Skinned Knees

Flag Football season has officially started.

Gosh. I just love it so much! And I am playing AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Ha, I don't admit this often, but when I was about 7 years-old I told my parents I didn't want to play any sports with balls. So I tried gymnastics, ballet, and swimming. Then I retreated back to soccer. Dad says I could always get to the ball first, but then would let the other team have it. I just didn't want to get hurt. Well, 15 years later, I don't feel like I've played well unless I leave the field with some sort of injury. Who would've thought.

I tried to take a picture of my skinned leg just now. Unfortunately it doesn't look cool enough to post. Sorry. I'm sure at some point this season I'll have some great skinned knees to show off. Get ready.

Today was a little crazy. I got a really bad migraine this afternoon. I haven't had one this bad in awhile. So I took some of my meds and took a 2 hour nap. About an hour after I woke up I headed back to campus to play some flag football. Probably not the best idea but it was worth it.

The game wasn't our best. It was our first co-rec game and we just have some things to work out. We'll get there, I have no doubt. Playing tonight with a migraine just made me very in tune with my body. And  it got me to thinking.

We put so much focus on our bodies in this world. From exercising to eating well, to all of these crazy new doctors and health theories. But thinking about it, our bodies dictate so much of our lives.

I have recently realized just how often I get headaches and it is really frustrating (it is like every day). Sometimes it is so bad I just have to sleep, and sometimes I can get through it.
Some days I wake up and am so unhappy with the way my body looks I would rather just trade it in. Honestly. Other days, by the grace of Jesus, I wake up and am so thankful for the way He made me, every part of it.
There are days that everything that goes into my body is incredibly beneficial to its functioning; water, milk, gatorade, salad, fruit, carbs, protein, even dark chocolate (yes, I've heard that in small portions that is good for your heart).
There are days I choose to eat donuts, macaroni and cheese, and chocolate cake. And then I sit on the couch and watch a movie.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says "Do you no know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from god? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Well, where is the line between honoring God with your body and worshiping our body?

I'll be honest here. This is definitely a struggle. I love being in shape and healthy, but sometimes my motivation for exercise and eating healthy is because I want to look good. Where is the line though?
Unfortunately there is not a clear answer for that. I think we all have to examine our hearts before the Lord and ask Him to reveal to us what our motives truly are.

Philippians 3:18-19
For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.  Their mind is on earthly things.

I think thats the kicker. Where is my mind? Is it on earthly things? Because according to this verse, if I am making my stomach my god, my destiny is destruction and I am living as an enemy of Christ. I don't want that to be my mindset.

But keep going in Philippians. Verses 20 and 21 say "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

He promises to transform my lowly body and make it like his glorious one.  Yes, please.
He is in control of these headaches. He is in control of how I look. Gosh, he made me this way. I mean as hard as I try to get toned or lose weight, he is still in control. This is so humbling.

I don't have it figured out. I can't spell out to you where the line is between honoring God with my body and worshiping it. But I can choose to cling to this truth. He promises to transform me and give me a new body.  And I can choose to believe this:

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, 

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

Psalm 139:14-16

To quiet a LOUD spirit

Let's just be honest here. If anyone were to ever describe me as quiet, pensive, gentle, graceful, anything along those lines, it would be safe to say they have no idea what they are talking about. I am just LOUD. And, most days, I'm completely secure in the fact that I was fearfully and wonderfully made with extra loud vocal chords.

I'm also a talker. I really like to say almost everything I'm thinking. And I process most things out loud. I hate studying in the library by myself because I have to talk through my homework. I feel like an idiot if I don't have someone else around so it at least doesn't look like I am talking to myself.  And when I'm nervous, I don't stop talking.

It takes a lot to get me quiet.

Not a lot can quiet a loud spirit that just wants to talk and process and express emotion.

It takes something extreme, something powerful, something bigger than my human mind can comprehend.

The love of a savior that promises to never leave or forsake me.

The Spirit put an old favorite verse on my heart today. . .

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.

He will quiet you with his love

What does it really mean to be quieted by something. 

Thrown into silence with no comment, no rebuttal, no opposition.

I don't believe this is talking about a physical quietness necessarily, but a quietness of the spirit. 

Quiet: still, motionless. Not noisy; hushed, not speaking, silent.  Unobtrusive, peaceful and relaxing.  

He will make my spirit still. Not busy, not searching for something to think about or some problem to solve.  Not speaking, but letting him speak. Trusting and relying on His power and His character.

At peace because I am relying on His spirit rather than myself.  

Its not normal, quieting a loud spirit.  But its powerful.

Let him quiet you with his love.

Stillness

Psalm 59:16-17

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

Oh my strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.  

This morning I was in the middle of nature. At a cabin, in the woods, by a lake. 

Silence. 

The only sounds were the sounds of nature. 

No interstate noise, no car alarms, no loud parties.

Just nature. 

I just want to praise the Lord in those moments. 

Praise Him for no other reason than who He is. 

Just enthralled by my King. 

In the quiet of your presence I know here I am restored.

When you call I won't refuse

Each new day again I'll choose

There is no one else for me.

None but Jesus.

Crucified to set me free.

Now I live to bring Him praise.

Now I live to bring YOU praise. 

Jeremiah 9:23-24

This is what the Lord says:

'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom

or the strong man boast of his strength

or the rich man boast of his riches,

but let him who boasts boast about this:

That  he understands and knows me,

That I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord.

Pride.

It stinks.
And quite honestly, this has been a theme, all throughout life, but specifically these last few days. It just comes in and starts raging like an uncontrollable monster. I really didn't want to blog about this. I was trying to find something else to write about, but this is the verse God put on my heart this morning.

Yesterday I was praying that God would just humble me. Yes, I prayed that. But not without hesitation and fear of how he would do that.

Last night we played in a pre-season flag football tournament.  I'm sure you can see where this is going. I LOVE my flag football. If you've spent any time with me in your life you know that.  And I won't go into detail but the game didn't exactly go so smoothly. We lost. 14 to 0, or something.

At one point about half way through the game, right after a play, I'm walking back to the huddle and I hear that oh so (NOT) still whisper, "you asked for some humility." Awesome.

This verse this morning spoke wonders to my prideful heart. Its not like this is the first time I've heard this verse.  My favorite Adventures In Odyssey episode had this verse at the end. It has always really confused me about what it meant to "boast in the Lord". Isn't it just as prideful to walk around saying, "look at me, I know God so well!!"?

No, thats not necessarily the point.
Ultimately, only God and our knowledge of and love for him are worthwhile.
(Thank you NIV study Bible)

It doesn't mean walk around boasting in how much I know my precious Savior, but that knowing Him should ultimately be on the forefront of my mind. Not how good I play flag football. Not how I look. Not how disciplined I am. But Jesus. He is what truly matters.

It feels like such a simple truth.

I guess its not that simple if its so hard to do.

Lord, give me grace to focus on YOU today. Not on myself and all of my junk.

Thanks Ladies

Katie, you have inspired me.
Quite honestly, you always have. I adore you, and our friendship, even though we definitely don't talk as much as we should. You are truly an incredible woman of God. Your faith challenges me every day. And now I live vicariously through your blog.


Becky, you have no idea.
You are such an encouragement in my walk with Jesus. I love our times together because you always challenge me. Yet it is always out of a heart that is so committed to the Lord and committed to loving people. You speak so much truth yet you are so stinkin' real!


Why these two?
Consistency.


Yes, these two women have inspired and challenged me in ways I can't even describe. Because they are so consistent.


And I just wanted everyone to know. So, thanks ladies.


AND
I going to try something new. The name of this blog is Running on His Word. catchy huh? ha. But my whole purpose in naming it that was because I want to literally be running on the Word of God every single day. Honestly, I need some accountability in this area. So here is what I'm going to do: Every day I just want to share a little bit of what I'm running on. And yes, you 11 blog followers get to help me stay accountable and consistent.


Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.


I love this verse. It is so true. My flesh and my heart fail. Every single day. I've never had any problem believing that my flesh fails. That can speak for itself. But my heart? Oh yeah, its a failure too.


Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?


Yes, that is the true condition of my heart. And I have seen that for sure (more to come on that soon). 


BUT 
God is the strength of my heart. 
Ok Lord. You promise that, I am going to CLING to it! 
And what is portion exactly. 


Well, Asaph was the writer of this Psalm. He was a Levite, which meant the Lord physically was his portion. He didn't have an inheritance, or land, but he lived off of the people's tithes dedicated to the Lord. He consistently had to fully depend on the Lord. And the Lord was enough.


Take a look at life for a minute. Do you put your trust in your flesh? Or your heart? And what happens when they fail? This verse is great because it is so real. My flesh fails. My heart fails. It is going to happen! If my strength is in the Lord and if he is ENOUGH for me, then LET my heart fail. Why do I so often run to depend on something so deceitful anyway? 


He is our portion. And he wants to truly be enough. He'll stop at nothing to be totally enough for you. 
Let that truth sink in.


And check out Katie and Becky's blogs. They are both awesome!
http://joyfuljava.blogspot.com/
http://katieevelynlewis.blogspot.com/