Upon reading my "Bad Girls of the Bible" book the other day, I stumbled upon a most beautiful little encouragement. This is coming from Eve's chapter...the original bad girl ;)

I'm going to start my note with Genesis 2:15 "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."

Eden is often translated as "delight" or, by way of a Persian word, "paradise". This was no ordinary garden people. It was a carefully designed and beautifully executed park of wonderful trees and beautiful flowers, everything we could ever imagine I'm sure, and then some. Such gardens don't maintain themselves; that was Adam's job. Even before the Fall, he was given the task of caring for the garden. It was a cushy gig though, far from hard labor. There weren't any weeds, mosquitos, thorns or grub worms. Adam had everything he needed to be happy in this garden of his; food, water, warmth and shelter. It engaged his senses with all its colors, fragrances, and textures. Not to mention, the sway of the trees and sound of flowing streams were music to his ears. Sounds like Heaven to me!

After giving Adam the one commandment he was not to break, say it with me everybody..."Don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil". Like any good parent, our heavenly father built a hedge of protection around his child to keep his innocence and to keep him from things he just didn't need to know. And of course Adam was obedient, but he was lonely. Leading to my main point...

The Lord says, "it is not suitable for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18

Was this announcement to give Adam a helper to keep his mind off the forbidden fruit? To help with gardening? Or was it in response to Adam's very human longing for companionship? One commentator (myself included) voted for the last option:"Solitude is not good; man was created for sociability." Even those of us who enjoy our quiet moments begin to get stir crazy. It's a God given drive to connect with other people (hence the popularity of facebook!). Those with very little of that drive are labeled "loners", people with even less are called "hermits" and those with none are put in straightjackets. People need people.

"So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh" Genesis 2:21

And here goes the purpose of my entire story :) ...

Why the rib??

Maybe because the rib isn't exactly a load bearing wall. But I choose to go with the second opinion of the two and completely agree when the author says, "...God wisely chose the bone nearest to the man's heart as a gentle reminder to keep his helpmate close by his side-physically, emotionally, spiritually."

Uh! Steal my heart, what a wonderful way to look at it! When I read that one sentence, it sent my heart a flutter. I love it and just wanted to share. Enjoy!

Disruptive Honesty

Don't let the title of this post fool you, just keep reading ;)

I think it's safe to say that it's a pretty common thought to see Jesus as this untouchable and perfect person. We probably envision him as we see him paintings. As this dreamy, whimsical, angelic man. And yes, I think it's a beautiful image but I think it causes us to not be able to relate to him as much as we could. It's a little intimidating, right? Well, I've been reading this incredible book called, "Beautiful Outlaw; Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus" and it is THE most incredible book. It has helped me to see Jesus for who he really is. Playful and fun, honest and real. I'd like to share a little bit from the chapter about his disruptive honesty. I just love it...

To come to know Jesus intimately, as he is, as he wants to be known, is to release a redemptive landslide in your life. What if at this moment you have terminal cancer, but don't know it. The disease is silently ravaging your body while precious days slip by in which you could be taking action. Now-what if your doctor knew but didn't want to tell you because it would inconvenience him? You'd sue him for malpractice. What if your family knew and didn't tell you because "they didn't want to upset you"? You would be furious. Don't you see how incredibly important it is to know the truth? Well, we can always count on Jesus to tell us the truth. Sometimes he's playful; sometimes he's fierce; the next moment he's generous. This is the beauty of disruptive honesty, you can count on him to to tell you the truth in the best possible way for you to hear it because you need to hear it. We love his honesty when he goes gunning for the Pharisees in Matthew 23:15 but when he turns his sights on us we begin to squirm, something in us gets offended. The world is stone drunk, and raging at Jesus because he's trying to keep us from taking the car. Who is being unreasonable? The spirit of our day is a soft acceptance of everything-except deep conviction in anything. This is where Jesus will suddenly confront the world as a great rock confronts the river flowing ever downhill. He is immovable. Conviction might be a matter of personal opinion, but truth is like a great mountain, solid and immovable whether we like it or even acknowledge it. Chritianity is not a set of convictions-it is a truth. The most offensive thing imaginable.
And Jesus is a rock alright. "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" (Rom. 9:33). A rock is offensive in your shoe because it is an inconvenience. If we said, "Away with all rocks!" we would wish the planet right out from under our feet. But a rock is also the only refuge from the raging seas. The shipwrecked soul doesn't curse the rock because it is immovable; he clings to it, weeping for gratitiude. Remember-when Jesus tells us the truth, he doesn't say, "You are on your own now. Deal with it." He offers us a way out. As John said, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (1:17). Truth and grace. Anytime Jesus pulls the rug out from under us, he extends his hand to lift us to a place of refuge.

(Beautiful Outlaw)

Idols

My precious sis sent me a study on Hosea. I'm only 3 days in and am already getting so much out of it. Today I looked at chapter 2 and did some soul searching on idolatry. Although I don't worship any little handheld wooden idols like we've read about in the Bibe (yes, I left out the "L", it's my Bibe, always has been. Haha!) I can safely say that I can be accused of having an idolatrous heart toward Him because I give too much attention to other things. Boy, was that an eye opener. I thought I was safe since I don't worship those wooden religious relics BUT Idols can be anything from someone you love so much to music, clothes, money or power. What do you spend too much time on aside from God. That very well could be your idol. Anyway, after my conviction of the realization that I idolize my husband more than my Father at times, I was directed to some familiar scripture that I love & can relate to my new found conviction.

"Therefore I will block her path with thorn bushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them." Hosea 2:6,7

When I read this, I see "chase after her lovers" and the word "lovers" as a form of idolatry. What do you chase after? Money? Popularity? The finer things/labels? Love? Poor Gomer (the woman for whom these verses were inspired) She was chasing after lovers, clothes, food and drink. You see it to this very day, I know I'm guilty of having a few idols myself. For example, when you do finally get that coach purse you've been wanting all year, does it bring you happiness? Of course it does! But, do you not agree that eventually that purse ends up in the back of your closet? Material things are fleeting! It only brings temporary happiness-->"She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them." Your "idols" don't bring you true soul quenching love, satisfying you to your very core forever and ever. Don't you long for this? I feel like it's in our very make up, in every fiber, the desire to feel truly satisfied, fulfilled and loved. These verses might seem a little harsh but just consider it for a moment. He is purposely thwarting our efforts to find a life apart from Him. He does this in order to wear us out, to get us to turn back to Him in thirsty longing.

He then begins to woo us. Which is exactly what happened to me and I'm willing to bet has happened to EVERY single person who believes.

"Therefore I am going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." Hosea 2:14

The moment this happens is the most beautiful, indescribable (there are literally no words) thing that will ever happen to you. These are not empty words, they are living and true and have happened time and time again to His children all over the world. Can I get a AMEN? Haha!

"In that day," declares the Lord, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master...'

"I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion." Hosea 2:16, 19

THIS is what I long for. Reading this, experiencing this firsthand is what I was made for. My sister said it well after her travels ," I'm grateful that my true home is where I've yet to set my feet :)" I'm thankful for this conviction today. I will begin to try my hardest not to put any other idols before Him.

"Those who cling to idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." Jonah 2:8

To Be or Not To Be...Prepared

This morning after I did my devotional, I decided I wanted to spend a little bit more time in the word and headed for 1 Peter. No reason really, I've just been seeing some great verses from that chapter lately on different websites and wanted to start from the beginning and read my way through it. I knew one minute into reading it that I had stumbled upon a golden nugget of wise words. When I got to chapter 3, a verse I've read and heard before and know all too well, caught my attention. I paused and relished over the words for a few moments. "...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" verse 15. Not sure why I really lingered on that one this morning the way I did. The entire chapter was filled to the brim with wisdom but I couldn't get my attention away from this verse. I thought to myself..."Ugh, I'm horrible at memorization. All the verses I've tried to memorize in the last couple months have already slipped out of my mind. If I had to give a verse I just don't think I could." So I compromised...bad girl..."If anyone asks me I'll just tell them why I think the way I do from the experiences I've had that have led me to where I am today" and felt that was good enough.

"Not so fast little one", is what I'm sure He was saying to me.

So I put up my things, do the dishes, piddle around the house a bit and head for the local gym. Yes, can you believe it? I went to the gym. Can't tell you the last time I went, which really kind of adds to the dynamic of the story if you ask me. I went and walk/ran for about 30 min and on my way out the door to go back home I noticed some candles and a marker on the desk. "What is this?" I ask the girl sitting in boredom behind the desk (we were the only ones there). Then she begins to tell me about someone who works up there with her who just found out they have stage four cancer...ouch. That's serious. For those of you who are not familiar with it, that's the last stage. My heart sank immediately and I asked all about her friend. She said they were selling the candles for a donation and were going to display them across the work out stage next week when their friend shows up to do a class. I thought that was such a lovely idea and wanted to contribute. So I tell her thank you and wish them the best after making my donation and start to head out. Then she stops me and says "Here! Decorate your candle with this marker" and smiles at me. That kind of caught me off guard, I'm not super creative especially on a whim. Hmmmm, so I thought I'd send this person some words of encouragement through scripture. I sat down and racked my brain and wished I had something to share. I had nothing, horrible feeling...fail. I searched in my iphone and finally about 20 min later found something I felt stood out the most.

I felt a little disappointed that I couldn't think of anything like that. Even just a verse about His love. Good one Kat!

Although I was not asked to give any reasons to share why I believe the way I do, I felt like this opportunity and situation fit the bill. Really, I feel like I should've been able to share something on this person's candle just to give them some hope and encouragement. I'm not being too hard on myself today because lots of people have issues with memorization. I feel like this happened today to prove to me and remind me that I can't just give an excuse for what my Father wants and expects from His daughter. I'm not a little girl anymore, I'm an adult now, no more excuses. And to think, I was just making them this morning-->shaking my head. I'm grateful to have been shown this though. The written word is right, I know I would've felt so wonderful if I'd been able to share a favorite inspirational verse! As the minutes ticked on though searching for a fitting verse, I was reminded more and more of what I read this morning & how I responded. Lesson learned, I feel humbled and want nothing more than to be obedient from now on. I'm not going to do what I feel comfortable doing but what is expected of me :D


*I just wanted to add also, how wonderful would it be to encourage this person who is suffering this horrible illness and flood that stage with candles. If you're interested in adding a candle with encouragement or scripture I'd be more than willing to help with that! They were only $3 a candle and the event will take place very soon on Oct. 5th (next Wed.!) Message me on my fb page or leave a comment if you're interested and we can help make it happen!

"...love one another as I have loved you" John 15:12

A Special Kind of Hatred

Hello all! Today I would like to touch on an interesting subject regarding a special kind of hatred. Ladies...unfortunately, this one's for you. But take heart Daughter's of Eve, trust me and just keep reading.

This is an exerpt from one of my favorite books, "Captivating".

"Turn your attention to the events that took place in the Garden of Eden. Notice- who does the evil one go after? Who does satan single out for his move against the human race? He could have chosen Adam...but he didn't. Satan went after Eve. He set his sights on her. Have you ever wondered why? It might have been that he, like any predator, chose what he believed to be the weaker of the two. There is some truth to that. He is utterly ruthless. But we believe there is more. Why does satan make Eve the focus of his assault on humanity?

You may know that satan was first named Lucifer, or Son of the Morning. It infers a glory, a brightness or radiance unique to him. In the days of his former glory he was appointed a guardian angel. Many believe he was the captain of the angel armies of God. The guardian of the glory of the Lord.

You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the Garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were annointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. (Ezek. 28:12-14)

Perfect in beauty. That is the key. Lucifer was gorgeous. He was breathtaking. And it was his ruin. Pride entered Lucifer's heart. The angel came to believe he was being cheated somehow. He craved the worship that was being given to God for himself. He wanted the attention and adoration for himself. ("Mirror, mirror, on the wall...")

Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. (Ezek. 28:17)

Satan fell because of his beauty. Now his heart for revenge is to assault beauty. He reaks destruction on the glory of God in the earth like a psychopath committed to destroying great works of art.

But most especially, he hates Eve. Because she is captivating, uniquely glorious, and he cannot be. She is the incarnation of the Beauty of God. More than anything else in all creation, she embodies the glory of God. She allures the world to God. He hates it with a jealousy we can only imagine.

And there is more. The evil one also hates Eve because she gives life. Eve means "life" or "life producer." Women give and nourish life. Satan was a murderer from the beginning, he brings death. His is a kingdom of death. Ritual sacrifices, genocide, the Holocaust-those are his ideas. And thus, Eve is his greatest human threat, for she brings life.

Put those two things together- that Eve incarnates the beauty of God and she gives life to the world. Satan's bitter heart cannot bear it. He assaults her with a special hatred. History removes any doubt of this. Do you begin to see it?

Think of the great stories- in nearly all of them, the villain goes after the hero's true love.

This explains an awful lot. It is not meant to scare you. Actually, it will shed so much light on your life's story, if you let it. Most of you thought the things that have happened to you were somehow your fault- that you deserved it. If only you had been prettier or smarter or done more or pleased them. somehow it wouldn't have happened. You would have been loved. They wouldn't have hurt you.

And most of you are living with the guilt that somehow it's your fault you aren't more deeply pursued now. That you have no beauty to unveil. The message of our wounds nearly always is. "This is because of you, this is what you deserve." It changes things to realize that, no, it is because you are a major threat to the kingdom of darkness. Because you uniquely carry the glory of God to the world.

You are hated because of your beauty and power."

(Eldridge, 83, 84 & 85)

All I have to say is wow. If that doesn't open your eyes to a new truth, I don't know what does. I am so thankful this was revealed to me and find it incredibly fascinating. Not only that but it answers so many questions that have been lingering in my heart for so long.

Incredible.

Faith On Facebook

For all you facebookers out there (the majority of us, haha!) Have you ever thought to yourself, "Facebook seems to be missing something these days?" Although I am on it quite often keeping up with family and friends, I find myself wanting something more. It didn't seem to be doing anything for me mentally or spiritually at all. I can only handle so many pictures and posts of people going out, venting with vulgarity and self destructing at times, it gets mind numbing. I've even had a few friends drop the site for that very reason, I almost went along with them completely understanding their point. I just couldn't sit back any longer, things are starting to change for the better and I invite you to be a part of it! "Faith on Facebook" is our new page dedicated to thoughts, stories, inspirations and scripture. Facebook finally has substance and it's so refreshing! Please join us, we'd LOVE for you to be a part of it. It's so very encouraging, I promise :) Hope to see you there!

XO

http://www.facebook.com/groups/177022859039111/