Tuesday September 9th, 2014: Romans 8:18-30 The Future Glory

Devotions

As I’ve said before, I love Romans 8 so I’ve loved getting to study it deeper and write about it on the blog. Since Romans 8 is a large passage I broke it down into 4 posts! If you missed the first two posts they’re here and here. I’m going to continue with Romans 8 today by picking up with verse 18. Happy Tuesday! 🙂

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.” Romans 8:18-21

So if you’re feeling like you can’t get your head above water, remember this passage. What we suffer now is NOTHING compared to His glory. Christian or non-Christian, you don’t have to look far to see there’s wrong or sin in the world. Everywhere you look you can see hurting people. As a Christian, it breaks my heart to see hurting people but I hold on to the hope of my savior… He promises that we will join Him in heaven in GLORIOUS FREEDOM! How beautiful! I long for the day that I get to join Him in that glorious freedom.

“For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)” Romans 8:22-25

Even though as believers the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us, and gives us a glimpse of future glory, we still long for Heaven. I long for the day that pain, sin, and sickness no longer dwell in my body.

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.” Romans 8:26-27

The Holy Spirit is our helper. He gives us words when we don’t have any. I was talking to my friend Lydia the other day about this verse and she was telling me that when we were in New York City on a missions trip over the summer she had the opportunity to pray with a man in Harlem. Lydia and this man didn’t have much in common and Lydia honestly didn’t know how to pray for this man. As she began to pray, the Holy Spirit began to give her the words she needed. Lydia doesn’t know what she said but when she looked up the man had a face full of tears. The man said that those were the words he needed to be encouraged. The Holy Spirit is one of our greatest tools on earth. The Holy Spirit also “pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.” The Holy Spirit guides us along God’s will for our life.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.” Romans 8:28-30

Verse 28 is my favorite verse… He causes EVERYTHING to work together for those who love Him. Not like sometimes, or never, but always! He works everything out according to his purpose for them. Sometimes our plans aren’t the same as God’s. So don’t get me wrong, you are still going to have hardships and challenges, but He ALWAYS works them out! What a relief!

Stay tuned for the last post in this series on Thursday! Thanks for reading 🙂

Monday September 8th, 2014

Fashion

Hope everyone had a great weekend! A few weeks ago I was shopping and this dress caught my eye. I love this pattern! And as you can tell I’m really loving cream these days (check out my last two fashion posts)! I pray that everyone has a great rest of the week. 🙂

Photography: Abbey Burge Photography

Dress: Nordstorm / Shoes: Urban Outfitters / Purse: Rebecca Minkoff / Watch: Michael Kors / Earrings: Boutique in Canton / Necklace: Boutique in Canton / Sunglasses: Ray- Ban Aviators 52 mm

Friday September 5th, 2014: Jesus Is Loving Barabbas Judah Smith

Uncategorized

Happy Friday! Hope that everyone has had an awesome week. 🙂 Well today’s post features one of my favorite videos! I love Judah Smith (His book Jesus Is is awesome!). This video is a beautiful way to look at the story of Barabbas. I watch this video a few times a week… LOL. Please take 8 minutes out of your day to watch this video! Its SO worth it! 🙂

Thursday September 4th, 2014: Romans 8:5-17

Devotions

Today we are continuing to unpack Romans 8! Happy Thursday 🙂

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.” Romans 8:5-8

Are you dominated by sinful nature thinking about sinful things or are you controlled by the Spirit thinking about things that please the Spirit? Your thoughts control you. If you let the Spirit control your thought you will have peace but if you let sin control your thoughts you’ll be at war. Sin is everything God’s not. It cannot follow the law. It cannot follow God. If sin controls your life you CANNOT please God.

“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:6-11

If you belong to Christ, you should not be control by your sinful nature! You should be controlled by the Spirit of God that lives inside of you (the Holy Spirit)! The spirit gives you life. It justifies you. It makes you right with God. The same spirit that lives in you raised Christ from the dead… WOW.

“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Romans 8:12-14

Because the Spirit lives inside of you, you have no commitment to follow your sinful nature. When you received the Holy Spirit you stopped having an excuse to sin. The spirit, which gives life, urges you to do the things the things of God but when you sin you chose your sinful nature. If you are a child of God it’s time to be led by the spirit instead of your sinful nature.

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:15-17

The spirit of God is so sweet… It’s full of love. It calls you His. His spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are truly His children. Because we are His children we are heirs to the greatest glory in the entire world… Heaven.

Wednesday September 3rd, 2014

Fashion

Today’s look is so simple. Navy and cream stripes… My fav. I’m so ready for fall but since I live in Texas I have a few more weeks of terribly hot weather. 😦 So until then I’ll continue to mix in my fall pieces. Happy Wednesday.

Photography: Abbey Burge Photography

Shirt: Urban Outfitters / Sweater: Old Navy / Shorts: J-Crew / Shoes: Urban Outfitters / Purse: Kate Spade / Belt: Old Navy / Bracelet: Boutique in Fort Worth / Necklace: Vintage from my Great Grandmother / Earrings: Premier Jewelry / Sunglasses: Ray- Ban Club Masters 49 mm in Tortoise

Tuesday September 2nd, 2014: Romans 8:1-4

Uncategorized

Over the next few weeks I am going to study and unpack Romans 8. This passage is one of my favorites so I’m really excited! I’ll be breaking the passage into a few posts so stay with me! 🙂

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.The Law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”

Romans 8:1-4 NLT

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Condemnation means no judgment. If you belong to Christ Jesus, there is no judgment from sin. He already took your judgment! Christ> Judgment

“And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

Because you belong to Christ you are saved from your sin! Sin no longer has power. Christ > Sin

“The Law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.”

The law couldn’t save us… We needed more. Our sin corrupted the Law. So God did the unthinkable. He sent His own son in a body just like ours. In that body He declared an end to sin’s control. He sent Jesus as our sacrifice for our sins. Christ> Law

“He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”

God sent His son was so that we would have a mediator between the law and sin. Because we are Christ’s we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. When truly in tune with the Spirit, He will guide you. God sent His spirit so that we would follow the Spirit instead of our sinful nature. Christ> Sinful Nature

Monday September 1st, 2014

Fashion

Happy Labor Day! I LOVE lace! Cream is also one of my favorite colors to wear. It pairs with my hair color so well. Hope everyone has an awesome Labor Day and Monday!

Also, how awesome are these pictures? My sweet friend, Abbey is so talented! If you need pictures taken I would highly recommend Abbey! Check out her Facebook page and give her a call. 🙂

Photography: Abbey Burge Photography

Shirt: H&M / Skirt: Hollister / Shoes: Urban Outfitters / Purse: Rebecca Minkoff / Watch: Michael Kors / Earrings: Altr’d State / Sunglasses: Ray- Ban Clubmaster 49 in Tortoise

Friday August 29th, 2014: Love Does

Uncategorized

I kept seeing this book… everywhere! A few weeks ago when I was at Mardels I noticed it was on sale so I picked it up. I am so glad I did! This book is a guide to living an incredible life in an ordinary world. This book can be summed up by one quote, “Love is never stationary. In the end, love doesn’t just keep thinking about it or keep planning it. Simply put: love does.”

Love Does was such an easy read. If you don’t enjoy reading and have a hard time getting into books this is a great book for you. This book has taught me a lesson I had seemed to forgotten. Love is an action. It simply does!

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Does-Discover-Secretly-Incredible/dp/1400203759

Thursday August 28th, 2014: Psalm 37:4

Devotions

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4 NIV

Delight simply means to greatly please. So when you delight in the Lord is means you are pleasing Him or honoring Him. When you please Him He will give you the desires of your heart. This doesn’t mean He will give you that new pair of shoes you’ve been “desiring,” but rather the TRUE desires of your heart. When your heart’s desires match up with The Word He will give you the desires of your heart.

A few years ago I didn’t feel like I had a lot of Godly friendships. It was a really difficult time of my life. I had a few friends but I desired to have close Godly friendships. I prayed and prayed. One day I realized that God had given me the desires of my heart and I didn’t even realize it. He placed some of my closest friends in my life and I still can’t believe I’ve been blessed with such great friendships.

Maybe you desire to hear from God. Maybe you desire to have a closer relationship with Him. Maybe you desire Godly friendships. Whatever you desire, God wants to bless you. He wants to give you the desires of your heart.

Find pleasure in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart! Happy Thursday!

Wednesday August 27th, 2014

Fashion

So today’s white button down and leather skirt are the perfect pair. I got this purse at the Nordstorm Anniversary sale and it instantly became a favorite of mine. It matches so much and will be perfect for fall and winter. These shoes… I have been dreaming of these Valentino’s for over a year and but I’ve finally realized that that was not going to happen so when Sam Edelman came out with these last year I got so excited! They were still a little too expensive for me so when I saw them at Nordstorm Rack I had to buy them. They are so edgy and cute. Nordstorm Rack is awesome when you’re looking for designer brands on a budget. Happy Wednesday, ya’ll!