Happy New Year!

Happy New Years everyone! I'm a little late, but oh well! :) I read this on Melanie's blog the other day (written by her), and I LOVED it, and so I wanted to share it on here with you all, as well! :)

For 2012...I have no resolutions other than...

to love a little deeper~
to stand a little taller~
to laugh a little louder~
to speak gently~
to give more profusely~
to live with reckless abandon~
to let faith grow stronger~
to smile in the face of adversity~
to wipe tears from weary faces~
to speak a little less~
to listen a little more~
to carry His burdens for this world~
to rock children to sleep~
to live for Him alone~
to point others to Him~
to radiate with His glory~
to pray more at His feet~
to dance a little freer~
to sing a little stronger~
to be an encouragement to those around me~
to die daily~
to surrender more freely~
to battle with more determination~
to give joy in all circumstances~
to love Him more.

~to be utterly transformed by His renewing grace~
evermore.
daily.
to be changed.
made stronger.
lift Him higher.
forget self.
abandon sin.
lay it all down,
nothing in my own strength
to know the truth
to draw closer
to Him
Daily.

~to see the beauty~
in the colors; taken for granted
in the rainbows that boast of a promise
in the laughter, that shows His heart
in the unknown path of the months to come
in the giving that holds nothing back
in the songs of birds
early spring rain
crisp autumn leaves
snow-capped mountains
desperate prayers
brokenness
surrender
but joy.
my journey home

~to learn to see...
the world with His compassion
to hope with absolute confidence
to serve with His kindness,
His gentleness,
His self-control,
His patience,
and to
abide in His peace
to learn a quiet heart
~to be still~

to radiate with an inner quiet grace
quiet grace

{All in all?}

To live a life that is not in vain.

~

I also read this over on Emily's blog, and I really liked it! I hope you are encouraged by it as well! :)

“Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”

- C.T. Studd

I hope you all have a wonderful day! :)

In Christ, Kari§a││Romans 12 ♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

There

I read this the other day on ylcf.org, and thought it was really good, so I wanted to share it with you! Some of you may have read it, but I just wanted to put it on here anyways! :)

"There"

It was simply titled “There”, but it was one of the most powerful sermons I’d heard. The piece of paper on which I jotted the notes and main points is limp now, for each of the years that have passed since I first heard the sermon have proved to make the message it contained more relevant all the time.


It was a sermon about being There, right where God has asked us to be. It’s not always where we think we want to be, and most certainly not always the place that makes sense to us as humans, but being There is the only place we should be.


For Noah, there was preaching an apparently foolish sermon about something that had never happened before. There was to build a boat- a living testimony to his faith. There was to endure ridicule, reproach, to be called crazy and out of his mind for One Hundred and Fifty years. There was to wait in that arch until God opened the door. Not stepping out a moment sooner, not a moment later than God’s will for him and his family.


For Moses, there was in the palace of the king of Egypt. The king who was cruel to his people and hated his God. There was living the lonely and humble life of a shepherd for forty years, and there was standing in the palace and at the risk of everything, delivering the message to set God’s people free.


For Joseph, there was a servant in the house of a stranger, doing his very best only to be unjustly accused and thrown in to prison. There was then to serve God- and his superiors faithfully, no matter how long and tedious those years must’ve felt.


For Esther, there was in the palace of a heathen king, as Queen – for “such a time as this”- risking her life to save her people.


For Elijah, there was beside the little brook of Cherith, relying on Ravens to bring him food, and trusting that the little brook wouldn’t dry up, until God led him on.


There for him and for each one of these great bible heroes was right where God wanted them to be, and there is right where we need to be, no matter what.


Over the years, the lines from that sermon have often echoed in my heart when the place God asked me to be didn’t always feel so comfortable, didn’t always make sense to me, or so very beautiful as I thought I wanted, and again when I’ve caught glimpses of why He put me right there after all. And I’ve jotted my own notes under the outlines of the sermon, filling in the things that I have learned, that am always learning as I seek to truly be There. Right in the place that He has put me for today. No where else, just right there.


Truly, “the path where God leads the way may lie through the desert or the sea, but it is a safe path.”


May these little notes serve to encourage you in your “there” to be faithful, and to trust Him who makes all things beautiful in His time.


There is a place of perplexity. Sometimes I don’t know why God put me here. It’s uncomfortable, uncertain, and sometimes seems so far from where I want to be, or even where I think I should be right now. But if He puts me there, be there, no matter how perplexing or uncertain it seems, because I know that He knows what He’s doing. He sees the big picture, while I’m only catching a glimpse of the moment I’m in.


There is a place of promise. Our God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or even imagine. No matter what There looks like, if we remain, trusting Him, He promises to make all things clear in His time, that we shall not lack any good thing, that He will be faithful. His word is full of promises to us, and the honor of His throne stands behind the fulfillment of those promises.


There is a place of providence. God has a plan, a beautiful plan for working out His purpose in our life. In our limited human vision, this is not often clear to us, but there is no chance in being there where He has asked us to be- just His promises, His providence. When we step out in faith, right there in the line of duty, providence meets us, and His way, His plans are always perfect.


There is a place of provision. God has more than a thousand ways to provide for every single one of our needs. He has promised to provide for us, and He will be faithful to that promise. If we choose our own place, instead of being There where He has called us, no matter how humble of a there it might be, God’s hand may still protect us, but His provision is not what it would have been or could have been had we faithfully remained there in his will.


There is a place of protection. While we are there, in His will, we will be under His care, even in the very path of danger. “The path where God leads the way may lie through the desert or through the sea, but it is a safe path.” Whatever happens there, God is in control and He will not allow anything to happen that is not according to His will, but we must never leave God’s appointed there for any other place, for no other place is as safe as right there where He wants us to be.


There is a place of prayer. Asking God to give us the good gifts that His word says that are ours for the asking, asking for his blessings on others, asking Him to take care of tomorrow, and to give us strength for today. Thanking Him for what He has done, and will do. Sharing with Him as your Friend and Confidant.


There is a place of praise. Praise God for his provision, protection, providence and for the promises that He has fulfilled. “Let His praise be continually on your lips.” We ask often for His blessings, as we should, but how little time we spend in praising Him and thanking Him for the great things that He has done. As we focus our eyes on the blessings He daily has poured out on us in this place, our heart will be overflowing with thanksgiving. Instead of “give me…” and “give me…” or “do this….” or “do that…”, the language of our heart becomes “Thank you”, “Thank you”, “Thank you”.


There is a place of patience. God has sent us there, and if “the brook of Cherith dries up”, if the door of the ark doesn’t open immediately, if the sun is still hiding behind those clouds, wait patiently on His plan, His time, His provision. No matter what appearances may say, stay there until He makes a way. “If there ever was a time for patient trust, it is right now” when you feel the least like waiting. Trust in his purposes, even when they do not make sense.


There is a place of peace. If you are there- in His will- you will have peace of mind and heart. If you are not there, you cannot have true peace or rest. “There” could be in a den of lions, in a fiery furnace, in a ship lost at sea, or in the middle of the most devastating of circumstances, but peace between your soul and God is there because peace is a gift that only God can give. And it is a gift that He delights to give those that trust in His will. It does not mean that there will never be any struggles, or that you will not have to keep putting your heart and mind back into the hands of God, but when you do this, the peace will come.


There is a place of privilege. It is a privilege to be There. Right there in God’s will, right there where He has called us to be. To be a part of His great plan is a privilege, and an honor that we should cherish. All of His instructions are a privilege, and more than a privilege, a joy for those who love Him to obey. And for each thing that He calls us to, He gives us strength and grace in great measure to accomplish. In light of this, why do we complain when there isn’t how we think it should be, when it is a place so filled with privileges and blessings?


This is a picture I saw on someone else's blog, and I really liked it, so I wanted to share this as well! I hope you all have a wonderful week! :)

In Christ,
Karissa :)

Jesus~by: Robert Pierre

This song called Jesus, by Robert Pierre, is a powerful song, that really speaks to my heart. It reminds us that even when we are facing trials and testings, when our world is torn apart, any desperate day, we can call upon the name of Jesus Christ, and He will be right there to listen to us. We can pour out our heart to Him, give Him all our fears, our anger, our pain, our suffering, our hurt, our broken heart, and He will take it, and shape it into something beautiful. There is nothing that we have gone through, no pain that we have experienced, that He has not gone through or experienced Himself. He knows how we are feeling, He knows how painful it is, and He says: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

When you are feeling like your heart is torn in pieces, and your world is falling apart, I urge you to get on your knees, call upon the name of the Lord, and pour out Your heart to Him. He is the best listener of all, and is there for you always. He can, and will heal your broken heart. He promises to never leave you or forsake you! (Hewbrews 13:5) :)

Sometimes He allows us to go through pain and suffering. We don't always know why He allows us to go through trials, but it is in those moments that we need to lean on Him, and trust in Him the most, knowing that He is in control, and knows what is best for us. We need to give Him all the glory and praise in everything, no matter what it is! He promises that, all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Enjoy!

~~

I'm blown away
This life of faith
Is filled with endless blessing
And yet sometimes I wake to find
I'm facing trials and testing

Even in the moments when I'm falling to my knees
I find that help is waiting for me

(Chorus:)
Any desperate day
One word I can pray
All I know to say
Jesus
Screaming from my soul
I'm giving up control
The only hope I know
Jesus

All my concerns
My deepest hurt
My Saviour's been where I am
Life comes undone
And there's noone
Who understands like He can

So even when I stumble and my world is torn apart
There is One whose holding my heart

(Chorus:)
Any desperate day
One word I can pray
All I know to say
Jesus
Screaming from my soul
I'm giving up control
The only hope I know
Jesus

My God hears
And He comes near

(Chorus:) X2
Any desperate day
One word I can pray
All I know to say
Jesus
Screaming from my soul
I'm giving up control
The only hope I know
Jesus