What a title. Seriously. You've never seen the elements like this before.
For some reason, I really liked chemistry in high school. One of the more concrete sciences, like math. I don't know when I changed into a balloon (free-flyer) as my friends call me now, but we will just say I was never the one getting in trouble for being out of uniform at school. Shirt tucked in like a champ. Add that to my list of reasons why I am still single.
Those equations that looked something like this: H2CO3 --> H20 + CO2 --> H + HCO3 or whatever. It's in the past, and I won't act like I can still recite good portions of the periodic table of elements or the Kreb's Cycle (which I can). But I digress. This is my spiritual blog.
3 words have been running through my mind for the last 2 to 3 months. Intentionality, fear, and worship. I'll talk about the first two here in this paragraph. I have met a few people through church and my small group lately that serve as inspiration for being more intentional in my faith. To rightfully declare my intentions to God in prayer, knowing that He will be the power to complete them. This new form of purposeful prayer has replaced the fear-driven prayers of Katie-past, where I was afraid to commit to anything in prayer for fear of quitting or failing. Fear should never drive. Perfect love drives out fear!
With this new lease on prayer life, I became emboldened about discussing the fearless life. Knowing what God actually promises, and then freely going to live out in the open fields of grace and adventure. I have been able to call out fear in friends and help them seek this intentional life as well. As I prayed for God to allow me to serve Him among my friends, He heard me and answered me with a YES.
Out of this new understanding of purposeful prayer/intentionality minus the fear that once reigned supreme in my conversations with God, there was a yield of courage that further yielded worship. So, if this helps: Intentionality - Fear --> Courage --> Workmanship + Worship
Ephesians 2:10 is a familiar scripture that follows the best description for salvation that I can identify. If you are only focusing on how to gain eternal life, this verse may be overlooked for what it really is. It is a very beautiful description of our Creator's intent for His children.
Poetry is creative. It has a beginning and an end. Poems have a common theme with several stanzas of supportive language. And poetry has rhythm. Being the stellar dancer and music-lover that I am, I can appreciate that God keeps good tempo. When we ask God for clarity in our lives, oftentimes, He will enlighten us with by offering all the pieces of the answer in different locations in daily life.
Every notice common phrases, verses, ideas occurring multiple times in a given week? You pick up on a message in your time with God. Then, a friend texts you with a similar piece of encouragement. A church message runs with it too. Don't shrug off these commonalities! God has meaning to the repetition. Take it for what it is - an incredible lesson in just one stanza of our life song.
For some reason, I really liked chemistry in high school. One of the more concrete sciences, like math. I don't know when I changed into a balloon (free-flyer) as my friends call me now, but we will just say I was never the one getting in trouble for being out of uniform at school. Shirt tucked in like a champ. Add that to my list of reasons why I am still single.
Those equations that looked something like this: H2CO3 --> H20 + CO2 --> H + HCO3 or whatever. It's in the past, and I won't act like I can still recite good portions of the periodic table of elements or the Kreb's Cycle (which I can). But I digress. This is my spiritual blog.
3 words have been running through my mind for the last 2 to 3 months. Intentionality, fear, and worship. I'll talk about the first two here in this paragraph. I have met a few people through church and my small group lately that serve as inspiration for being more intentional in my faith. To rightfully declare my intentions to God in prayer, knowing that He will be the power to complete them. This new form of purposeful prayer has replaced the fear-driven prayers of Katie-past, where I was afraid to commit to anything in prayer for fear of quitting or failing. Fear should never drive. Perfect love drives out fear!
With this new lease on prayer life, I became emboldened about discussing the fearless life. Knowing what God actually promises, and then freely going to live out in the open fields of grace and adventure. I have been able to call out fear in friends and help them seek this intentional life as well. As I prayed for God to allow me to serve Him among my friends, He heard me and answered me with a YES.
Out of this new understanding of purposeful prayer/intentionality minus the fear that once reigned supreme in my conversations with God, there was a yield of courage that further yielded worship. So, if this helps: Intentionality - Fear --> Courage --> Workmanship + Worship
Ephesians 2:10 is a familiar scripture that follows the best description for salvation that I can identify. If you are only focusing on how to gain eternal life, this verse may be overlooked for what it really is. It is a very beautiful description of our Creator's intent for His children.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.What is workmanship? That word always sounds like we are God's birdhouse He created in shop class. Some of translations use words like masterpiece in place of workmanship in this verse. Another interesting translation of this word is poetry. When you break down the idea of being a poem, you can see why this has some great applications.
Poetry is creative. It has a beginning and an end. Poems have a common theme with several stanzas of supportive language. And poetry has rhythm. Being the stellar dancer and music-lover that I am, I can appreciate that God keeps good tempo. When we ask God for clarity in our lives, oftentimes, He will enlighten us with by offering all the pieces of the answer in different locations in daily life.
Every notice common phrases, verses, ideas occurring multiple times in a given week? You pick up on a message in your time with God. Then, a friend texts you with a similar piece of encouragement. A church message runs with it too. Don't shrug off these commonalities! God has meaning to the repetition. Take it for what it is - an incredible lesson in just one stanza of our life song.
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