Where is Your Treasure?

Mansion Over the Hilltop

a hymn by George Morgan

I'm satisfied with just a cottage below,

A little silver and a little gold;

But in that city where the ransomed will shine

I want a gold one that's silver-lined.

~ refrain~

I've got a mansion just over the hilltop

In that bright land where we'll never grow old;

And someday yonder we will never more wander

But walk on streets that are purest gold.

~~~

Tho' often tempted, tormented and tested

And, like the prophet, my pillow a stone;

And tho' I find here no permanent dwelling

I know He'll give me a mansion my own.

~refrain~

Don't think me poor or deserted or lonely

I'm not discouraged, I'm Heaven bound;

I'm just a pilgrim in search of a city

I want a mansion, a harp and a crown.

~refrain~

Life is precious, and all too short. In an instant, it can end. 

So why do we spend so much time in this life chasing after things that won't last?

Over and over and over again,we watch the same TV show episodes, the same movies read the same magazines and books, play the same video games. We build up our possessions around us until we are comfortable. We seek to find security in human relationships that can and will at some point falter.

But for what profit? 

And at what price?

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:35-37

If we spend our lives  striving for more more more things here on earth, and lose sight of what really matters--bringing glory to God--we miss the whole point of living.

Jesus promised us a mansion in Heaven.

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:2-3 

He also cautioned us not to lay up treasures on earth.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21 

The things we have here on earth remain when we die. You can't take it with you.

But if we build up treasures in Heaven, our hearts will be far more Christ-centered. Our desire will be for the Lord! As we serve and grow closer to Him, He will bless us far beyond our wildest dreams. Not merely with things here on earth, but with eternal rewards and blessings. Are you more concerned with your mansion here on earth or the one Christ is building for you in Heaven?

Let's begin today to build up treasures in Heaven, for they will last for all eternity.

The Journey

I love books.

Interesting way to start a post about a journey, right?

I’ve always loved books, always been writing stories. Through the years I have made many a friend who shared my love of books and writing.  One day, while chatting with one of these friends, she told me that when she goes to read a book, she flips to the end and reads the last page. That way, she’ll know if she likes it or not.

*perplexed face*

“Uh, but then you know the ending. What fun is reading the story if you already know how it ends? You miss the whole journey of the characters. You miss out on…. everything.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ever wanted to do that with your own life? Pick it up like a book and flip to the last page, to see how it ends? Or maybe at least flip to the interesting chapters, where the answer to today’s questions are found (Who/when will I marry? How many kids will I have? Where will we live? Will I succeed in starting that career?).

Wouldn’t that be fun?

Oh, sure, maybe.  But you’d miss out on the journey. You’d skip how you got there. You’d miss the lessons, the laughs, the tears, the victories along the way. Really, the journey is the most important part of the story. How interesting would it be to read a story that went “Once upon a time, there was a princess. She was in distress, but then the prince came and they lived happily ever after.” Whew, that’s a good ending! 

The journey is what makes us appreciate the end of the story. God wants us to go on a journey. He wants us to learn lessons, experience ups and downs, have victories, have defeats, draw ever closer to Him. Because the real end of the journey isn’t in wedding vowsor cute little houses or building a successful career. The End of the journey comes when we reach Heaven and Jesus says “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful in a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. {Matthew 25:20-21}” The journey is where we are faithful in a few things, serving our Lord.

Wishing we could skip to the end won’t get us there any faster.

It won’t be easy. Then again, He never said it would be.

 But the journey is worth it.

*This was originally published on my personal blog*

Who I Am

                         

                  Who am I?

                         Just a random chance?  An insignificant being?

                                What is my purpose?

                                              Where am I going?

                                                               Do I really matter?

                                                                             Where do I belong?

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

So many of us think we are unimportant, or that we would be more important if we were prettier/better at sports/more slender/didn't do that snorting thing when we laugh.....you get the picture.
We look around us, and see unattainable heights of beauty, high expectations in what we do with our futures, the push to be popular and noticed by everyone...especially guys.

And the truth is....

We want acceptance. 
We want fulfillment.
We want love.

So we reach out, stretching and grasping at these unreachable standards of beauty and lifestyle,
 in hopes that our peers-- or anyone, really-- will accept us and love us.
We strive to impress others and live up to the standards those around us set.

And we are left feeling....

Unaccepted
Unfulfilled
Unloved

....when we fall short of the standards and expectations we were striving so hard to fulfill.

And yet, in the midst of the disappointment, discontentment, and heartache we struggle with,
a still small Voice whispers:

You are my child  {John 1:12} 
and my workmanship {Eph.2:10}.
I bought you with a price {1 Cor. 6:19-20}.
You are My personal witness {Acts 1:8}
You are forever free from condemnation {Rom. 8:31 -34} 
and any charges made against you {Rom. 8:31-34} .
You have been justified {Romans 5:1}.
You have been redeemed and forgiven {Col. 1:14}  .
I have loved you with an everlasting love {Jer. 31:3}.
You are significant {Phil. 3 :20}.
You are complete in Me {Col. 2 : 10}.

Oh the hope we have in Christ!!
We can honestly, boldly, unashamedly say:

I KNOW WHO I AM

I belong to God.

 

Someday Today

 

"If only....."

I mutter to myself as I read yet another Facebook post about someone who has anounced their upcoming 

wedding/new baby/house down-payment.

And it's enough to make an eighteen-nearly-nineteen year old girl like myself wonder, 

"When will it be my turn?"

Then I remind myself, "God is enough. His will, not mine," and go on  my merry-ish way.

A couple of days later, a friend tells me, "You know so-and-so? Well, she's expecting!!"

I paste on a smile while my heart cries, "When, Lord, when?? Will it ever be my turn?? Can 'someday' be today???"

Then He reminds me:

  If I am not content in my circumstances today, how will I ever be content in marriage and motherhood?

If I don't love my Savior with all that is in me today, will I really be able to love my husband someday?

I'm so caught up in my desires for someday, that I'm not looking to God to fulfill me. When I take my eyes off of Him, I can't be content. 

True, there will still be days when I in tears bring my desires back to the hands of my Father.

 I need to remember:

Wedding cakes and bridesmaid dresses, 

baby bottles and diapers,

 will never bring true contentment to my heart.

Only Christ can do that.

Today I am single. 

Today I can serve God in ways that as a wife I could not.

Today I can participate in dozens of areas of ministry that further His kingdom.

And in serving, I'll be prepared for 'someday'.

Today I'll live; I'll not hold back, not shy away from the fun and the beauty of now.

Today I'll love Him fully, and learn to love Him with all my heart.

 And maybe, one day, when I am lost in Him and His love, I'll wake up and realize that 'someday' is now 'today'.

What I Learned About Loving

We took on a challenge to pour out Christ's love to others on Valentine's Day.

My "big thing" was to stay nights {Friday-Tuesday of my February break week}

 with my great-grandmother so my grandparents could go on an impromptu trip to visit a sick family member.

Sounds sacrificial, doesn't it?

Not really. 

The routine was so simple and her care so basic, that I almost felt ashamed. 

"I seriously thought this would be a great way to show Christ's love to others?  I feel as if I'm hardly doing anything! I'm sure the other girls are doing great and wonderful acts of love.

And what am I doing?? 

Sitting on a couch crocheting while watching a Hallmark movie.

Nothing sacrificial about that!"

Wednesday morning came.

 I went through the morning routine, packed everything I'd brought with me for spending the night, hugged Great-Nana goodbye, and locked the door behind me. 

I went home, and sat down to write about how I poured out Christ's sacrificial love.

But I still felt I hadn't done all that much. 

It had been a great opportunity, but it seemed like such a trivial one. 

And then it hit me.

Loving others isn't always a huge sacrifice that takes away from my comfort and down time.

Loving isn't just a step of obedience that we as Christians are supposed to take.

It's seeing people with God's eyes and loving them with His love.

It's taking every opportunity, whether large or small, to love others to Christ.

The opportunity doesn't have to be big.

It can be little, too. 

That's what I learned about love.

When a Hymn Becomes Personal

I'm not one who likes change very much. The same old things, day in and day out, have always suited me just fine. Growing up, I had my life all mapped out: I would not go to college; instead I'd get married, have kids, live in one particular house in my hometown, I'd go to the same church I grew up in...my future was all planned, and I liked being so sure that this plan was God-given. “After all,” I thought, “I'd be at peace in that situation. I'd be happy. There's nothing peaceful about moving and adjusting all the time. Change isn't always for the best.” 

Over the spring/summer of 2011, however, I began praying that God would give me a desire for whatever was in His will for my life. Slowly God began changing the way I thought about certain things, certain situations in my life. As I surrendered these things to the Lord, I felt at peace. But I was still certain that God wanted me in my home state of Maine, for life.

Sept. 30-Oct.1, 2011, I was blessed to be able to attend a retreat for pastor's kids with my sister. We looked forward to it for weeks, because we'd be riding to and from the retreat with some good friends of ours. The retreat was lots of fun, we all had a good time, enjoying singing and fellowship with other pastor's kids. Then it came time for the final hymn before we packed up our things. We started singing the first verse of “I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go.”

 

It may not be on the mountains height, or over the stormy sea,

It may not be at the battle's front my Lord will have need of me:

But if by a still, small voice He calls to paths I do not know,

I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine,

I'll go where You want me to go.

I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,

O'er mountain or plain or sea;

I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,

I'll be what You want me to be.

~ Mary Brown ~

And as we were singing, I realized something: I could honestly sing those words! Suddenly, I realized that if God were to ask me to give up everything, I really could. I meant every word of that song! As we started in on the last verse, I sang out clearer than before, joyfully singing those words to my Savior—meaning every word. 

And guess what? I'm at peace! I don't know where God would have me go, what He'd have me do, only that He'll be with me and providing for me, leading and guiding all the way.

Can you go wherever God wants you to go, say what He wants you to say, or be what He wants you to be, simply because He asks?

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you,” says the Lord, “thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

~Jeremiah 29:11

Rejoice

There have been so many times in my life that I have questioned what God was doing. 

Not so much because I disagree with Him, but because I don't understand what it is that He's doing.

I can't see, and I want to.

Then one day, after a particularly trying experience, I heard this song.

And I realized that even though I could not see what He was doing,

He was bringing to pass His perfect plan in my life.

I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Maybe you are in a difficult situation, and you can't see what God is doing.

I pray that this song helps you to rejoice in our dear Lord, no matter what the circumstance may be.

"As for God, His way is perfect."
Psalm 18:30a

New Year, Same Goal

It's January again.

Seems like just yesterday, I was starting the 2012  folders on my laptop, the 2012 diary, thinking through all the things that might happen in the new year, making plans, setting goals.

And now the year is over.

Time to do it all again. 

 

As I look over the goals I wrote down a year ago, one in particular stands out to me: “Grow closer to God and become more like Him.”

I think through everything that happened in 2012.

All the times God challenged me to take a step of faith.

All the times He answered prayer....whether it was what I expected or not.

All the times He sent me a little blessing that I wasn't expecting.

All the times I failed him and He forgave me.

All the little lessons He taught me using 'mundane' things.

All the times I had a glimpse of His glory and power even in this sin-filled world.

And I realize that though I might feel that I failed Him over and over again,

He still used me, still cared for me, still taught me,

and still drew me nearer Himself.

I wouldn't change a moment of it.

Maybe this year didn't turn out the way I wanted it to.

But in it I learned more about my Lord,

and slowly but surely I'm becoming more like Him.

Now I face a new year.

New challenges, new lessons, new experiences.

God will stretch me, test me, grow me.

And I look forward to what this year holds.

Even though it's a new year--a time of new goals, resolutions, and fresh starts--I'll have the same goal I have every year.

Because each year that goes by, I want to reflect God more.