Because I said so." No, everything He says is for our good and for His Glory. See, everyone wins. **Westminster Catechism Worth-it: A coined word. Deemed worthy by someone
Worthy: An adjective. Having or showing the qualities that deserve the specified action or regard. We are not worthy; we are simply deemed worth-it by God. It's obvious - there's something going on between the word "stuff" and I.
Strictly platonic, I promise! 🤣 The Lord knows stuff about us. Like Every. Single. Thing Let that settle in for a second. So He knows everything, including the things that you are trying to hide and the things you desperately want to forget ever happened. And guess what? He's still here. Still as madly in love with you as He was when He created you. Lowering my imaginary psychologist glasses onto my nose, I ask, "How does that make you feel?" Seriously, though, how does that make you feel? Also... Guys, this is it! That sweet spot between Christmas and New Year where the whole world goes into limbo. I love it! I'm on vacation and I'm super pumped! Dear reader, merry Christmas!
Today, I am reminded of how much - just how much - I have because Jesus came. I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be if He hadn't come. If He hadn't come to pave, for me, a path to God. If He hadn't made sure I walked on that path to God. I don't know if I am making much sense; I have all these feelings in my heart and my fingers are not helping to express them in a coherent manner. Today, I am reminded of how unfinished - just how unfinished - I am because I am not letting Jesus. I battle with control and giving it over to Jesus. It's weird because I really like Him and I do want to please Him. For some reason, though, I still hold on. Not to Him. To everything else. Jesus did this awesome thing for me, and what I am doing for Him in return? I don't know if I am making much sense; I have all these feelings in my heart and my fingers are not helping to express them in a coherent manner. Today, the Lord reminds us of His love and how unconditional - just how unconditional - it is. The point of His birth, He says, is to show how important we are to Him. Just how "worth it" we are. His sacrifice by way of His birth, death, and resurrection is not a loan that He expects us to pay back in good deeds. "What y'all can do for Me," the Lord says, "is to trust in My love, and its ability to overcome." 1 John 4:18 Merry Christmas, everyone!
May the joy of this season not elude you and yours in Jesus name! He is Born!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Hey, I know stuff is going on in your life now, what with Christmas being two days away... so I'm going to keep it short.
I could just be projecting my stuff onto you. Regardless... I say this every Christmas to myself as much as anyone else... "Do not let the stuff of this season - the gifts and the parties - pull your focus away from the Reason why you can do stuff this season." I know...how eloquent, right? Oh, and just to be clear, the Reason is Jesus. It's Friday!
Can you tell I'm excited?????!!!??!!!??!!?!? What gave it away? 😁 I spent about two hours in the movie theater this evening watching - you guessed it! - The Greatest Showman. One thing you should know about me before reading my review is that I am a little obsessive. So, yes, I was obsessively waiting for this movie. Because Zac Efron... & Zendaya. 😉 I mean...come on. 😁 Anyway, I watched the movie. I liked it. The songs were really dope. I am talking catchy, infectious, dab-able songs! Really cool. Would I watch it again? Probably not in the next 6-9 months. But that's just because I need a break from my obsession... A few critics had lamented the lack of plot between the musical numbers. I don't think it was a lack of plot as much as it was inadequate screen time for the characters to develop and take root in the audience's mind. Therefore, when a momentous event happened and the characters were affected, it was harder to empathize - it was harder to feel what The Greatest Showman wanted us to feel. Would I recommend you go see it? Because they clearly put a lot of work and heart into the movie and the songs are pretty cool, I would say yes! I don't have a four-year degree in film; I am merely a member of the audience, so... Now, if only the The Wedding Party 2 - Destination Dubai would premiere in Atlanta, Georgia. Oh, one last thing, just in case no one told you today or ever, you are precious, beautiful and loved. The only One Who matters said it, so it must be true. 😍 I love Jesus.
And it hurts my heart when I think about those who don't. But not as much...ugh, not as much as it hurts Jesus. And to think that they don't love Him only because they don't really know Him. That's why I didn't resist too much when Jesus nudged me in the direction of this blog. You see... it is very important to me that I show people just how cool Jesus is. Actually, cool doesn't quite cut it... Today, I am not going to give you the usual spiel of "He died for you," or "He was born so that you could live." Even though these are all true and are pretty dope. Instead, I am going to tell you the story of a girl who seemingly had everything. Rich-enough parents, great grades, beauty, and of course...boys' attention. As most stories go, there was but. Her but? She couldn't control her bladder when she slept. Like a mythical werewolf or Princess Fiona from Shrek, she dreaded the night. In a house that wasn't hers, she would stay up sometimes, fighting sleep so as not to soil a bed that wasn't hers. She tried everything. She prayed because she was told it worked. She drank yam soup because she was told it helped. She was the laughingstock of all who knew and needed a reason to laugh at her. To mock her: The golden girl of the grade, a bedwetter! But she met Jesus. Actually, Jesus found her and took this reproach from her life. And the mouths of her mockers were shut. This girl had done nothing that was worth a personal visit from the King of Kings Himself. But He did it, anyway. He found her, the lost sheep, and brought her back home to Him. Just like He found Zacchaeus and the woman who bled for 12 years and the mad man at Gerasenes. Need I say more? So, I love Jesus. Because He found me in the worst of places yet never makes me feel unworthy or unloved. I could go on and on, but I think you get the gist. Jesus is the coolest thing since before sliced bread, and I want you to know. ************************ Some helpful verses: 1 Peter 2:15, Luke 19:10, Luke 8:43-48, Mark 5:1-13, Luke 15:1-7 I hear it all the time.
Heck, I say it all the time. How amazing grace is, and I hear it all the time. Heck, I say it all the time. How amazing grace is, and how much we don't deserve it.* I know this; it's imprinted on my heart and mind. Yet today, I was unnerved by grace. I did nothing, but I got everything I wanted. "I didn't work for this, Lord." I wailed. "You didn't work for salvation either." the Lord reminded me. As much as I wanted to argue that there was a difference, I couldn't. Because there isn't. If our lot in life and beyond were determined by what we deserved, there would not be a lot to determine. Today was great. Exceptionally great. Unnervingly so. And I had nothing to do with it. I still don't know how to handle it. But I hear the Lord telling me: "Just because Ronke is not in control does not mean that God isn't." Don't be like me. The next time something exceptional happens to you, don't hesitate to give glory to God, to Whom glory is due. *See what Jesus did there...😉. Can't take credit for this one. It was all Jesus. I don't know...the Lord's pretty awesome.
Like leave-His-gold-paved-streets-to-die-for-me awesome. Like literally-always-there-for-me awesome. And I love Him. Like a lot. Like smile-too-big-for-my-face a lot. Like heart-racing, can't-contain-it a lot. Tonight, my words are not doing a good job of speaking my heart. So naturally, I'm running to my Love. His Words, without fail, speak to my heart. Dear Jesus, "You are the fountain of life, the light [in my eye] by which I see." Psalm 36:9 I love You. ❤️ Let's skip past the part where I explain that I am not claiming to be perfect by saying I get angry sometimes.
Yeah? Cool. Okay! Sometimes I get angry at God. I don't like it, and it hurts me to write it, but it's true. And I know. I mean, we all know... That God does everything right, and there is literally no justifiable reason in the world to get mad at Him.* But I do. Because it doesn't always feel that way. And those pesky little things called feelings have a way of overshadowing everything else including faith, if you let them. But I don't want to let them, at least not the negative ones that make me doubt and mistrust the One I love. Love is a feeling, too. It's really more than just a feeling - but a feeling, nonetheless. And that's what I want to feel. That's what I want to choose to feel. Always. Love. Love. Love. When I get in trouble for forgetting and I wonder why the Lord didn't remind me...I want to choose love. When I hear of wildfires, hurricanes and earthquake events, even though I don't fully understand why the Lord does not stop them...I want to choose love. When I am too depressed to breathe, I want to choose love. Because it overcomes fear. It overcomes doubt. It does not get mad. It understands. It cares. It trusts. Because It is Who God is. And I really, really, really like Who God is. Teach me to choose love, Lord. *See Romans 3:4, Jeremiah 29:11 Gosh...I'm so sorry I missed a day of the challenge!
I was tired and had a headache, but it's still inexcusable. (The headache and tiredness was caused by an almost all-night movie binge the night before. That's my confession.) Sorry, guys n' gals. Sorry, Dad. ********** I don't talk about politics and stuff, because I don't know politics and stuff. I don't talk about religion, because I don't do religion. I talk about Jesus and me because I know Jesus and me. And I know Jesus and me because I talk about Jesus and me. So why I am being unnecessarily cryptic? No reason, it's just fun to write. 😀 But the above sentences, cryptic as they might be, have a purpose for today's post. In the U.S where I live, politics and religion are two of the many polarizing issues. And you know Americans... They don't have any qualms telling you exactly what they think and why you should think that way, too. Oh wait, my bad... Did I say Americans? I meant humans. 😀 Anyway, I don't talk about these issues, not because I avoid them, but because of the aforementioned reasons. But since we are already talking about them, let me just say: It is easy - so easy - to have opinions from the outside looking in. All these "senior news correspondents" and something-something analyst on cable news are full of opinions! All the "queen24178" commenters on your Instagram post are full of opinions, too! As recipients of these opinions, cruel as many of them are, we understand just how much they hurt. Therefore, when we find ourselves on the other side of the screen, we need to be considerate, humble and gentle.* As people (dare I say, cuties) for Jesus, it's who we are supposed to be.** *Ephesians 4:2 **1 John 3:10 |
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