Completely Accepted

Have you ever felt that you just didn't belong? Perhaps you've been invited to a party where you did not know a soul except for the person who invited you. You stand in the corner like a goof sipping your drink and watching the other party-goers talk and have fun. You feel like an outsider and they are treating you like one. Maybe you've felt like an outsider in your own family. You're the so-called "black sheep" of the family and no one bothers trying to "get" you. They merely tolerate you. Unfortunately, many individuals feel unaccepted in one way or another during the course of their lives. I'm here to tell you that there is One who will always accept you. Our Heavenly Father is with you. He is always present, all-knowing, more understanding than we could ever be, and completely and totally in love with you. That's right, He LOVES you! Not only does He accept you, he LOVES you!! You may not know the Lord like you want to but that doesn't mean that He doesn't know YOU. He knows you better than you know yourself. In fact, God knew you before you were ever created. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,before you were born I set you apart." Isn't that amazing? God knows every detail about us. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly, and yet He completely accepts us for who we are. We have been saved by His grace through our faith in Him. God loved us so much that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins so that we could one day be with Him instead of in the pits of Hell. Take a minute to think about that. It is completely humbling for me.

Sadly, many of us struggle with the idea that God loves us just the way we are. We live in a world where we are often not even tolerated because of who we are, much less loved. Some individuals come from families that don't always appreciate them. They are ridiculed, put down, misunderstood, or even hated by those who are supposed to love them the most. No wonder so many people have a skewed perception of what true love really is. However, God does love us no matter what color we are, what sex we are, or what sin we have just committed against Him. Some individuals think that God will love us because of the good deeds that we do. That's not exactly the case. God likes it when we do good deeds for Him but that does not affect His love for us. His love is unconditional yet individuals fail to fully understand this.

"I don't think I'm the only person who has misunderstood God's love. Most of us, to some degree, have a difficult time understanding, believing, or accepting God's absolute and unlimited love for us. The reasons we don't receive, trust, or see His love vary from one person to the next, but we all miss out because of it" (Crazy Love-Chan-53-54).

If you have a hard time accepting, believing, or understanding God's love, take into consideration these few points:

1. You have been justified: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perserverance..." (Romans 5:1-3).

2. You are a SAINT: Yep, a saint. You have been made holy through Christ. Therefore, live your life knowing you are serving a great God and be the saint that you can be. Of course, most of us will never be a Mother Teresa but we don't have to be. God knows our special gifts and talents and better yet, He GAVE us those special gifts and talents that we can use to glorify Him. Use your gifts wisely and give glory to God. (Ephesians 1:1 and 1Corinthians 1:1-2)

3. You have been adopted as God's child: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves..."(Ephesians 1:4-6)

4. You are a part of Christ- When God looks at you, He does not see a wrecked person, He sees Jesus. Crazy, right? It's true! "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised holy spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory"(Ephesians 1:13-14). Therefore, we must believe in response to what we have heard.

5. You are Christ's Friend! Christ not only LOVES you but He considers you His friend! How awesome is that! I love this next passage: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name" (John 15:13-16) I love this passage. It warms my heart and gives me chills. It puts tears in my eyes. Christ chose me. He CHOSE me. I have screwed up in so many ways in my lifetime but He still loves me and chooses me to be His friend. He wants to be your friend too. Christ laid down His LIFE for me!!! Some friends won't even go run an errand for you but Christ DIED for you!! How AWESOME!

Feeling accepted yet? I know I am! How great is our God. Praise God! I'll leave you with this: don't go into life being afraid of being unaccepted. You have already been accepted by our God who is so loving and awesome and He will guide your steps in life. Always remember this command: "Love each other" (John 15:17). That is the Lord's command. He loves us and in return, we are to love His people. All people. It may be hard but try this week to be an accepting child of God.



Thanks to Matt Walton for a great sermon last Sunday. The points in this blog were put together through his sermon. Come visit Trinity to experience God's presence in a special way.


Kate's Place

"The Wife of Noble Character"

Before Matt and I got married, I wanted to do some research on what the Bible said about marriage and the wife's role in a marriage. I did not have to look far. I found exactly what I needed in Proverbs 31:10-31--"Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character." I read it fast at first to get a general idea of what the text said, but I was so captivated by it, that I read it again....slower that time. I took in the words and what they truly meant. I formed images in my mind of what this woman would look like and how she would perform her tasks in her daily life. If you do not own a Bible, I have the passage written below: Take it slow and really think about what it is saying.
"A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life. She selects wool
and flax and works with eager hands. She is like
the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up
while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions
for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it;
Out of her earning she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work
vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that
her trading is profitable and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands
to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city
gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes
linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over
the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idelness.
Her children arise and called her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her;
"Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and the beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward
she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."
_________

So, apparently, homegirl had it going on! In my mind, this woman is beautiful on the inside and on the out. She's respected, hard-working, trust-worthy, loved, independent, and faithful. Those are traits to be admired and sought after. I found myself wanting to be all of those things for Matt because he deserved them and because I want to be the best wife I can be for him.

I broke the passage down as much as I could but this is what I got out of this passage.

"She is worth far more than rubies." Alright men, if you can find a true and genuine lady who loves the Lord, she is going to be AMAZING! Bottom line. Her worth as a person is so much more than some who may take pleasure in the material things in life.

"Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value." -- There is trust in this marriage. A wife of noble character can be trusted by her husband with all matters...large and small. "She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." --I took this as a wife of noble character can be respected. She loves her husband and would not do anything to disgrace him or herself.

"She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls." -- A wife of noble character works hard! She is not afraid to get down and dirty. She works with her hands, cooks for her family, and does what she needs in order to provide. I mean...she gets up while it is still dark! I can't tell you the last time I did that! Especially not to make Mattie breakfast! HA! I mean...I probably should but I don't. Something to ponder I guess.

"She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard."--A wife of noble character is smart and independent. She thinks before she acts and she works hard to get what she wants. Go girl !

"When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet."--This girl has faith. She trusts in her Lord and she knows in her heart that she and her family are protected and loved by the almighty God. Yet another trait to be admired.

I got so much more out of this passage but I thought I would share a few thoughts. The author of Proverbs probably had a specific woman in mind when he wrote this passage and I bet she was one awesome woman. I love this passage because it says so much and it has depth. I strive to be a better wife each day. I pray that I'm a good wife and that I'm living my life the way that God wants me too. He allowed me to be a wife and it is a gift that I need to make the most of. I was fortunate to become a wife at an early age and I am so excited that I am married! It was one of my biggest dreams and it has come true. Why not make the most out of who I can be as a person and as a wife? With God's help and His word to guide me, I can make the necessary changes in my life to be all that I can be.
"

Married Life

Hooray for marriage! It's a time for love, growth, patience, and understanding. I just recently got married on May 22, 2010. The months leading up to the wedding were calm for the most part. I knew that I was going into something great with someone who is great. We had dated for over two years and we knew that the time to seal the deal was quickly approaching. We had no idea what married life was going to be like and yet we were not scared or apprehensive. We knew that this was what God had in His plan for us. Like the old saying goes, "When ya know...ya know." It's true! Matt and I waited on a lot of things before we got married and I think that made a big difference. We did not live together, share bills, or have sex before we got married. As my gyno put it, "How did you manage that?!" With my face beet red, I didn't know what to say. In my heart, I wanted to wait on all of those things so that Matt and I could experience them together as a union. I knew it wouldn't always be easy, and it's not, but it's new and it's just between us. Our married life is like a secret place where only he and I can go. It's a place of non-judgement, understanding, acceptance, and love. Those of you who are married probably know what I am talking about. Marriage is sacred and it's sad that not all couples think of it that way. Is marriage always easy or fun? No. Sometimes, it's just difficult or just plain hard. Yet, it's always worth it. There are times when Matt and I are completely in sync. We cook together, watch movies, joke around, laugh, play video games, or....indulge in other fun things. However, there are other times when I just want to fold some laundry or take a nap and he is bouncing off the walls like a puppy looking for the next fun thing. These are the times when it gets frustrating because it's like trying to get a child off of a sugar high. In his defense, he probably feels like he lives with an old granny sometimes because I love to sleep even if it's just a cat-nap. However, we get each other and we're learning each other. It takes time. It takes patience on both ends and it takes the wisdom of knowing that nothing is perfect, even marriage. However, marriage can have some pretty perfect moments. For instance, I was dreading coming home from work one day because the house was a complete wreck. Dishes were piled high, my dryer had apparently thrown up clothes all into our living room, and our room was a disaster. I did NOT feel like cleaning and then having to cook. However, I opened my apartment door and I literally gasped. My first thought was that someone had robbed us. The house was clean! The clothes were folded and put away, the dishes were cleaned, and our room was straightened. I looked around in disbelief and had a brief moment of hysteria because I was so happy. "My husband rocks!" is all I could say. I literally wanted to jump on the couch but I feared that I might break it. (I really should do P-90 more) He came home from work and I pounced on him like a puppy smothering him with kisses. Don't worry, he didn't mind. He showed me more love by cleaning the house and doing his part than any date we've ever had. I was absolutely in love with him simply because he helped. That's all us ladies really need. Helping out shows love, respect, and responsibility. Those are key traits in a marriage, right? Right! Of course, Matt does his part in other ways, but when he does simple things that really mean a lot, those are the times when I literally feel my heart swell for him. I get chills just knowing that he's mine and I thank God for sharing him with me. Sound cheesy? Well, it's not. It's how love is supposed to be. How God intended it to be. Every relationship is different and you may get your satisfaction in other ways from your spouse but every good deed has the basic principle in mind: love.

What God Has Prepared...

God has a unique and specific plan for each of our lives. In fact, 1 Corinthians 2:9 says "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." Isn't that an exciting thought? Our wonderful and almighty God loves us so much that He created a special plan for our lives. For me, it is humbling. I have seen God's work in action in my life over the last six months. For those of you who know me, I just recently graduated from Francis Marion University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Elementary Education. Sounds great, right? Well, it would be....if I wanted to teach elementary school. I had an unsettling experience during my student teaching block this past semester starting in January. I went into the experience ready and willing to conquer the educational world only to be constantly knocked down by one source or another. However, my students for the most part were wonderful. I made a lot of close relationships with the kids and I saw change in one or two of them as my time at the school progressed. However, there were other factors at this school that wore my soul down to its very core. I had one person who constantly challenged every thought, every feeling, and every word I ever said. It was frustrating. I think my well-being was really shot when this person looked at me and said "If you really think you're giving this experience 100%...then this isn't the profession for you, Kate." Mind you.....I had been out for two days with a crippling stomach bug. My hurt feelings turned to anger. How dare this person tell me that this wasn't the profession for me when this was all I had dreamed about doing since I was a child! I knew that if I was going to get through this experience that I would have to toughen up...a lot. I had a close friend of mine tell me, "You've got to take your heart off your sleeve and keep it in your pocket until this experience is over." She was right. I had to stop being myself in order to deal. I had to be...cold, serious, and overly driven. During this time, I relied on family, my fiance, and God to keep me sane. My family told me over and over to just keep doing my best, my fiance told me to do what made me happy no matter what, and God was silently watching. I know that God was there...I just couldn't hear Him at times. His presence was often times missing...or maybe I just thought it was. I remember a time in February when I walked outside and looked around. The day was dreary as most winter days are. Everything was bare; much like my life at the time felt. I remember thinking that things were hopeless. I swore that I was not going to make it to graduation. I asked God to give me a sign. I thought to myself, "God, if you're there, please let the wind make that tree move." Okay, silly, I know. But, I was desperate for a sign that He was there. The tree didn't move and I know why. God doesn't like to be told what to do. He doesn't do things simply for our satisfaction. That is where faith comes in. I lacked a lot of faith during that time. I would lie awake at night with my thoughts going 100 miles a minute. My heart would often times race indicating that anxiety, my enemy, was ever-present. I honestly felt alone. I look back now and wonder if maybe that was an experience that God used to bring me closer to Him. I do know for a fact that God used that experience to tell me that the elementary world was not for me. After graduation, I decided that pre-school might be a better alternative for me. I adore small children and think that the atmosphere in a pre-school setting might be more Kate-friendly. Some members of my family blame my experience for me not wanting to teach elementary. They harbor feelings of anger and frustration towards the main person that wore me out physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. However, I see that experience as God's way of telling me "This isn't for you...at least not now." I will be teaching 4k in the fall at a Christian pre-school and that is so very exciting. In public school, it is not appropriate to mention God's name or the Bible or any of God's amazing wonders. Well, that just isn't okay with me. Why should I have to silence my love for God when He is what has kept me going all of these years? Yes, I will admit that at times, He does seem distant. However, I know that He is always there. It's me that is being distant from Him. I sometimes let life get away from me. However, I know that God is steadfast. His love is steadfast. He uses experiences in our lives to direct our paths to where we should be and my path is taking me to great places.