2011 In Review

What an exciting year it has been!  As with every year, God has guided me through some awesome experiences, adventures, and through many tough times.  This year I was able to take a trip with my brother to Colorado, I was able to travel to South Korea to teach for 2 months, and I graduated from college!  It's crazy to think back over the year and to see how much happened over the past year.  God has revealed so much to me over this year about who I am, what I really want from my life, and what direction I will be going.  It's been a challenging, yet enriching time for me.
My family has seen a lot of changes.  My oldest sister and her husband just closed on a house that is about a mile from my parents, my other sister and her husband finished building there house about three months ago which is a mile down the road from my parents, the younger of my sisters is pregnant with her third child, my oldest sister had another boy, and my brother is engaged!  Wow, so exciting!  My dad is getting ready to expand the farm to double the herd size.  So you could say 2011 was an exciting year for my family!  All being guided and lead by God in the direction of serving and glorifying Him!  May He continue to bless my family in the year to come!

What's in a name? - El Shaddai

The God almighty and the all sufficient one!  Two definitions that pertain to God being our everything.  Within Him all exist and all is supplied.  In the King James bible, Shadday is used 48 times and is most used in the book of Job!  Throughout Job, the Almighty is referred too often as the God of justice and wrath.  Some of the characteristics that we often fail to talk about when discussing God. Interesting that the almighty would be described in this way, when we often fail to recognize these characteristics of God.     When we read Job, we look at the dedication and perseverance of Job, but we fail to think of the all sufficient one providing for Job, but see God taking everything from Job.  But God still provided for Job's essential needs and in Him everything was still found.  At times we must lose everything to remember where everything came from, and give El Shaddai the praise He deserves.  El Shaddai provides for our every need and holds everything within His hand.  God is sufficient enough for our everything!  May we satisfy the almighty and give our all to El Shaddai!

The Gold Standard

There are a lot of standards set in our society.  Standards that employers set for us, standards that parents set for us, and standards that society in general sets for us.  But this standard falls short of the standard God has set for us.  We are to live for something greater!  We are to set our standards higher than anyone else's standards!  Why?  Because we serve someone who is greater than anything on this earth!  We are to separate ourselves from the world, to stand alone and be set apart.  The church has become so tolerant of things that are counter to the nature of God, that Christians often fail to set themselves apart.  This may be a result of not knowing the standard God has set for us, or it might be a result of us not being willing to fully die to ourselves and to give our entire life to Christ.  But if we desire to walk those streets of gold, then we must set ourselves apart.  We must be conscious of how our every decision will impact those around us, impact the level that others respect us, and impact those that we work with or will work with in the future.  May we be so jealous of God and giving Him the glory, that are standards are set higher.  Whatever the world sets as a standard, may we raise the bar.  May we set our sights on the Gold Standard, a Heavenly Standard!

What's in a name? - Yahweh (YHWH)

In my opinion, the most powerful name that exist for God!  The simple "I am" holds so much within itself.  A statement and name that holds everything within its grasp.  Everything that exist, everything that ever was or will ever be is His!  Wow, what an incredible thought to think of God as Yahweh!

It is used often in the Old Testament, being used 6,519 times.  It is the most used name for God in the Bible.  It is impossible to define this name by a simple reference to a specific verse, for it identifies so many aspects of God.

It is first used in Genesis, referring to Yahweh as a creator and designer.  This alone makes this name so powerful!  Everything that exist is from God and it shows a great imagination, a great design, and a level of order that no man can fully comprehend!  In Micah it talks about Yahweh coming down to earth and walking on the earth, which expresses a deep care and devotion for the things He created.  It shows a personal and active God in everything.  In Micah it also shows Yahweh as a righteous judge.  A God of justice allows us to have order and at the core, demonstrates Love.  In Proverbs it talks of Yahweh as a God of infinite wisdom.  A God who desires us to have the wisdom that He holds.  In Jeremiah it talks about Yahweh being a God of power, a God of control, and a God that is strong.  It shows an intercession on our behalf to watch out for us, to take care of us, and to protect us!

I really can't even scratch the surface of this name and this post may do more damage to this name rather than help since I'm so limiting in what I can say about it.  Everything is within the name Yahweh!  What a comfort to know that Yahweh will be by my side.  To know that Yahweh is big enough to create all that is and to be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent and yet personal enough to come down to earth to show us the way!  It is awesome to see the God of Love and the God of Justice.  A righteous God who desires to draw us into the trinity.  May we forever praise Yahweh in all we do, for He is all that is!