When Life is 100mph

     Whew. This past week…I mean month, I mean…year has literally flown by. I can’t believe it is May 20^th! This last week I have stayed pretty occupied with some things like…

Coffee dates with friends

Dinner with an awesome guy from Chili (and the fam…no this wasn’t a date;)

Working on junior thesis/homework

Working at Town Toyota Center

Celebrating mother’s day

Swimming and hot tubing with friends/family

Going to Seattle for protocol

Working in the yard

Watching adorable kiddos

“Hosting” the after-party for junior protocol (so much fun!)

Looking into colleges more and more

Quality time with my one and only sis

Planning events for this summer…

     And the list goes on…but I think you get the idea. Busy.

Taking a second to stop and think about it, I suddenly came to many realizations. I have…

1 more year until we visit Europe.

3 more weeks until summer break.

2 more weeks to work on my junior thesis.

5 more days until we begin the “gorge season”

1 more day until Shelby’s 15!....yes…15!

1 more year of high school left.

     So yes, these are quite the lists. Lots happened in the past week (not to mention the past year) and lots to look forward to in the future. But too often I can get so caught up into the “right now” and in living today…planning for tomorrow…and forgetting about the past. I can get way bogged down in homework assignments or how much money I am making. I procrastinate and find myself pulling too many late-nighters, depending and relying on coffee the next morning when I wake up 6 hours later. This has been my life the past month. Fun? More like draining.

     What I fail to do is remember Jesus in all this mess. My priorities shift to where they aren’t supposed to be. I worry about school. I fear about the future. And I forget to give thanks to what God has done for me.  

     So, for all of you high-schoolers out there who are feeling this same way these last weeks of school, let me encourage you the way I have been encouraged. Take a breather for these next five minutes to reflect on what we already have in Christ, and how to go about the finishing of this school year.

Why I worry/fear

     Let me be completely honest. I worry and fear because I don’t trust God, right? And why should I worry when I have a perfect, holy, grace-abounding, total loving, Son-giving, God who I get to call my Father? Yes. I think I answered my own question. When I worry and fear, it’s because I’m not trusting my God.

Why I forget

     I forget what God has done/is doing because I become so self-absorbed and self-centered. I find myself becoming a busybody instead of being busy for a somebody. There is a difference there, because when I am self-centered and my life is running 100mph it results in me looking like a chicken running around with it’s head cut off.

The good news

     Here’s the good news…I have found that In Christ, I have a better hope than getting an A on my thesis. In Christ, I have a better hope than getting a good-night’s rest. In Christ, I have a better hope and reason to get up after 6 hours of sleep (hint: and it’s not coffee!) In Christ, I have a better hope than making enough money to (fill in the blank). But let it be that In Christ, my hope is in the one who gave His life for me and forgave me of my sins, resulting in reconciliation with God. I am a daughter of God. God sees me in Christ and counts me as righteous. He is my strength, my comforter, my all. And for this, I have a reason to be hopeful, wake up, and live with a purpose…especially these last weeks of school.

     Is my life still running at 100mph? Yes. But I am encouraged that I can make it count for something, using every opportunity I have to tell people about The Somebody. I encourage you to preach to yourselves daily, dive into the Word, and remember what God has done for you through Christ. For when I find myself remembering this good news…it just get’s better and better and I become more and more thankful, hopeful, and inspired to tell others about the goodness of this God. 

Favorite Quotes

I keep a document on my computer full of some awesome quotes I come across at random times. I was reading through them last night, and thought to post them here, in hopes that they may bless you, as they have been very encouraging words to me. I put my sources at the bottom: all great books/blogs/sites I recommend reading for sure! Enjoy!:)

“Sin happens when we don't trust God above everything (when we interpret in the wrong way) and when we don't desire God above everything (when we worship the wrong thing.)”

~Tim Chester 

"Do not become self-sufficient. Self-sufficiency is Satan’s net where he catches men, like poor silly fish, and destroys them. Be not self-sufficient. The way to grow strong in Christ is to become weak in yourself. God pours no power into man’s heart till man’s power is all poured out. Live, then, daily, a life of dependence on the grace of God."

~Charles Spurgeon

“Religion says ‘you must impress God,’ but the gospel says ‘Jesus impressed God for you.”

“If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full.”

~John Piper

 "What a comfort is this; when Satan is tempting, Christ is praying!"

~Thomas Watson (1663)

"Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."

 ~Francis Chan

“Good theology will always lead to humility and worship. It displays the greatness of God. It reflects the beauty of Jesus and the gospel, and the wonder of God’s justice and mercy coming together in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.”

~Joe thorn 

“When you get down to the essence of our righteousness, we are not saints because we are saints, but because Jesus is. To be justified to God through Christ, then, means that having received the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, we are declared righteous ourselves, pardoned from the charge of guilt. We are reckoned innocent, not on the basis of our own innocence, mind you, but on the basis of Christ’s innocence."

~Justin Holcomb

“When you’re excited to see Jesus change lives, you get excited to play a part by giving. It’s not a chore; it’s an honor.”
~Jamie Munson


“Because of total depravity, you and I were desperate for God’s grace before we were saved. Because of total depravity, you and I remain desperate for God’s grace even after we’re saved."
~Tullian Tchividjian 


"Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior." 

~John Newton

Note to Self,Desiring God FB page,Gospel-Driven Sanctification,Money: God or gift,Tullian Tchividjian blog

So Thankful

Thankful for...

My best friend

Thankful for a best friend who encourages me in all circumstances.

Thankful for a best friend who makes me laugh at any given time of any given day.

Thankful for a best friend who displays courage when times are tough.

Thankful for a best friend who bluntly and lovingly states when I am being foolish.

Thankful for a best friend who plunks out lovely songs on the piano. (emphasis on “plunks”;) 

Thankful for a best friend who relies, trusts in, and loves Christ as her Savior.

Thankful for my best friend, Jaymie Noelle Poage.

My sister

Thankful for a sister who is especially outgoing.

Thankful for a sister who is inspiring in her passions.

Thankful for a sister who enjoys coffee dates and quality time.

Thankful for a sister who encourages those who are down.

Thankful for a sister who always initiates good conversation.

Thankful for a sister who sings, sings, sings!;)

Thankful for a sister who is selfless and serves me frequently.

Thankful for a sister who is in love with Jesus.

Thankful for my sister, Shelby Crystal.

My brother

Thankful for a brother who surprises me often with gifts.

Thankful for a brother who cooks amazing food!

Thankful for a brother who is always in for having a good time.

Thankful for a brother who cares so dearly for his 3 year old sister.

Thankful for a brother who regularly has theological discussions with me;)

Thankful for a brother who is passionate about the Word, and is always striving to understand it more and more.

Thankful for my brother, Corbin Schmidt.

My Savior

Thankful for a savior, one desperately needed.

Thankful for a savior who rescues me from sin and death and has brought me into eternal life by the price He paid on the cross.

Thankful for a savior who gifts me countless things including a new identity and a new reason to live…a better identity and a better reason than I could have ever come up with myself.

Thankful for a savior who is my hope, my rock, my truth, my anchor…so that when there’s a storm, in Him I can find peace (and only in Him).

Thankful for my savior, Jesus Christ.

   

    I am filled with thanks, and my heart overflows with joy because of all of these truths. I have been beyond blessed with people God has placed in my life, and these are only to name a few! Above all, Jesus has continued to be faithful and good. I had the awesome privilege to be one out of many to witness our precious friend, Abbi Milner, get baptized this last Sunday! She totally rocked it- speaking the truth and how God has been so good in her life. I encourage you to watch it here!:)

Praising God for His unending love, and all satisfying hope we have in Jesus Christ, our savior. Glory be to God!

“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light. For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave us our sins.”

~Colossians 1:11-14

My Testimony

On March 4^th, 2012, I obeyed Jesus and declared my faith in Him as my Savior by entering into the waters of baptism. I also shared my testimony, telling about how God saved me and what He saved me from, even though I was so underserving of His wonderful grace. I decided to put my testimony here on my blog, for anyone who may be interested in reading it. It is my prayer that it may be an encouragement to you, and a proclamation of God saving the worst sinner I know, myself. As I read through it just the other night, it put me at awe (once again) at how amazing God is, and how thankful I am for His grace. So, here it is; just one of many stories of God’s goodness, Christ’s sacrifice, and how a totally undeserving sinner is now living in joy…all because of His wonderful mercy and grace...

    

      "My name is Brooke Myers, and I am 16 years old, with a story I’m sure quite a few of you can relate to. I was born into a Christian home and attended church as a little girl. In 7th grade I transferred from public school to The River Academy, a private Christian school here in Wenatchee. During my time there, I maintained good grades, had a steady job, earned my own money, and participated in competitive swimming for nine years. I swam year-round for the Barracuda club swim team, and then eventually during the fall for Eastmont high school. On year-round swimming, I placed first numerous times, and went to championship meets. For High school, I made it to districts and continued on to state. According to the world’s standards, my friends, and even my parents, teachers, and coaches, I was a pretty good girl...and I knew it. As a matter of fact, I loved it, and I began to find my identity in being approved by others. I became very good at appearing humble when I spoke to people, however, my ultimate goal was for them to know about all of my wonderful accomplishments that I had fought so hard to achieve. I aggressively sought the approval from other people, depending and relying on their praises for the things I had accomplished. I became identified by not only the things I did, but also the things I didn’t do. I never did drugs, drank alcohol, or “partied hard”, which brought me to a point where I was self-reliant and self-righteous. However, I did feel distant from God and began to question if I ever really knew Him. So began the next stage of my life.

    To get to know God better, and make myself feel better, I set out to read the Bible in a year, journal, participate in Bible studies, and pray during the day instead of just at night. How did this all work out? Well, I read probably one book of the Bible that whole year, did a journal entry about once every two weeks, and I still ended up falling asleep when I prayed at night. One of the entries I did write explains the desperate need I was feeling for someone to intervene. In August 2010 I wrote:

“I feel like my spiritual life is going down a drain. I keep messing up. I don’t have a clear view of what’s right and what’s wrong. I don’t feel a connection with God. This hurts so much to say, but it’s true. I want to start new. A new day, a new life, a new road ahead of me.”

     Up to this point, I had tried to find acceptance and approval from other people and myself. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back I see how my idols were eating at my soul, which is ironic because I kept feeding them with my time, my energy, and ultimately my heart…but that just left me empty, desperate and lonely. These idols did not speak to me, nor did they care in the least about me.

     Praise the Lord that my story and His story don’t end there. He was in the middle of authoring a greater story, one that would show the greatness of His Son’s work, rather than mine. God did intervene; He changed my heart, and filled me with the Holy Spirit, but most of all, by His grace alone, He crushed my idols and forgave me for worshiping them instead of him. In Titus 3, Paul couldn’t have explained it any better when he says:

“But when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace, he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

     This passage hits all the key things I was struggling with, and spoke to them. God saved me, not because of any righteous thing I had done, but because of His mercy. All the ways I was trying to get closer to God were wasteful, and some of them were even sinful. That’s why it’s so ironic to think I had done it all, when really I had nothing to boast in. The Lord revealed to me it isn’t about my “achievements”, but what Christ has done. Understanding this brought me to true repentance, humility, and ultimately to Jesus. Now, kneeling at the cross, I am blessed with a new life, a new heart. My previous sinful desires are gone; I am released and set free! By God’s grace, I am declared righteous and now I don’t have to find acceptance from all the things I have previously been pouring myself out for. I have full acceptance in Christ. I have been gifted worth, value, and an identity in Him alone.

     While I still struggle with the idols of achievement and approval from others and myself, I have found that the Holy Spirit is helping me not to merely behave better, but to believe better -- to believe bigger, to believe fuller, deeper, more passionately that Christ has secured what we could not.

     Everything I sought after -- my need for approval, for security, for meaning, for acceptance -- was and is found in His full and final acceptance of me in Christ. I have been freed from the obsessive compulsion to perform, to earn and to work for God’s approval. My identity is now anchored in Christ’s performance, not mine; His strength, not mine; His accomplishment, His perfection, His work, His righteousness, not mine. Work is finished, rest secured. Performance done. I now know that because I don’t have to do anything to please God, I am now free to do everything for Him!"

Hate Well

 Quote from “Note To Self”:

The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.

Pride and arrogance and the way of evil

And perverted speech I hate.

~Proverbs 8:13

“Dear self,

     In all your longing to love as Christ loved, you sometimes forget that true love for one thing will, or at least should, produce a hatred for whatever stands against it.  Do not neglect cultivating hatred, an intense hatred, for the right things. Authentic love and zeal for God will produce abhorrence for all that stands oppose to Him and His purposes. Genuine love for your neighbor will produce within you antipathy toward all that robs him of his dignity or leads her away from God.

     Do you hate pride and arrogance? Injustice and the way of evil? Hurtful speech? Do false gospels and false teachers create a holy hostility in you? Do you hate works-righteousness and the false promise of peace with God through performance? I hope you do.

     And what about your own sin? Do you see it? Is it ever before your eyes? Do you really hate it for what it is, or do you simply dislike its unpleasant consequences? If you hate your sin only because of the pain it has caused you in this life, then your hatred sterns from self-love and does not come from a burning love for God.

     At times you have wondered why you are so complacent, unmoved. You have grown frustrated with your lack of progress in the faith. It may be because you lack true and balanced passion- love and hatred. One will move you to recoil from sin, and the other will move you to hold on to Jesus.

     Consider the apostle Paul, who wrestled with the ugly reality of sin in his life (Rom 7:7-25). Paul’s hatred for sin and love for the Savior led him to war against the flesh and to hope in Jesus. And while he was resigned to the hard truth that this side of the resurrection he was shackled to the corrupting influence and presence of sin, his confidence was always grounded in the unchanging love and abounding grace of God.

     If you are following Jesus, cherishing the gospel, and loving God and neighbor, then you will hate well. If you do not hate evil, you will find yourself more susceptible to temptation, slower to respond to corruption, and unmotivated to contend for the faith. Hate is a real part of your faith-don’t forget it."

Spring Break and the Holy Spirit

     This past spring break, I have had some wonderful opportunities to witness God’s Spirit at work. Our family of 4 traveled to Turks and Caicos for spring break, and boy do we have stories! I had some very fun chances to experience “out of this world, takes your breath away” feelings such as admiration, gratefulness, humility, peace, love, and pure joy that I get to share about…

     First, let me admit that before we left I was very bitter. I was upset that I wasn’t going to be able to spend Easter Sunday with my new family here at Grace Covenant. We were going somewhere foreign, where we have never been before, not knowing a thing about the churches there, or even if there were any at all. I wanted so badly to be here in Wenatchee, where I was comfortable with my family and friends. I even asked my mom if we could come home early for it! But that would mean we would only be in Turks and Caicos for 3 days, so that idea didn’t quite fly. To be completely honest, I was putting off Easter, almost dreading it…totally forgetting what it is all about.

     Now, before we left for our journey, my dad had a wonderful idea to bring some Bibles down with us to gift to people. We didn’t know who, where, or even when we would have the opportunity, but we had faith that God would provide one. So along with each of our 49.9-pound suitcases (not exactly a “light packing” family…) we made it a priority for six Bibles to make it down to the tropical island. I was SO excited to give these away, but quite curious as to whom God would place in our lives. Kids? Adults? Boys? Girls? Many people? Just one? I spent a great amount of time praying for God to lead us to witness to someone. Guess what? He answered!

     We arrived Monday April 2^nd in the afternoon and immediately headed down to a café right next to where we were staying. A very gracious hostess showed us to our seat, and we began to chat it up. She was very courteous to us tourists and gave us information on where to eat, shop, lie in the sun, and even tips for churches to attend on Easter Sunday. We went back to our room that night, and I wondered what her story was…whether she was a believer or not. Didn’t think too much about it, until we ran into her at the restaurant once again. This time, my parents talked to her even more, and later on we learned that she was a Christian who totally and completely puts her trust in God. For a little background, Turks and Caicos is very pricy. For an example, a box of lucky charms was 6$...yea, brutal. So my parents were asking this waitress, our new friend, how the locals did it and if they got a discount. She replied,  “No, we don’t get a discount, but God always comes through. Whenever I need the 721$, he provides it for me.” She was very humble, and very thankful.  This opened up some awesome conversation, and that night the Holy Spirit revealed to me through my dad that this woman was the person to give the Bibles to. We all grew to love her so dearly; we couldn’t wait to give them to her!

     A few days later we met her at the other restaurant she worked at (2 jobs!) and I had the privilege to hand them to her, and explain how God has put it on all of our hearts that she’s the one, and how our hopes were that she might be able to gift them out to some people at her church who may not have one, or even friends. She began to weep, remained speechless, and we just hugged. She was the one God pointed out a long time ago for us to meet. We met a new sister of ours, in Christ, and her name is Joanne.

     Now for Easter morning. We took the advice of Joanne, and attended a Baptist church. The moment we arrived, we felt very welcomed, loved, and connected. The hospitality was amazing, and soon the service began. All I have to say is Baptists know how to do it! I’m serious; they were rocking out-dancing and everything! It was amazing! It was so cool because it wasn’t mindless but it was very much heart-felt. They were all singing and praising Jesus, our risen Savior! I had the realization that my GCC family was thousands of miles away praising the same Savior, and giving thanks to the same God, it was so cool! God humbled me and revealed to me it isn’t about where I am. He is there, He is God. It isn’t about who I’m with. He is there and Jesus is alive! Through all of this, I had the most amazing feeling: This is what it’s going to be like in heaven, except we will all be one and united. How cool is that!? I was so silly to think I couldn’t have a great Easter in Turks and Caicos, because quite frankly it was the most memorable ones. The Holy Spirit was at work the whole time.

     Wow, now that’s a lot of writing, and if you have made it this far, thanks for bearing with me. All of this is to encourage those who think its all about where you are or who your with, because it’s not. It’s not even about us; it surly isn’t about me. It’s about Jesus, and what He has done and the joy we all get to share because of the work that is finished! Amen?!. I feel so blessed to have been able to witness the Holy Spirit work in others lives, as well as my own, to convict, transform me, and remind me about who Jesus is…

“Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.”

~Philippians 2:6-11

Theology Conviction

“John Bunyan heralds the gospel of sanctification sweetly with this bit of verse:

Run, John, run. The law commands

But gives neither feet nor hands.

Better news the gospel brings;


It bids us fly and gives us wings.”

~Gospel-Driven Sanctification” by Justin Holcomb

Oh how sweet those words are. Encouraging. Hopeful. Inspiring. The law requires us to “run here, do this, do that…” but doesn’t provide any aid whatsoever. The gospel, on the other hand, offers a better way, the good news that it “bids us fly and gives us wings”. It’s a gift, the most wonderful gift.  How amazing it is, it leaves me in utter admiration…

As some of you may have heard in my testimony a few weeks ago, this was me, the 100% self-righteous “I’ve got this” girl. Ever sense I have been freed from the weight of working out “my” salvation, I have experienced so many things. God has blessed me with so much, and I am always excited to share what He has been doing in my life. Recently, I have been reading Note to Self, which is basically a devotional. It has great stuff, all gospel centered. One morning God revealed to me through this book an idol of mine, and that is my pride in “my" theology. Now the funny thing is that I’m 16 years old, how much theology can I really “have”? Is it really enough to be prideful of it? Yes. I mean can you say irony? I was very proud that I know a lot about God…know more about God and His plan than a lot of people do my age.

I know that I was born into a state of total depravity (not to be confused with utter depravity).

I know how God sent His Son as a substitutionary atonement for my sins.

I know about Christ’s virgin birth and Incarnation.

I know how the Trinity is unified and diverse.

I know how I am saved by faith alone.

One more thing…

I know that Satan fell out of heaven because of the sin pride.

I will say this once again, oh the irony. Being proud about knowing God? I didn’t even know that sin existed! But it does, and I was caught in it; caught in the same sin that kicked Satan out of heaven. I took the gift, and elevated it above the Giver.

By God’s wonderful grace, He revealed this sin to me and convicted me of it. I repented and am continuing to do so when the Holy Spirit convicts me to be worshiping that idol. But to be clear, knowing these things are not bad at all! They are good! They are wonderful! They are a blessing from God because He is a gracious God who reveals Himself to us. I am ever thankful for doctrine class, foundation training, books, and blogs that teach these wonderful truths to me. They are so glorious because we have a glorious God who, by His grace alone, allows me to understand it, love it, and crave more of it. There is one more thing I would love to share. How can I know these things and not love to share them? How can I keep them merely to myself? This is indeed great news, and in being able to understand it, I pray I may be able help others and encourage them with the gospel, as some of my dear friends encourage me. The gospel in and of itself is so freeing, bidding us fly and giving us wings. Praise the Lord, for He is good!