sparkystar12

[sparkystar12]

um guys, I think we need to stop waiting for ‘the right time’ and just start doing the things we want whenever because the right time’s never gonna come, and if we keep waiting it’s just gonna turn into an endless cycle

[sparkystar12]

Isaiah 40:12-18, 26 (NLT). [12] Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? [13] Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? [14] Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? [15] No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. [16] All the wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God. [17] The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing— mere emptiness and froth. [18] To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him? [26] Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.”

“The Greatness of God” by In Touch Ministries:

“Our God, clothed with majesty and power, is truly worthy of our praise.”

“When you think of God, what comes to mind? People often view Him in the way that best fits their particular need or situation. The truth is, His character encompasses far more than we could ever comprehend or try to explain. At the same time, it is important to look at Scripture in order to learn all we can about the One we worship.

Today we’ll focus on one attribute: His greatness. Isaiah 40 tells us God is greater than creation (v. 12), for everything we see came into being by His hands. He is higher than the nations or any idol fashioned by the finest craftsman (vv. 15-20). In fact, He is above the entire world and all mankind, surpassing even the heavens and galaxies (vv. 22-23, 26).

Our Father’s thoughts and ways are far grander than our own (Isaiah 55:9) and lofty compared with what we can understand. Psalm 93:1 states, “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength.”

Consider the awesome God we serve. He truly is worthy of our praise. When we grasp even a fraction of His greatness, our response should be humble worship. After all, who are we that a God like this would desire our friendship—so much so that He sent His Son to die for our sins?”

[Photo thanks to Jake Weirick at Unsplash]

[sparkystar12]

[sparkystar12]

i keep thinking about this: maybe love isn’t a destination or a possession but an influence. a force that changes your shape. that helps you become. and when it’s gone, it doesn’t mean you’ve lost it. it means you’ve absorbed it. the people who leave don’t take it with them. they leave it behind in you.

[sparkystar12]

John 15:7 (NLT) - But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

[sparkystar12]

Mary Oliver, from “Wild, Wild,” in New And Selected Poems: Volume Two

[sparkystar12]

The thing about getting married after only knowing someone for like a year vs the idea that you magically know someone really well after like 3-5 years is. As someone who's been with my partner for 16 years (and married for 12), you still don't know anyone at 5 years as much as you think you do--and people are continuously in a state of change. That's pretty much the nature of being a person. YOU will change over the years. This isn't me saying that you should wait like 12 years to marry or anything, I'm saying that even when you wait a few years there is no guarantee that you know them as much as you think, or that you won't both change, or that you will still be compatible in the long run. Unfortunately every marriage is a gamble and you're just trying to get the best betting odds, but there's a reason that more than half of marriages end in divorce.

[sparkystar12]

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day...2 Timothy 4:7-8

Paul was confident that he had run the race well. With every ounce of his energy he had served the Lord faithfully and diligently. He says in verse 6, "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near." At the dawn of our life, will we be able to echo Paul's statement? Are we just existing or are we living a life worthy of His calling? Are we making investments today in people’s lives that will count for eternity?

[sparkystar12]

Out with the old, in with the new

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins” - Mark 2v22 NKJV

You cannot carry the power of a new life in the container of an old one. Jesus said it plain, new wine requires a new wineskin. The Spirit isn’t going to waste fresh revelation, fresh anointing, fresh breakthrough on an old mindset that refuses to stretch. You can’t just change your shirt and think that’s transformation. The outer shell might look different, but the heart still leaks. And when the pressure of life hits, old containers cannot hold new substance.

Let’s break it down. We shout about being made new, but how often do we try to live out that newness in old, familiar patterns? We want the wine of honesty while still cutting corners at work. We want the wine of unconditional love while still holding a grudge against a neighbor. We want the wine of praise and worship, but still chase idols like money, status, followers, affirmation. We say we love the Word, but we can’t find time to read it because our schedules are full of everything else. We beg for joy and peace, but still make space for jealousy and discord to move in rent-free. We say we’ve forgiven, but the bitterness still shows up in how we talk, how we think, how we look at others. And Jesus is standing at the door of your heart saying, I’ve got new wine, I’ve got power and purpose for you, but I cannot pour it into what you refuse to let go of.

Mark 2v22 isn’t just about containers, it’s about capacity. God is ready to fill, but are you ready to stretch? Are you willing to be reshaped, redefined, and renewed so the gift He gives you doesn’t leak through the cracks of an unchanged life?

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5v17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” But new creation calls for a new response, a new rhythm and a new appetite. You can’t keep feeding your spirit with leftovers from your old life and expect to grow into the fullness of your calling.

So, it’s time to stop patching up the old skin and pretending it can hold the oil. Let God give you a new vessel. Let Him stretch you in secret. Let Him press you until the shape of your soul can hold the weight of your next season. Because the wine He’s about to pour will not be wasted.

[sparkystar12]

[sparkystar12]

[sparkystar12]

God doesn't need your strength- Just your surrender

[sparkystar12]

[sparkystar12]

[sparkystar12]

Your hardships are not a sign that He isn't with you. Your tears are not a sign that He is far away. Things going differently than you thought they would doesn't mean that He isn't still working in your life.

PSALM 34:18

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted."

[sparkystar12]

- A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers // kagonekoshiro

[sparkystar12]

One of the ways that I know someone is safe is that

they don't try to convert my pain into a more palatable expression to soothe their own discomfort,

they don't get offended by my anger at being wounded or at the volume of my grief whether I am sobbing or silent,

they don't connect the dots at me with theology and lectures and lessons,

and they listen, without fixing, to the whole thing, and know when to intervene because all along they've been listening to what I need.