Psalm 119

I have been reading Psalm 119, yes all of it...and you are right Heather, I didn't die.

I have read it many times before.

I have even done the excercise where you underline laws and precepts and statutes describing God's Word.

David loved God's Word, it was sweeter to him than honey (vs 103) and more valuable than gold, and not just gold, but PURE gold (vs 127).

But this time when I am reading it, I am focusing on the heart.

Think about all the aspects of your heart.

When you are excited...your heart is happy.

When you are scared...your heart races.

When you are sad...your heart hurts.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

We know that David was a man after God's own heart.

When he sinned, which he did big time, just like us, he repented (as we should) and ran back to God, because He loved God and hated every wrong path (vs 104 and 128).

I believe this is because of his heart. When you love God and seek Him with all of your heart, you will hate sin.

In verse after verse in this chapter it is about the heart.

Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. vs 2

I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. vs 30

I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. vs 32

I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. vs 58

My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end. vs 112

I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD, and I will obey your decrees. vs 145

Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word. vs 161

David doesn't seek God with his mind or his voice or even his eyes. Those can all be deceived. God knows our hearts, we can not hide that from Him.

David was desperate for God with his whole heart. He wasn't concerned about what he looked like on the outside or saying the right thing to impress man.

When he did seek God with his lips, it was only to recount all the laws that come from your (God's) mouth. (vs 13)

He was completely and totally focused on God, His Word and obedience.

"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Isaiah 29:13

That is not what I want. I do not want my walk with the Lord to be out of routine and just simply what I do.

I want every day to be seeking God with all of my heart and chasing after Him with a passion and love that can not be described.

I am praying that God will continue to teach me how to do that.

Happy Birthday Alex

Today my baby is six.



Thank you Alex for six years of wonderful.



Six years of imagination and laughter.



You keep me on my toes...never a dull moment.



Thank you for being so sweet.



Thank you for being so unpredictable.



Thank you for being so loud.



Thank you for being you.



I love you sweet boy.

Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47

I love this passage because it is truly one of my favorite things to do in life.

The fellowship of the believers.

The Church.

Meeting together on a daily basis in one form or another and worshipping, fellowshipping, eating or praying.

I am so loving this sermon series on Ekklessia...the Church.

Of not just "doing church" or "going to church" but being the church.

I can tell you that after Jesus captured my heart, delving my whole heart, mind and soul into my church has drastically changed my life.

God wants all of us...not just part of us.

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? James 4:4-5

Envies intensely...the Holy Spirit will fight for us.

I love seeing how God wants it done...it doesn't mean that it is always easy.

That is why there is a fight.

It is not easy dying to oneself and carrying ones own cross (Luke 14:27)

But Jesus says it is necessary...a reasonable act as we learned in Romans 12...I love that.

Jesus also says that we are "one body, many parts" 1 Corinthians 12

We need each other.

I am reading Joshua Harris book Stop Dating the Church...love it.

He talks about the people who believe they can be Christians and never go to church.

I have heard this argument many times. They don't believe you have to fellowship or be connected with other believers.

That is disobedience.

He compares them to "good for nothing" bricks.

I love this...he says what is a brick made for? To help build a house. It is of no use for that brick to tell you that it is just as good a brick while it is kicking about on the ground as it would be in the house. It is a good-for-nothing brick.

So you rolling-stone Christians, I do not believe that you are answering your purpose. You are living contrary to the life which Christ would have you live, and you are much to blame for the injury you do.

I don't ever want to be a good-for-nothing brick.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. Ephesians 2:19-21

Happy Birthday Sweet Sara

Happy Birthday!!!

How I love this face.

I could listen to you talk all day.

What a blessing it is to call you friend and watch you grow into a beautiful woman of God.

I love you!!!

Happy Birthday Cindy

This is Cindy saying woo hoo...it's my birthday!!

I know she is also saying, why did she post that picture?...well it is the only one I have on my computer at home.

So there.

Happy Birthday Cindy.

Thank you for your friendship, for your laughter and your quirkiness that makes you Cindy and is the reason we love you.

Thank you for being there for me!!

I love you!!

Holy Huddles

I am guilty of this.

God is convicting me of this.

How often do we stay in our own little comfortable groups of people that we know and love so well and not pay attention to the rest of the body?

We justify it by saying "I am doing so much, I don't have time".

We "meet" three to five people each week at church, but after saying "hi, my name is Kathryn", what do I truly do with it?

I think that if we do not know people well, we are afraid that it will be awkward.

I had the Birkenfelds over for dinner this week.

I did not know them very well.

It was not awkward, Brock put on costumes and ran around screaming with the boys while Megan and I had sweet conversation.

But I want to go even deeper than this.

It is easy to love the lovable.

But what about the people who are more broken then us? (because we are all broken, even if we don't admit it)

How much time do we spend with people who are desperately trying to figure out what a relationship with Jesus looks like?

How much time do we spend with people who are struggling with their walk with Jesus?

Do we really want to listen when people pour out their guts to us and then be there when they need help putting them back together?

What are we afraid of?

Are we afraid that if we invest in other peoples lives who are struggling, we may have to admit that we struggle too?

I know that I would much rather the world only see my smile and the good things.

I do not particularly care for the world to see my short comings.

It is not pleasant to admit that I struggle with fear and anxiety.

Yes, all those things that Jesus says do not do...I do them.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

I am asking Jesus to give me a heart like that...He is answering me and putting people in my path to do just that.

I am extremely challenged by the current sermon series.

You can listen to it at LHBC.

I am excited to see how our body responds.

To the good stuff and the bad stuff.

And it is not really bad stuff, it is only stuff that we are supposed to be doing and not doing and then feeling conviction about it.

Praise the Holy Spirit for conviction.

Thank You Jesus for moving in our lives when we respond.