I do!

"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it." Philippians 3:14-16 The Message

Marriage is a legal declaration of commitment, “I____, take you ______, to be my wedded ____. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And here to I pledge you my faithfulness.”  These vows are binding promises made by each partner to each other. A few weeks ago, I was having a discussion about societies' view on the union of marriage ’is society making a mockery of the wedding vow?’  Divorce is all the rage........ it’s the'in' thing. The point was made that a  wedding does not insure marital bliss ‘no one is willing to put in the work to make the marriage work; as soon as problem comes along they are ready to jump ship.’ Sad though it is to say, every time I turn my television there is a next celebrity getting divorce, society is making divorce glamorious.  Society plays a very Cogent role in our attitudes and actions regarding marriage. As followers of Christ we can't be shaped by the views of society, but by the cross of Christ and the divine Words of God. For a marriage to work each partner must put in the work.  

Many enter into marriage with the “fairy tale, happily ever after” mentality.  ‘I do’ take thee, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for richer, in health, to love and to cherish. What will happen when the worse, poorer and sickness come along? Are we having the same “fairy tale, happily ever after” mentality in our walk with God? As soon as suffering, sadness, and heartache comes along, do we start filing divorce paper? Are we saying ‘God we can’t take this anymore, we want out’?  If you expect nothing but happiness and bliss from marriage, it’s likely you expect the same from your relationship with God. When adversity comes along, is normally when we strike out, but Commitment accepts the circumstances and tries to work through it.

Why not make a vow to God today……I do take you God , from this day onward in trial and temptation, in financial crisis and sickness, I will love you  Lord  with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind.

‘I'm single-minded in pursuit of you; don't let me miss the road signs you've posted. I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living. I'll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you've done it. I relish everything you've told me of life, I won't forget a word of it.’ Psalm 119:9-16 The Message

 Your reward is sure, happiness, riches and health will be bestowed upon you. Are you ready to my a commitment?

KemJ

Training

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

-Proverbs 3:5-6-

     When we first started to train our dog, Vulkan, it was quite interesting. My dad had several dogs in his childhood and knew that it would take a lot of time and patience to train a dog properly. As a girl who always LOVED  dogs, I enjoyed watching my dad train Vulkan. The first thing that my dad taught him was that he couldn't eat his food until he was given the command to do so. This was a trick that my dad learned back home so that dogs wouldn't eat food from strangers and “food” laying on the ground. So, when my dad went to feed our dog, he put the dog food into a bowl and set it on the ground. When our dog realized that there was food in the bowl, (which was right away,) he charged at the bowl, happy to fill his stomach. Just as he was about to eat, my dad's arms held him back. Vulkan couldn't understand what was going on. He barked and tried to keep running, but without any success. Finally, my dad would say the command, “Yesh!” (which means “eat” in Russian) and let go of him. Vulkan would run as fast as he could to eat his dog food. Vulkan could never understand why my dad kept doing that to him every time before he ate. Each day, he would slowly learn that he couldn't eat until told. Now, whenever we put any kind of food in front of him, he just sits with his mouth watering until he is given the command to eat. It's amazing to me that even though he wants to eat the food so badly, he doesn't try to grab it or do anything, he just sits patiently. I'm pretty sure that he still doesn't know why he can't eat until he is given the command. Instead, he has learned to just obey and take things by faith.
     What about us humans? Sometimes what God asks us to go through for Him doesn't make any sense at all, but all we need to do is just trust Him. We may never fully understand why God wants us to do certain things, but that's not important. The most important thing is to just trust God and when we follow His commandments because we may never know the dangers that we have be protected from, just like Vulkan. He never fully understood why he couldn't just eat things right away, but there was a bigger reason that he may never fully understand. So next time you're tempted to question God's will, remember that God sees the full picture and knows what's best for us. 

-Victoria
   

Springtime

 "For the winter is passed. The rain is over and gone. The flowers are springing up. And the time of the singing of the birds has come." Song of Solomon 2:11-12

My favorite time of the year is spring…. I get giddy even thinking about it. Around this time of year many of you might be putting your ‘spring cleaning’ list together, while I, on the other hand have my ‘to see’ list ready. During the frigid and ooky winter, I envisioned the coming spring with all of its beauty: the colorful flowers springing up from the frosty ground, the first sight of the green grass. But the highlight of my spring comes when I visit all my favorite gardens along with my little cousin, she would grab my hand and animatedly  lead me to her new discoveries.  She would exclaim, "Come! Look!”  

"For the winter is passed. The rain is over and gone. The flowers are springing up." After winter comes the spring. Why have a  pessimistic attitude? I am always told I am ‘too optimistic’, but  Why should any of us worry? Why can't we all look, with expectation, toward the day that will bring hope…..life….. everlasting happiness? Pessimism is a frame of mind that is ridiculous …… bad times never last! Winter always melts away. Spring always return.  You can be happy! You can be excited! You can be over-filled with joy! even in your tragedies and disappointments. A positive attitude can bring joy  into the lives around you. Are you facing a dark time? Are you going through disappointment? After winter comes the springtime  and you will feel the surge of new hope.

Autumn leaves fall, winter comes and passed, flowers are springing up and summer is here. You might feel overwhelmed with pain but remember spring is inevitable and a bright summer awaits.

-Kem

Building on the Rock

"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards." Matthew 7:24-27 (MSG)

Growing up with a couple building contractor in my family have thought me that Building a house is more than just constructing a four-walled structure. ... The most important task that is undertaken is building the right foundation. An uncle of mine was once sued for the collapsing of houses build by his company. He was overloaded with work and had died lines to be met, so couple steps were missed in those home constructions. After the collapsing and home inspection it was founded that the lack of proper foundation had led to the buildings failures. Here we see that a house that is not build on a proper foundation will eventually sink into the ground or get blown away. The foundation is what supports the entire structure. A strong foundation is vital, thus the work must be done carefully.

Jesus being a carpenter and knowing the importance of the right foundation told the story of two builders: the wise and foolish builders. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Matthew 7: 24, 26. Obedience to the word of God is the only foundation on which we must build….. this is the right foundation. “The wise man, dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.” Luke 6:48 When the solid rock of truth is under your feet, storms, hurricanes, flood will come upon you, but you will not be shaken…..you will stand firm. You can withstand the elements if your foundation is form on the solid rock of God.

Where is your foundation laid? Is your foundation steady enough?

~Kem

Not by sight!

For we live by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7

Faithfulness involves action; having faith in God, moves youto take the first step. When you decide to take that first step, to walk out in faith, You will be amazed at the wonders of God. If you are in a situation that is lacking, Your Path will be clear, doors will be open, even windows will be open, ladder provided for you to climbed out of the less than desirable situation. All you have to do is take that first step in faith.

-Kemeisha

Priorities

"By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward."

-Hebrews 11:24-26-

I was doing my devotion this morning and I read the verse above. I'm always amazed at the kind of faith Moses had. The very fact that his life was set for him, Pharaoh had already made plans for him. Moses was to become the next Pharaoh...what an honour! A position of esteem, influence, power and wealth. That's the kind of life anyone would love to trade places with, but not Moses. He did the unthinkable and unpredictable. He chose to suffer with God's people rather than enjoy a lavish lifestyle at the throne. Don't get me wrong, the moral of the story is certainly not that God disapproves of riches or authority, the Bible makes that clear, but God had another purpose for Moses. He wanted Moses to be the one to lead the Israelites out of captivity. Ultimately, it wasn't about the riches or the power...but rather a question of priorities. Was Moses willing to follow God and His leading no matter what or was he going to chose to gratify his own ambitions? The real importance behind Moses' actions is that it showed where his heart really ways...it unveiled his true priorities. Had he been focused on moving up in the world or satisfying a thirst for money and power, there is no way that he would traded all that for dusty feet, worn out sandals and a really miserable bunch of Israelites. Instead, Moses had a heart that was submitted to God, he purposed in his heart to go wherever God sends him and this is why, through the power of God, Moses was able to turn his back onto the grand life that he could have chosen. 

As I reflected on this passage, it made me think about myself, my own life. Where are my priorities? What would I have done if I was in Moses' shoes? In fact, bringing it even closer to home...what if I had the opportunity of a lifetime, what if I got a job offer with an elite company that payed a substantial salary, but I would have to compromise one of God's principles or this job is not what God has planned for me. Would I choose Christ or as Hebrews puts it "the passing pleasures of sin"? Christ needs to be the central motive of our hearts. We need to look past our narrow view and see the big picture...choosing Christ is choosing eternal life, it is choosing to serve the one who gave everything for us. 

If Christ is our priority, we will be willing to give up everything and anything for Him. How about you, where does your heart stand? Remember that we can choose to put God first in our lives and He will give us the power to make these important decisions.

Have a blessed day!

Nina :)

Kemeisha!

Hello everyone!

I've been realizing that I haven't been posting anything as frequently as I would like. This is partly because I've been a little busy, but mostly because I am a bit of a perfectionist and can't seem to get my exact thoughts in writing as clearly as I'd like. A week ago, our good friend Kem (Kemeisha) mentioned to me that she is thinking of taking up blogging...7 days later, here we are. Kem is our newest author on Live Profoundly and she will be writing most of our posts. Since I will be returning to school in September, I won't be able to contribute to the blog as regularly, which is why I am so grateful to have Kem on board!

Let me tell you a little bit about her. She is one of the most soft-spoken girls you'll ever meet, but don't let that fool you. Behind all that shyness, there is a brilliant and talented young lady...I mean it! She has so many diverse interests and skills, it's unbelievable. In her downtime, Kem enjoys drawing, reading, writing (including poetry, short stories and songs). She is also passionate about animals especially horses and dogs. Kem also loves arts and crafts and makes her own hair accessories and various bracelets. However, most importantly, Kem loves the Lord and has a heart to follow Christ. I know that you will find her posts deep and spiritually uplifting. 

So Kem, on behalf of Victoria and myself, welcome!

-Nina