Light For Your Journey

Delayed Gratification

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 17:37:00 -0800

Two ugly words in today's society...delayed gratification. We don't like it. Our minds have been programmed and pampered by the world we live in today to get what we want fairly quickly! Whether its a hot meal at the drive thru, or a huge loan (bad credit or NO credit!!). Waiting... we hate it. It's physically painful sometimes. Waiting for the light to change, waiting for a page to load, waiting for our kids to get through the door safely, waiting for test results.

So I found it interesting when my pastor tonight said" waiting is exciting!! We should be eager with anticipation ..!"

What he meant was that waiting for what God has planned should be exciting...why?? Because it comes with a promise. A promise that He will follow through. That He loves us and has our best interest in mind, and that, as we wait, He is working out the details on our behalf.

We serve a God that loves us and has our best interest in mind. Does that mean there will never be difficulties? Or sorrow? Or grief? No way. We live in a world of imperfect people and a place where sinful nature abounds. Will God's plan always be what we originally hoped for? Thankfully, no. His plan is better than yours. When we accept that with humility and gratitude, we can't be disappointed.

When we are waiting for a storm to pass so we can catch the next flight, there will always be a chance it's just not going to happen. But not with God. Are you in the middle of your own storm? Has something terrible and unexpected happened? Are you angry and wondering how God could possibly have your best interest in mind? The answer is this...wait, and trust. Only God is capable of making something beautiful grow in a dead, lifeless place. Wait.

Think of the water and sun, and years and YEARS required to see the seed of an oak tree grow up to be strong enough to hold a swinging child!

We can wait with confidence and assurance that His plan with reveal itself in due time, and that He is good, all the time.

So, when God's plan involves a lot of waiting... don't fret! "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.." (Psalm 37:7) Instead of allowing worry to take over, or the determination of your own will to change the course of God's plan, just wait...with anticipation.

Worth Waiting For

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Sat, 9 Feb 2013 18:21:00 -0800

Waiting. It stinks. Whether it's in line at the grocery store behind the sweet little lady with 147 coupons, or in the doctor's office, or in traffic, waiting is not my favorite.

It's a part of life we just can't get around, and I think God uses it to remind me I'm not the only person on the planet for one, and two, why am I in such a hurry?

See, God isn't at all interested in getting us where we are going FAST.
He does promise, though, that He WILL get us where we are going, if the road we are on is His.
Psalm 37:7 reminds us to "be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.."

Are you in a period of waiting? Praying? Watching? Hoping? Are you restless as you wait, or are you hopeful that your waiting is exactly where He wants you, and a necessary part of the unfolding of His plan and purpose for you? Because that's exactly what it is. In fact, waiting can be a major faith and character builder. And a lot of times, it's in the "waiting" period that God intends to mold us and better prepare and equip us for this thing we are waiting for. Sometimes, we even discover that we were waiting and praying for the wrong thing altogether, and His answer is something else altogether.

The danger to our impatience is that we often are able to convince ourselves that He is moving too slowly, and we must make a move without His leading. It's in these hasty moments that we justify choices led by our own selfish desires, our impulses, our emotions, and can make life changing choices that lead us out of His plan for us (and those following us!)...because we chose not to wait. How scary!

I've been blessed to see God work in amazing ways for those who were willing to wait on Him. HIS best for them. HIS version of their life plan. His story for you is far better than any you could write for yourself, and definately worth waiting for.

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" -Isaiah 30:18

Chasing God

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:21:00 -0800

FIRST and foremost, I need to clear the air (probably more for me than you) and apologize for being so lazy with this blog the last 6 months...couldnt have been any lazier actually...but the first step is admitting the problem, right? For those of you who have ever taken a moment to read this blog, thank you, and I pray that God spoke to you in some way through it. And for those who have stopped by to see if I'd finally posted again, I'm sorry for being a huge disapointment in that regard. :)
But today is a new day, so I digress...

So my "plan" (those of you who know me well know I'm not much for structure) is not to blog on certain days of the week, or a certain number of times a week (we know where that concept got me) but to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and be obedient to sit and write as soon as He puts something on my heart to share...so here I am.

As I parused my favorite little book, My Utmost For His Highest, full of amazing spiritual insight from my good friend Oswald, this verse immediatly grabbed me tonight. Words from our Creator, Savior, life giver, Counselor, Healer, Jesus...

"I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me." -(John 5:30)

Wow.

I want to be able to say that. Every day. Every year. Through every chapter, trials and joys.
Well into the first month of 2013, we are posed with the challenge of a "fresh start", a personal challenge, a resolution. The word resolution comes from "resolve", which means to "make a firm decision about." And that's exactly what Jesus did, every moment, every day, in every encounter with every person, in every situation, all the time. He RESOLVED to follow and obey and trust the One who sent Him, and to dedicate his energy, his LIFE, solely to fulfill the purpose of God.

God is sending us too, every day that we wake up on this earth.

Sending us into this broken, burting, sinful, selfish, God-rejecting world, and not for ourselves. Not to gratify our flesh, or chase after our little (or big) ideas of happiness and fulfillment, but to chase after our Creator, daily...which will ultimately lead us right to the front door of our purpose. Right to the center of HIS will.

So will you resolve to aim your feet in the direction of Him who is sending you? Or will you aimlessly and recklessly blaze the path of your own ambitions, leaving God behind, as an after thought, hoping He's on board with your plan?

My prayer is that this new year you discover many blessings, unexpected ones, totally off your radar, not in your plans, as a result of listening to and following the leading of God. Maybe even some discomfort, some bending and stretching of your faith and your will, until you find yourself so wonderfully alligned with Him, so "In His Purpose" that you can't imagine how you ever lived any other way.

Come As You Are

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Tue, 5 Jun 2012 15:30:00 -0700

The whole message of Jesus' life, and death, was one of love...complete, unconditional, limitless love...the kind that, even the people who lived day-to-day with Him, wouldn't understand until He was gone. The kind that we, no matter how many great sermons we hear on the subject, still have a hard time wrapping our human minds around.

Why? Because it defies logic. It doesn't make sense for one person to take upon himself the sins of the whole world, and die a gruesome, painful death, for love.  Maybe somewhere in the back of our minds, a small voice may still whisper, "you don't deserve it. He died for others...but not you. You aren't enough."

This is just one lie satan would have you believe to keep you from experiencing the fullness of God's love and the rest and peace that come from really believing it.

I love the lyrics of Broken and Beautiful, by Mark Schultz...

"There's a businessman
There's a widowed wife
There's a smiling face with a shattered life
There's a teenage girl with a choice to make
It's crowded here in church today
And the preacher says as the sermon ends
"Please close your eyes and bow your heads
Is there anyone in need of prayer
Jesus wants to meet you here"
'cause we ALL fall short
We all have sinned
But when you let
God's Grace break in…
It's beautiful
Beautiful..
Come as you are
Surrender your heart...cause there's nothing more beautiful to God than when his daughters and sons come broken.. broken and beautiful"

Remember this message, each and every day. God did not come to save the sinless, or perfect. (of which there are none..)  And in order to feel the fullness of His great love for you, His daughter, you must come to realize that He loves you just as you are, today! Satan would have us believe that we are too knee deep in guilt, sin, imperfection, and unworthiness, to ever approach God, but the truth is quite the opposite. There is nothing you can ever do to deserve His sacrafice...it's a free gift, and it's for YOU!
   Just humble yourself...let Him in, let Him pour out His love and healing on your heart. Come to him just as you are, today.

^"
^"Forall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23-24

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8

NOTW

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:50:00 -0700

I see these stickers everywhere. Anyone else? In case you're not familiar with it, it stands for "Not of this world." I love these stickers, and their popularity, because I appreciate the reminder as I'm driving around. And it seems that the longer this earth keeps spinning, the harder it is to NOT be OF this world.

Everything around us constantly tries to invade us with a "me-centered" mentality. And worse, the perversion of our culture is worse than ever- the temptation to justify and not just accept but embrace unbiblical behaviors and principles is an expected norm. Satan has done a pretty good job at making any of us who choose to stand up for what is honorable and biblical appear to be unaccepting, weak, and prude.

Take an honest assessment of what you allow into your mind, and into your home. What have you slowly and steadily justified as acceptable just because we live in a "different time", a modern world. What attitudes or behaviors have become comfortable for you over time?

How are we different than those who don't know the Truth, who don't have Jesus? If you have chosen Him as your Savior, make sure He is also your Lord. Lord over every area of your life! Be a light,be fruitful, be different,make those who don't know Him yet wonder what you've got that they don't. It's not just our duty, it's His command.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world it would love you as it's own. As it is, you do NOT belong to the world, but I have CHOSEN you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." -John 15:18-19

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." -I John 2:16

" Stop loving the world and the things that are in the world. If anyone persists in loving the world, the Father's love is not in him." -1 John 2:15

To check out the Not Of This World merchandise, visit www.notw.com

Everything matters

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Sat, 3 Mar 2012 07:58:00 -0800

Steven Curtis Chapman has a great song titled "Do Everything." Some of the lyrics:

"You’re picking up toys on the living room floor
for the 15th time today
Matching up socks and sweeping up lost Cheerios that got away
You put a baby on your hip and color on your lips
and head out the door, And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all?
We’ll let me remind you it all matters just as long as you
Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you.

Well maybe you’re sitting in math class
Maybe you're on a mission in the Congo
Maybe you’re working at the office
Singing along with the radio
Maybe you’re dining at a five star
Or feeding orphans in Myanmar
Anywhere and everywhere you are
Whatever you do it all matters
So do what you do and don’t ever forget
to do Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace..."

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." -Colossians 3:23-24

So here's your reminder, loud and clear, that whatever you're doing has significance. Wherever you are in life, whatever you are doing, it all matters and can all be used for God's glory if we dedicate that work to Him. Maybe you are not where you want to be right now. Maybe you're hoping for something different. Maybe your co-workers are nearly impossible to work with, maybe your boss is a jerk. Maybe you are underpaid, and under appreciated.
This verse from Colossians serves as a refreshing reminder that we are working to serve and please the Lord, not man. And whatever you do, put your heart and hands into it, and do it with all your might, so that those watching would see Him in you. Anything we do with all our hearts, and with a cheerful spirit, will bring a smile to His face! (and to ours) :)

To Listen to "Do Everything" click here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3YLJCOKOzM

To hear Steven Curtis Chapman talk about his inspiration for writing this song, click here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NOMv90r9xM

...so submit to God!

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:36:00 -0800

"The devil is trying to steal from you and destroy you, and make it look like it was all your idea. So, girlfriend, submit to God." -Beth Moore

Have you cringed yet? I have.
Submit. Ugh, what a dirty little pesky word. What good could come of it for us, really? It sounds so weak, so innactive, so passive...(probably nothing that this prideful, independent minded woman wants anything to do with)

But wait. Maybe the opposite is true.

What if submission meant giving yourself and your life the best chance? What if it meant allowing God to do Exactly all He intends and hopes to do, IN you, and THROUGH you?

"Satan doesn't have to convince you and me to do his will for our life. He only has to tempt us to demand our own. God has something bigger for each of us than our human minds can hug. Something eternal. Something that will still matter when our bones have turned to heaps of dust."

*God is always looking out for your ultimate good and takes your hurts personally. So submit to God.
* He knows when your motive was right but your mouth messed up. So submit to God.
* He knows exactly how to work terrible into good. So submit to God.
* He loves you completely and unconditionally and will never let you go. So submit to God.
* He knows the well-deliberated plan for your life and how all things must fall into place for you to fulfill your destiny. So submit to God.
* He will never put to shame those who trust in Him. So submit to God." -Beth Moore

"But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." -James 4:6-8

faith, hope, love

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:58:00 -0800

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. -1 Corinthians 13:13

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

" We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. "

-1 Thes. 1:3

Work produced by faith....

When have you last had to take some steps forward in total reliance on the Lord? Without a visible safety net? Is God urging you toward something that doesn't feel "safe" but would require complete and total faith in Him? When we do that, we're entering into a faith walk...this is where faith is measured, and this is where faith begins. This is where faith grows. Faith is, after all, trusting in what we cannot see. And the work produced from this kind of faith is able to fulfill God's plan in a mighty way!! When we put total trust in Him for each step, for the details, for the big and small stuff, He is able to do far more in us and through us than we could ever imagine.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? -James 2:14-16

Labor prompted by love...

There is no more pure expression of the spirit of God than to serve out of love. This is the epitome of the person of Jesus and the heart of our Father.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

-James 1:27

This reminds me of what I remember of my mother. She had the kind of spirit that thrived on being poured out for others. Like being poured out is what made her heart keep beating. I want my life to be just like that. One looooong series of acts of love, one after another after another. A pure love that gives without expecting gratitude or recognition, love that is unconditional, love that reflects the life Jesus died to give me. Love that urges us to reach out to a stranger. Senseless, selfless love. Love for the lost, for the poor and rejected, for the sinner, for the outcast, for the broken hearted....this is why we were created. To be God's "hands and feet!." I know better than to think I can possibly live this kind of life if I rely solely upon my own strength and imperfect, selfish nature. I have to be committed to dying to myself daily, and letting His spirit in me reign.

Labor prompted by love saves lives. And gives life and purpose to ours.

Endurance inspired by hope in God....

Hope in God actually PRODUCES endurance. It is what allows us to keep going when our own flesh wears out and gives up...achieving His will for your life depends on it! It's what takes a regular bunny and turns it into an energizer bunny! There's no limit to what God can do through a person who has surrendered their efforts and energy to Him, to be poured out to be used to fulfill His will.

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people...."

-Galatians 6: 9-10

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." - Hebrews 12:1-3

Empty spaces?

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:09:00 -0800

The Empty Tomb

"He has risen just as He said." -Matthew 28:6

In all of us, there is some degree of brokenness. Something that was once whole, maybe too long ago to remember, but is now broken. Shattered by pain, disapointment, rejection, guilt, or heartache. That broken place can stay broken, and then it just feels like an emptiness. A void. And you may have become so accustomed to it, that you have forgotten what it feels like to have it whole, filled up.

God knows. He knows our brokenness. He knows the pain, or anger, or numbness.

But He doesn't want to leave you that way. His death on the cross, and then resurrection was more than a love story. It promises us that nothing broken ever has to stay that way. It offers hope to the hopeless.

That empty tomb was a visible, tangible message for us. For God, NOTHING is impossible, too broken to fix, too ugly to make new.

"The power of the resurrection means that nothing but the tomb is meant to be empty!" -beth moore

The empty spaces you have were meant to be filled by His love, grace, and mercy. Maybe you haven't released it to Him yet. Maybe you haven't totally trusted Him with those broken parts of your heart. Maybe you feel ashamed for Him to see them, or maybe you've grown numb to them.

The sooner you let it go, and entrust Him with it, the sooner He can breath life back into those dark, dead spaces. He'll make it better than new.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Tame your tongue

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Sun, 8 Jan 2012 22:04:00 -0800

^{James 3: 3-11}
³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.

⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Wow, what a great reminder. We truly are the only ones who can "tame" our own tongues. We can be provoked, angered, tempted, flustered, and our mouths just pop open and junk comes out. And it can't be put back in.

In first grade, I must have had a pretty loose mouth, because I remember clearly, on more than one occasion, being made to sit alone in silence, as my teacher rebuked me, "if you can't say something nice it's better to say nothing at all!" (I know, I'm in shock myself..)

How are you using (or abusing) your speaking privelages? Consider each day an opportunity to bless or "burn" with your tongue. Because out of the same mouth can come kindness, or evil.

All Eyes on Him

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Thu, 5 Jan 2012 20:29:00 -0800

Tonight I was reading my son a children's bible story about Peter walking out onto the waves toward Jesus. What I love SO much about scripture is it's great relevance, whether you're 5 or 85, and that there's always potential to gain some new insight that you didn't see before, if your heart is open to it. And as I sat and typed this it occurred to me that I already did a blog entry about getting OUT of the boat (haha, I tend to have a slight memory issue) ...so this one focuses on trusting Him once you're out.

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” -matthew 14:22-33

Verse 26 reminds me of times when we fear what's ahead and we don't recognize God's hand is at work. God is an absolute. He is good, all the time. We may not always like what we see ahead, but we can be sure He's there when we get there. His plan is perfect. He never changes. His love for us never changes. And He will always be with us. We may have times when we feel we can't see or feel Him but His promise remains...He will never leave us or forsake us.

Then in verse 27, when the disciples express fear, Jesus immediatly offers comfort and reassures his friends. "It is I! Don't be afraid!"

In verse 28, Peter wants proof. What I love is that even in Peter's moment of doubt and testing, Jesus continues to reassure, rather than rebuke. Peter literally asked Jesus to "prove it, and let me walk on water too!"

And Peter did! He asked, and he received. Jesus allowed Peter to experience walking on water, as long as PETER's FAITH would allow, anyway. Is there something you may never know because you haven't yet totally trusted God with it?

And then we get to the kicker- verse 30 and 31.
When Peter saw the wind and the waves, he began to sink. Isn't that what we do? As soon as we allow our thoughts to wander from truth to dark little places of doubt and worry, fear takes over like a crashing wave, and we're hopeless and helpless in it's grasp. It's only when Peter's eyes stayed on Jesus, that he was able to do the unimagineable...walk on water! And it's only when we keep our focus on Him and His power and love, that we are able to do great things amidst a storm!

The ultimate message of this passage, though, is that Jesus reached out to Peter as he sank and caught him.

And if Peter had not reached out to grasp his hand, he wouldn't have lived to tell about it. Are you struggling and sinking, and gasping for breath? Reach out, because He's waiting to take your hand.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Sun, 1 Jan 2012 19:33:00 -0800

Happy New Year! First post of 2012...woohoooo.

A lot of us will face the inevitable question, posed by someone. "What's your New Year's resolution? It's often an unwelcomed question too, especially if we haven't gotten around to even thinking about it yet. Or if we know we haven't yet fulfilled the ones we hoped for in 2011...

So, instead, I want to ask a few other questions.
What's NOT working well in your life? What would you change? What relationships need work? What are your worries? What is your focus, and should it be different? What gets most of your energy and attention?
What qualities do you admire in others that you wish you also saw in yourself?

Now, I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to sit around and wait for something different to happen, and frankly, I don't have much patience for people who refuse to change their circumstances, but would prefer to sit and wallow in them. I think God has given us the will, and the intelligence, to make significant changes in our own lives, and the lives of others.

For example, (and many of my closest friends and I seem to share this problem) life is "too busy." Seems like everybody has that same gripe.
So do something about it. Cut things out. Don't allow your children to each participate in 3 activities at once. Don't say "yes" to every opportunity that arises, no matter how "good" it is. Don't volunteer in 4 different things, and then offer to take a position in the PTO, and then start a non-profit organization, and then take out your frustration on those you love the most.

Clear the schedule. Make time to just live. Stop and smell the roses. Then, when something comes before you that's clearly from God, you may have the right attitude and energy to embrace it and fulfill it beautifully.

Maybe you are carrying around bitter, or broken heart. Stop and consider if you've been taking care of it. Have you allowed people in, who desire to bless and love you? What have you been "feeding" it? Meaning, are you surrounding yourself with people and messages that reinforce your hurt and bitterness? Or have you taken charge of the healing process and chosen to reject self-pity?

Wherever you are as you enter 2012, focus on what you can change. Pray that you are able to let go of the things that you can't change. Reject the things (and obligations, and people, and habits, and thoughts, and attitudes) that tie you down, and keep you from being your BEST self. Because this is YOUR year.

I love you my sisters. We are all in this journey together. Let's encourage and pray for eachother, and never stop fighting the good fight.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." -galatians 6:9

Mother Teresa's Philosophy

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:37:00 -0800

"It is in giving that we receive." Mother Teresa

All I ever knew about Mother Teresa is that she lived her life dedicated to the betterment of the lives of others. I picked up this little coffee table book on clearance at Borders titled, LOVE, the words and inspiration of Mother Teresa. Reading her story, and of her dedication to loving the "unwanted", I am in awe of a life given over to others. It doesn't seem that she lived even a day for herself, but continually poured herself out to homeless and hurting children, the sick, and the dying. She rescued babies left in trash cans in India, and provided shelter, medicine, and food for abandoned children living on the streets with disease. Where there was news of abandoned children during a war, she would, herself, at age 75, drive in the war zone to personally rescue them. When a limousine was donated to her by Pope John Paul IV, she immediatly sold it and donated the funds. She said, "why own a limo when I can walk or take a bus?" She worked hard to think outside the box to reach the needs of the people who were otherwise forgotten.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes of hers from the book.

"Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put into what we do."

"The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for, and deserted by everybody. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference toward one's neighbor..."

"A smile is the beginning of love."

"Joy is love- a joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love, for she gives most who gives with joy."

"In these times of development, everybody is in a hurry and everybody's in a rush, and on the way there are people fallingdown, who are not able to compete. These are the ones we want to love and serve and take care of."

"Never let anyone come to you without coming away better and happier."

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives."

Let's live each day looking for someone who needs our love, our encouragement, a warm smile, a kind word. In doing this, one by one, we can heal the hearts of this world! Let us be encouraged by Teresa's example, that one life, humbly poured out, CAN change the lives of many.

simply CHRISTmas

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:53:00 -0800

The Christmas hoopla is all well underway. For many of us, it's an exciting time, full of Christmas music, decorating, shopping, and baking, and parties. But for nearly as many others, it's a rough time to get through, for a long list of reasons.

It's so easy to lose our focus this time of year, with the good and the bad. With our focus on gifting, there's a great financial burden for a lot of people. With the focus on activities, there's the stress of a TOO packed December schedule, and how to fit it all in. For a lot of us, the family "reunions" that happen this time of year are equally as stressful.

The danger each year, though, is to miss out on simplicity of what Christmas is all about. With the focus on Christ during CHRISTmas, we are all able to breath a sigh of relief, and grab onto the peace and hope that the story of Jesus so abundantly offers us. When we choose to embrace what it's all about, and maybe forego some of the other stuff, we also can CHOOSE to reduce some stress and busyness.

Let's celebrate Christ's birth like we never have before. Let's be intentional to sit with our families and our young children, and tell them what it's really all about. Let's set our hearts on the gift of His son, born to die for us. Christmas is what we make it.

the birth of Jesus:
Luke 2:8-20
⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Let's glorify and praise God for the gift of his son!

Get out of the boat!

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Fri, 2 Dec 2011 09:18:00 -0800

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹ “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

If we want to experience the greatness and awesomeness that the Lord has in store, we've got to get out of the boat.

Peter could have been greatly inspired just be seeing Jesus walk on the water, and still remain "secure" from inside the safety of the boat, as the others did. They were able to witness God's power from inside the boat, but only Peter was able to experience the intimacy and greatness of walking WITH Jesus out on the water!

I believe Peter had an understanding that the others in the boat may not have had. He knew that, although the water carried the threat of drowning, of the unknown, it offered something that he could never experience within the boat. We are wise to grasp this concept.

Once Peter took the leap of faith and stepped out of the boat, Jesus gave him a supernatural ability that was outside of the "human" realm of possibility. This was something that Peter could only have experienced had he trusted his Lord! His faith allowed him to walk on water.

Is there something God has in store for your life that you're missing out on because of your lack of faith? Are you settling with mediocrity? If life feels stagnant, and you feel ineffective or feel a lack of purpose, maybe it's because you've chosen to stay in your boat.
I challenge you to not be content with being "inspired" by witnessing God's greatness in the lives of those around you. Don't limit yourself to living vicariously through the faith of others. Pray that you have Peter's eyes to see what he has for YOU outside the boat. Whatever is it, it will surely deepen your relationship with him, and your faith, and give you a great story to tell.

Give Thanks, or Selah!

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 19:31:00 -0800

Selah: hebrew- meaning to pause and praise.

In other words, stop what I'm doing, take a pause in my agenda, and thank the Maker of the heavens and the earth!

Happy thanksgiving, everyone!

I hope we all took the time to have a "selah" today, even amidst the busyness of the holiday. It's so easy to get caught up in the little day-to-day details of life that we forget to be thankful.

My Selah for today includes (but is NOT limited to) these thoughts of thanks:

-I am so grateful to the Lord for being all-knowing, all I need, and SO gracious, more than I deserve.

-I am so grateful that He doesn't always answer my prayers in my timing, because His is always better.

-I praise Him that He "gives and takes away". Any time He takes away, he gives us the opportunity for a greater faith, a clearer world view, and more wisdom. He also increases our influence- allows us to help and encourage somebody dealing with the same thing.

-I thank God for seeing the whole picture when I may only see what's right in front of me.

- I thank God for so strategically placing amazing people and circumstances in my life that make me stronger and wiser. A better friend. A better mom. A better person.

A Psalm of thanksgiving:
Shout triumphantly to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.

Acknowledge that the LORD is God.
He made us, and we are His —
His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the LORD is good, and His love is eternal;
His faithfulness endures through all generations. — Psalm 100

Don't Judge

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:38:00 -0800

"Don't judge, or you too will be judged." Matthew 7:11

This topic is near to my heart for two reasons:
1) I think a critical spirit is the problem that divides us as sisters, and keeps us from loving eachother as God commands us to!
2) I've had years and years of struggling with this issue. God has had to tear "logs" out of my eyes time and time again, until I finally started to see ALL people as God's creation, all sinful and selfish in nature but loved by God regardless!

Exerpt taken from My Utmost For His Highest. (This devotion book is a MUST. If I could only save two books it would be the Bible, and My Utmost.)

"Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.

If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God." -Oswald Chambers

So, it comes down to this. When you catch yourself being critical and judgemental, be humble enough to allow God to show you the ugliness of that, and ask Him to help purify your heart. It's only with a pure heart and loving motives that we will have any hope of shining the love of Jesus to all people.

Be a woman of grace, love, and encouragement! Resist the temptation to compare and critisize. It only darkens our hearts, and prevents us from loving people the way we should!!! Shine on!

Truth or Lie?

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Sun, 6 Nov 2011 07:22:00 -0800

"If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." -John 8:31-32

Now re-read that and put emphasis on the IF and the THEN.

IF, meaning that if you do not hold tight to His teaching, the truth cannot set you free! And don't we all long to be free from something? Some kind of physical or mental bondage? Some heaviness that lingers? A nagging sin, the regret of a bad decision, a lie that keeps us from being at peace, the list goes on...

But God didn't die for nothing! He died to free us from bondage and He promises that IF we cling to His teaching, and His truths, the result (THEN the truth can set you free...) will be freedom.

However, it's vital to understand that we won't experience total peace and freedom just because we believe in God. It requires a degree of dedication on our part. Dedication to being life long learners, being humble before God, and holding the words of the bible close to our hearts.

It also requires that we are comitted to putting our thoughts (and other people's words and advice) through a "truth" strainer.

Feelings are not facts.

A half truth is a full lie.

"Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." -1 Peter 5:8

"The devil....is the father of lies." -John 8:44

Satan disguises himself very well in the world we live in today, just as he did in the very beginning, sneaking around as a serpent in the garden. His messages fill our ears through the radio, tv, newspaper, internet, advertising, even "christian" authors and teachers. If we aren't committed to distinguishing God's truths from the world's lies, the grey area becomes huge. And before we know it, we are justifying outright sin, and allowing satan to feed us lies that keep us from experiencing the joy and peace God promises.

I highly recommend the book called, "Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh Demoss.
Take a look at a few common lies women believe and check your heart to see if you find them there.

1. God isn't really enough.
2. God doesn't love me.
3. I'm not worth anything.
4. I have a right to act how I act.
5. I can sin and get away with it.
6. My sin isn't that bad compared to so and so...
7. God can't forgive what I've done.
8. I have to earn God's love through good deeds.
9. I have to have a husband to be happy and complete.
10. My husband should always make me feel happy and complete.
11. If I feel something, it must be true.
12. I can't control my emotions and I can't control how I respond when I'm hormonal. (hahaha.)
13. It's all about me.
14. I am a product of my circumstances and my past, and I can't change how I am.
15. I can't live up to God's standards so why try?

Start by praying and asking the Lord to give you a spirit of discernment, so that you are quickly able to judge God's truths from Satan's lies. Ask God to show you what lies you have been believing that have kept you from experiencing the fullness of God's love and freedom.

Because the TRUTH is:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God." - Romans 8:38-39

Are you filling buckets?

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Thu, 3 Nov 2011 17:30:00 -0700

I once told a homeless man, a total stranger, that I loved him. Sounds totally weird but it just came out. I guess I could say it was an overflow of the love God has shown me...and it just spilled over. But he was touched, and smiled, and said, "God bless you." And I am pretty darn sure God knew he needed to hear it, and let me be the messenger. I am also pretty sure that in that moment, God put his heart for that man into my heart, because I genuinely felt like I meant what I said.

I am grateful that someone once said to me, "When you wake up, you should pray that you will have the eyes to see who God needs you to bless today." Because there is someone, every day, for you to minister to, if you only have your eyes open to see. It may be someone in your close circle, it may be a stranger at the grocery store, and it may be someone who is downright unloveable. Ever since I started to pray that way, God has opened my eyes.

When Selah was in preschool she participated in an activity called the "joy-giver." Each student is to go around and say something kind to someone else, and then they respond with, "thank you, joy giver!"

Aww, sweet isn't it? But also very practical. And the concept is highly minimized in this self-serving world we live in.

Micah came home from kindergarten and told me the "bucket story." He explained that everyone has a bucket, and everyone deserves a full bucket. When we love other people, or are kind to them, our buckets get filled, and so do theirs. But when we are hurtful or unkind to others, we empty their buckets, AND our own.

If we were willing for God to use us this way, to see each person as having a bucket that you yourself are capable of filling, how blessed would we all be?

Jennifer Kennedy Dean wrote, "We are the dispensers of His life. What He wants to do in your world, He will do through you. The Father will put you where He wants you. He will bring into your life or to your attention everyone He wants to love through you. You've already been assigned. You will not have to find God's will; God's will finds you. When His life flows through you to others, you will have the privelage of seeing the power of God at work. It will produce in you exuberant joy. "

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." -2 Tim. 3:5

So I challenge you to see each day, each interraction, as having the potential to be a God-ordained moment. It may not mean telling total strangers you love them. Just slow down long enough to make eye contact and give a warm smile to someone who may be hurting and losing hope in humanity. Stop and ask how their day is going. Buy a stranger a coffee. It's really really simple to make a deep impact. How did we ever get moving so fast that we forgot that the girl who checked us out at the grocery store is human? Might sound silly, but since I've been thinking this way, God has allowed me to witness some amazing moments, just by showing His love to total strangers. If christians aren't "being" Jesus to the hurting and lost world, who will be?

Remain in Him

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:52:00 -0700

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned." John 15: 4a, 5-6

I discovered the truth about this verse firsthand. I had this beautiful potted shrub that I had somehow managed to keep alive for over a year. (I have a black thumb..) When I got home from vacation, I saw the poor thing dried up and brown...crunchy, really. No life left. I had forgotten to ask my friend to water it. My stomach sunk because this was a special gift I had received after my grandma died. So, I decided to give it a last chance at life and cut all of the dead stuff off...which was everything. It was left with a few pathetic stubs. So I watered it. Seems silly to water these little stubs, but within a day or two a vibrant green leaf had sprouted! And every day, it's getting healthier!

This is a perfect illustration for our hearts. Are you feeling dry, and thirsty? Kinda dead and ugly inside? We have all been there. The next question is where have you been drawing your "water" or energy from? The world? Yourself? Or the Lord? In John 15 he promises that IF (IF...) we remain in Him, and His love, and His Word, he WILL remain in us, and will never leave us. He promises we will produce fruit. But without being closely tied to our Father, our life source, we are sure to end up weary and fruitless.

If you allow Him the control of being your "gardener", of pruning off the "dead" fruitless junk in your life, He is SURE to replace it with something better!

Have you EVER been able to keep a dozen fresh cut roses alive? Not more than a few days. Once they've been cut from their life source, they are sure to shrivel, dry out, lose their vibrant color and sweet scent, and be thrown into the trash. But if those same roses stay attached to the "vine" from where they grew, they can last season after season.

Unity!

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:01:00 -0700

So our church, the Refinery, has a great new concept called Refinery U (as in university) that allows us all to come together at church Wednesday night and then go take a "class." We chose the marriage class with Roderick Logan, a great preacher and christian counselor. Anyway, I was inspired tonight by his focus on the word "unity" and how crucial it is to have healthy relationships, especially in marriage.

Unity: Oneness, agreement, harmony, peace

A lack of unity leads to a lot of strife, hurt feelings, even broken families and marriages. What prevents unity? We do. I think it's in our sinful nature to keep striving to fulfill our OWN needs- to have other people conform to our hopes and expectations, rather than focusing on the giving. Also, we grow weary when we rely on that person (or that role) to "fill us up" and we lose focus. Why are we doing this? What's the point again?

Well, let's consider what the opposite of the word unity may be.
Opposition, strife, division, egocentrism?

A self-serving attitude creates division, and there's no way around that.

When it comes to family, (our church family or birth family), spouse, best friends, work associates, teammates, there HAS to be unity. And, as Roderick so simply stated, (and in regard to marriage especially) this requires three things:

1) Volunteerism (from everyone involved)- You make a choice to give of yourself- no one can require this of you or demand it

2) mutual love- a CHOICE, not a feeling. Something you decide to give unconditionally, that doesn't rely on what you receive in return. In hebrew, "ahav" which translates to "benevolance to the other at a cost to me."

3) mutual respect- usually requires a degree of self sacrafice and compromise, "choosing" your battles for the good of the other person (or the good of the vision)

If you find yourself in an "agreement" or a relationship where you feel burden and lack of unity, first take a look at your heart's attitude. Are you lacking in volunteerism, love, or respect? Have YOU lost the vision? If you feel irritated as you give your gift, it's not really a gift,but a disservice to the recipient. Give as Christ gave to you. This fact alone should be more than enough to carry us through when we feel "dry."

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His love for us, in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." NIV

1 Peter 3:8 "Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude." -NLT

Thank you for my suffering!

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:06:00 -0700

WhAt?!

When is the last time YOU felt like praising God in the midst of a trial? "Thank you, God, for allowing me to experience this current trial or hardship. This pain and suffering is going to make me such a better person! You must have something great planned!" Hmmm....not so much?

This message is nothing like the messages of the world. The world would have us go buy something to bandage the pain, to comfort the bruises of our flesh. The world would say that there's a pill, a doctor, a book, or a bigger house (...or atleast a great pair of shoes) to ease the pain. The world, and even our own selfish, prideful nature, would have us do our best to bandaid the hurt or frustration we experience as we go through trials.

Satan's message is even more self-destructive. He says, "You don't deserve this! You are a good person!! If God really cared about you, He wouldn't let you experience this! It's not fair. No one can be trusted. Not even God, if He even exists at all. So from now on, you should probably just crawl into a pit of self-loathing and self-protection. Keep people far away so you can't get hurt! This terrible experience defines you now. You deserve to waste as many years of your life, as many hours of your days, fully focused on your own pain. Feed that bitterness with self pity until it becomes you." The result is a bitter, hardened heart unable and incapable of loving or receiving love. A heart that has tuned out the voice of the Savior with the rage of their own voice.

But God has something different in mind for you completely. Holiness. A bigger faith. Perseverance through trials. Integrity. Peace. Greater joy. Humility. Compassion. A softened heart. Victory. Purpose.
Oswald Chambers said, " The lives that are getting stronger are the lives in the desert, deep-rooted in God."

Much of our "happiness" or contentment with life relies solely upon our perspective of the "storms." One person sees the storm brewing from afar and gets excited! Now, none of us may ever get to that point. But regardless, the storm is a declaration of the greatness of God. The pounding thunder and the flashing lightening all can remind us of His awesome power. His ability to maintain control of the violent weather and still bring a sweet fragrance of the dew following it, and maybe even a rainbow! Others hear the thunder and shudder at the fear of what might be coming. "What if...?!"

We don't experience one single thunder storm that God doesn't know about. He goes behind and before you, always offering unconditional love and comfort. And thank goodness, our feelings are not a good gauge of the facts. His love remains whether we feel it or not!

In my life, I've found this to be completely true. Each heartache I experience has become an opportunity for God to answer me with a resounding, "I LOVE YOU and I WILL CARRY YOU." And when I approach the hardships with a complete trust that I serve a sovereign God who knows better than me, I always am able to see His hand working through it. He doesn't desire heartache and pain for us. But He does intend to make us more like Him, and sometimes that's a painful process.

Next time you encounter a storm check your heart. Are you angry first, or prayerful first? Do you ask, "Why me?" or "God, please help keep me humble enough to hear your voice through this."

Aim for this to be the condition of your heart through trials:
"Lord, I don't get it. But I've learned that I don't have to. You see the big picture...you look at my life from an aerial view while I'm on the ground staring at what's right in front of me. Help me to see that you intend you USE this for my good, or for YOUR good- for someone else's benefit even. Help me to trust in you so completely, that my fear is silenced at the sound of the rolling thunder..because even that sounds reminds me you are there."

Romans 5: 3-5 says, "Not only so, but we^c also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. "

Romans 8:35, 37-39 says, 35 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. "

The Light of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Alyssa Choplin) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:27:00 -0700

Hi! Thanks for stopping by and checking out the new blog. My intention is to use this blog to encourage women and deepen their relationship with their Savior. I think we could all use a little more peace and quiet in this loud world...and if we don't allow ourselves time to listen for His voice, we will miss something vital in the hurried pace of our noisy lives!

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

God's promise to us is that whoever follows Him will NEVER walk in darkness. Have you ever had to walk down a long dark hallway, or through a dark parking lot to find your car? I can almost feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about it. Your whole body can feel the darkness. It's so thick, that it seems to wrap its arms around you tightly.

God doesn't promise we'll never have to walk through a dark time in life...a time of sorrow or hardship, or loneliness. What He is promising is that He'll never leave you alone, and He'll always shine enough light on your path to keep your steps steady and sure, as long as you let Him lead you.

When you walk through the darkness with a light going BEFORE you, your path is well lit, atleast enough to see your next step. When we turn our backs to that light, our own bodies cast a dark shadow on our steps, and we can no longer see well. That's when our own pride and false sense of self assurance cause us to stumble.

So when you find yourself in a dark spot, remember that God wants to wrap His loving arms around you, so that you don't feel the heaviness of the darkness. The darkness can never own you, never take you over, as long as you keep following the light. And His light never goes out.