Before, In, and After: God is still Good.

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.'" - Daniel 3:16-18

Over the course of this year, I have shed more tears than I probably have in my life second only to middle school career. And, I HATE CRYING! I really do. It makes me feel childish and most of the time my problems are pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but the tears still come. They have come because of grades, questioning God's plan for my life, boys, and, more recently, friends who have simply become acquaintances. 

So, tonight as I was thinking about this last week and, furthermore, this entire year, I was looking to expand a few of my boards on Pinterest. And, I saw this: 

It was one of the first pins I saw when I got on, and, boy, did I need it. I keep thinking that life gets easier. That life is eventually going to be like the series finale of a TV show or the ending of romcom where everything is rainbows and butterflies and they live happily ever after. But, it has yet to happen and maybe it never will. But, as I was looking at this pin and as I opened my Bible to read the whole story, I thought to myself that the ending isn't as important as the outcome. And, you know what the outcome is? God is good. Period. Point-blank. Done. That's the outcome. 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have died in that furnace. They could have been burned to ashes. But, they faced that furnace anyway, because they already knew the outcome. They knew that God was in control. They knew that God works all things for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28). Now, you may say, "Wait, that verse wasn't even around during the Old Testament times." And, no it wasn't. But, it's truth was. And, that same truth is still true today. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted in this fact. They knew that regardless God had things under control and they trusted in His goodness to get them through a literal furnace. Now, I'm sure we haven't had too many literal furnaces to walk through lately. But, if you're like me, there have been quiet a few metaphorical furnaces. And, you know, in the end, God is still good. 

But, there is no way that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would have even said what they said to the king without having a love for God. And, this love comes from the fact that God is good. They loved God, and they knew that He would take care of them. They trusted fully in his love and goodness to get through the furnace, because He had probably proven to them multiple times before that He would take care of them regardless. 

And, I know you're probably thinking, "Catherine, don't forget to mention the highlight of the story." Many of us know. It's what made us feel invincible when we were children. It made us feel like we could take on the world. If you want, I encourage you to read the whole story for yourself (Dan. 3). It's pretty great. But, if not, I'll go ahead and tell you: God got right there in the furnace with them. Three people went in. Four people were seen in the furnace. Three people walked out, clean as whistles. 

There is a saying that "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." But, I don't really think this is true at all. Instead, I think that when the going gets tough, the tough get God. I haven't seen any furnaces with standing room, but I have started a few fires in our wood stove. And, let me tell you, it is hot and dirty in there. I'm sure the furnace that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in was even hotter and dirtier. But, God was in there right along with them. He could have easily saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego without entering the furnace. He's God, remember. But, He chose to get right in there anyway. He's God, remember. He isn't afraid of our messy, dirty lives. He isn't afraid to wipe our tears away. And, if we're being honest, He's the only one who can even remotely understand the pain that you feel every time you look at someone. He's the only one that knows how worried you are about your life. And, He's the only one who knows why you sometimes cry some seemingly insignificant reason. He's the only one who understands you enough to give you just what you need at exactly the right time (even if it is a pin on Pinterest). Sure, people can say kind words to you and try to understand what you're going through. In the end, though, we're all humans struggling to get through life, which is why we need God. Because He is good. All the time. Before the furnace. In the furnace. After the furnace. He is good. He is God. 

The Greatest Blessing of All

"My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever." - Psalm 73:26

   

You know what I am really tired of hearing? Things like, "Dance with the Lord and He will let the right man cut in." and "A man should be so focused on God that the only reason he looks down is because God says 'that's her." and every other saying on Pinterest memes. Maybe I'm just bitter. Maybe I'm just someone whose been single too long with no husband in sight. But, regardless, these things get on my nerves. And, you know why? Because this sends the message that we should serve God to gain something.

I already did gain something. I gained eternal life through the blood of Jesus. We read stories like Job and we say, "Man, look how faithful Job was and God rewarded him." But, you know what? Job had no idea what the outcome was going to be. He had no idea that God would multiply everything he had. But, Job was still faithful. He still worshiped every opportunity he got. Job could have easily thrown in the towel and stopped serving God, but he didn't. And, not because he wanted something from God, but because he loved God! Imagine that! A love so awesome that it doesn't rely on these things we can receive but from simply loving God. 

These sayings also send the message that if we aren't getting the things we want, if we aren't getting that hot football player who loves the Lord, if we aren't getting that dream job making at least a hundred thousand dollars that something is wrong with us. And, you know what? Something is wrong with us. We are humans! We mess up, we say the wrong things, we laugh at the wrongs times, and we sin. Which is why if our blessings were based on us, we would never get them. But, blessings aren't based on us, they are based on our Father! Because He loves us. And, to thank Him we should love Him back. 

Okay, maybe one day you will get that dream job, maybe you will get a pay raise, maybe you will get that white picket fence you have always dreamed of. But, it won't be because you have done enough to earn God's blessings. It will be because He already loves you and wants what's best for you. Now I am not saying that you shouldn't love and serve Him every chance you get. But, love and serve Him because He is yours forever. Like the verse above says God is ours forever! God doesn't go away. He doesn't get tired of us. He doesn't run away at the first sign of a nervous breakdown. He doesn't run away at the first sign of our own weakness. He loves us and that is why we should love and serve Him. Not because we are trying to get something. 

God loves us so much that He sent His own Son to die on the cross for us. I can truly say that is the greatest blessing of all. So, I'm tired of dancing with God because I want the right man to cut in. I'm tired of running head on towards God in the hopes of crossing the finish line with a husband. From now on, I want to dance with God simply to enjoy His presence. I want to run straight towards God because His love is amazing. I want to daily soak in His words and His love and share His love with others because everyone deserves to feel the love God has for us. 

Its Time

Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time..."

It constantly amazes me how awesome God is. Today we had our annual Freshman Worship Service in our beautiful chapel. And, every time I am in a worship service I can't help but think of the people who make up the worship service and what they symbolize. 

As we were singing today, I was thinking about all the voices I heard around me and you will probably recognize these same voices in your worship services. For example, you have the really deep bass guy. You also have the beautiful female voice a few seats over who would never actually have the courage to sing in front of people. You have the person behind you who is so far from key and many other voices. Then, you have the leaders and the band. The funny thing is the service would not be complete without each of these distinctive members. Just like the body of Christ is not complete without all of it's members. 

Today, as I was singing, I was thinking about how awesome God is and how only He could bring each of these distinctive members together to make a whole complex body. He brings the broken. He brings the people who have no clue what they are doing with their lives. He brings those who are far from where they should be. He brings the leaders and the followers. And, He makes them beautiful. 

The funny thing about timing is it is not always our timing. As one of my good friends pointed out as he was speaking today, the verse says "its" not "ours." "He has made everything beautiful in its time" So, if I showed up to worship at 8:00 and someone else showed up at noon, it would not be as beautiful. However, we have a set time to worship just like God has a set time for things to happen in our lives. So, if your situation isn't beautiful now, give it time! 

But Take Heart!

"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! For I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

Hands down, this is my favorite Bible verse in the world! So, I thought I would dissect it a little bit this afternoon. 

The first sentence says, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace." Previously, Jesus has told His disciples that soon He will not be with them in body any longer. However, He wants them to remember all that He has taught them and remember these things. Because, He wants them to have peace. And, He has given them instructions for how to have peace. And, we can share in that same peace through Jesus, which is a spectacular thing. But, then Jesus continues...

The sentence directly after states, "In this world you will have trouble." OH NO! Jesus is telling His disciples this! He is telling them they WILL have trouble. He isn't saying, "Here are some comforting words just in case you hit a rough patch or two." He is saying this because they will have trouble. And, we all know that the disciples are not alone. We, also, have had, will have, and are going to have trouble. We are going to hit many rough patches. We are going to get knocked down. We may even get kicked while we are down. 

This next sentence always sticks out to me. "But take heart!" Now, up until today, I had not really thought much about what this phrase meant. So, I googled "what does the expression 'take heart' mean" and clicked on the very first link. It contained three definitions of the phrase "take heart." The first one said, "to receive courage or comfort from some fact." The second one said, "to start to feel more hopeful and more confident." And, lastly, the third one said, "to feel encouraged." I then googled what "but" means. I know this may sound funny, but sometimes we grow accustomed to words and don't really focus on their meanings as much. According to Google, "but" is "used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned." So, let's put these together! The words "But take heart!" mean to be encouraged because Jesus is contrasting what He just said with something that will encourage us! 

And, what should encourage us? Jesus says, "I have overcome the world." Now, notice this is past tense. As in, Jesus has already overcome the world. And, also notice, that it is a definite. It doesn't say, "For now, I have overcome the world." Jesus says, strongly, "I have overcome the world." Jesus is saying, "Stick a fork in it, I have control." Isn't that awesome?! Jesus has overcome the world! And, that's not even the best part! The best part is the reason behind it. And, do you want to know that reason? US! You! Me! Your neighbor across the street! Jesus overcame the world for us! He overcame the world so that through Him we could all have peace, because He loves us! He loves us so much that He died on a cross for our peace! That's awesome! 

So, now let's put everything back together, because that's when things work best. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." God wants us to have peace! God knows that peace isn't something we can have in this world. So, what does He do? He sends us son to take over the world, so we can have that peace. But, that's the thing about this peace He is talking about. It comes from God. It doesn't come from this world. It doesn't come in the form of a blunt, a bottle, or someone else's bed. It comes in the form of a man on a cross! It comes in the form of salvation, which is freely given!

Now, some of you may be thinking, "I have been saved but my life is still hitting bump after bump. I feel like I'm riding a crowded van in Costa Rica." And, you know what, you might be. Because that's life! I hate to say it, but it is and we all know it. Life isn't easy, because we live in a broken world. But, God is saying that true peace that doesn't depend on circumstances is here! Maybe it's been a while since you felt that peace! But, that doesn't mean that peace has gone! Jesus is waiting there with open arms saying here's your peace! Because, you know what sometimes Christians crumple. Sometimes, we still feel down, we still feel broken. But, we aren't because God has us. And, He has already overcome the world for you, so don't let the world overcome you! Have faith! One of my favorite songs is "Give Me Faith" and the bridge goes: "I may be weak, but Your Spirit's strong in me. My flesh may fail. But, my God, You never will." Although we are powerless against the world, the world is powerless against God! So, when you think you can't go one more step, God is there to carry you on. So, take heart in this fact, because it says so in God's instruction manual! 

God's Got His Own Clock

"...And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" -Esther 5:14

I don't know about you guys, but I would definitely be terrified in Esther's position! Women in the Bible days waited on the calling of their husbands. She had little power even in her position. Yet, Mordecai is still telling her that she may have been placed in her position to save all the Jews. I can see myself now in her position. "You've got to be kidding me! No way am I going try and stop all of this! What can I even do?!" 

But, Esther had faith. Not only was it faith in God, but faith in His timing. No, He certainly doesn't call us to save a whole lot of people, but He does call us! He calls us to trust Him, to honor Him, and to praise Him! But, how do we trust, honor, and praise Him if we don't even have faith in His timing!

My whole life I have struggled with being single. I have been single all twenty years of my life. And, I have spent many days crying over boys that God hasn't "given" me, so to speak. I have spent a lot of time angry at people around me in relationships or people who were always so happy mostly because I felt so alone, even around my dearest family and friends. Being single is not easy. And, although I know I'm not alone because I have God, it is probably one of the hardest things I deal with. And, I try not to let loneliness get the best of me, but sometimes I just can't help it. Don't get me wrong I love my life, but I wouldn't mind adding a boyfriend to the equation.

But, my question is, "Am I lonely because I don't have a boyfriend? Or, am I lonely because I am not fully trusting in God's timing?" If it is God's will for me to have a boyfriend then I will have one when He is ready for me to have one. To truly live my life to honor God, I must have faith in His timing. And, this includes my plan to have a boyfriend and so much more. 

Last year, my grandmother passed away from cancer. Did I want this to happen? No way! I wanted her to be around to see my little cousins graduate high school, to see all of us graduate college, to meet her great-grandkids, to live to be at least 100. But, she didn't. And, yes, it's sad, but it was God's timing. My family has grown closer because of it. And, my sister's faith has changed drastically since it happened. And, we have all grown closer to God. What if it had happened a couple of years down the road? Would it have changed us the same way? Would it have made us better Christians? What if she would have died of old age? Would my sister have gained the incredible testimony and determination to be a better Christian? Maybe. But, with God's timing, these things were definite.

God has His own clock. And, typically, it is not set with our clocks. And, you have to learn that it's okay. What if Esther had been born a few years later than she was? What if the Jews had been threatened when Vashti was queen? Would the world be the same? 

So next time something doesn't match up with your plan, have faith in God's timing. Because in the end, His clock is the only one that matters.

Graceful

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." -2 Corinthians 12:9

According to dictionary.com, graceful means, "characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech." Woah! I am not that! I know we are all probably thinking that exact same thing. But, here's the thing, if we are saved, WE ARE GOD'S CHILDREN! 

Do you know what that means? We aren't supposed to be graceful! But, we are FULL OF GRACE! 


Being full of grace is so much different than being graceful. Do you know what that means? It means it's okay to not be graceful! Things it's okay to do when we are full of grace: SCREW UP, FAIL, LOSE, FALL, TRIP, STUMBLE, ETC. And, do you want to know why? As Tenth Avenue North put it in their "Overflow Devotional," "In Christ, we are free to fail, we're free to screw up. Because when we do, we fall into an ocean of grace." Screwing up, failing, and all those other things I mentioned above are okay! They really are, because, if we are children of God, we have arms to fall into, we have a shoulder to cry on, WE HAVE GRACE! 

As 2 Corinthians 12:9, states God's grace is sufficient for us! And, it goes even beyond that! HIS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN OUR WEAKNESSES! When we do fall, stumble, screw up, fail, God catches us then uses us! He doesn't let our struggles be in vain. HE USES THEM! He uses the times we fail to say my child is okay because I am more powerful than any of their circumstances! HOW GREAT IS THAT?!

But, you know, the Bible does not stop after that verse. The next verse says, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10). So, what do we do with our screw ups and failures? Do we stick them in a box and try to ignore them until they no longer haunt us? No, WE BOAST IN THEM! We say, "Here is everything I have been through and this is how God used me!"

Too often, we get caught up in this ideal that we should not fail! We think we have to be perfect because we are Christians. We think we need to be an example to the world, and we do! But, maybe we're setting the wrong example. We probably think that we need to be completely perfect, or at least appear to be. BUT WE DON'T! These two verses prove it! GOD'S POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS! How will the world know about God's grace, if we don't show them?  

So, why don't we boast?! Why don't we go around telling people about our struggles?! Struggling is part of grace. Grace is there so that we can struggle! We are free to fail, free to screw up, free to stumble, etc, because grace is so much bigger than our struggles! 

So, here's my challenge to you today: BE HUMAN! Struggle, fail, screw up! Now I'm not saying intentionally fail! But, we are human, so strive to be all that you can be, and when you do fail, BOAST! Let God pick you up! Let Your Father dust you off! And, then BOAST! BECAUSE WE MAY NOT BE GRACEFUL, BUT WE ARE FULL OF GRACE! 

Giving even after the end

The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. But who is able to build a temple for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him? Who then am I to build a temple for Him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before Him?" - 2 Chronicles 2:5-6

Wow! Just wow! These two small verses speak volumes.

There is so much we can take and apply to our lives all throughout God's Word and this is no exception.

• "The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods."
• Solomon is humbled. He does not claim, "The temple will be great, because I am great." He realizes that nothing is truly great without the power of an even greater God. When we wholeheartedly commit to doing something that honors God, He will make it great. Because His power will be all over it. 
• "But who is able to build a temple for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him?"
• God is not and cannot be contained by us. But, His lack of confinement goes even beyond that. He cannot be contained by time, place, or situation. Just because we are stuck between a rock and a hard place does not mean God is. He can move the rocks and the mountains to overcome any situation, because nothing can contain Him. 
• "Who then am I to build a temple for Him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before Him?" 
• Our offerings are in our intentions. Solomon was humbled by how amazing God was. And, he knew that God could not be defined or confined by humanly things. Therefore, he made the temple as a place to SACRIFICE! Do you know what that means? It means that Solomon's intent was to build something for God and continue doing things for God long after the building was done. Solomon could have easily said, "I built this temple. I have done my part." But, he made something that He could continuously give to God in. 

Many times we find ourselves doing things for God and think our job is done at the end of a church bingo, a mission trip, or the signing a check. But, our sacrifice and gifts to God shouldn't stop because we think something is completed. God sent His son to die on the cross for us, which should have been an ending, and yet this Sunday we will celebrate the fact that His death was not an ending at all, but a beginning. THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE! 

My question is, "Why do we think that our sacrifices and gifts to God should stop after a certain event? Why don't we feel the need to constantly give everything we have to God?" The answer isn't easy. Maybe it's because giving our everything to God may call us to go places we never would have gone otherwise. Maybe we are afraid that God will call us to give up something we want to harbor for ourselves. Maybe we think that we have already done a lot, now it is someone else's turn to give something to God. Whatever the reason, we need to overcome it and place everything we have into the hands of a Savior who cannot be confined and can use everything we give Him to do whatever He wants anywhere, anytime, any place. We should continue giving even after the end of our "building" whether it be a mission trip, a Bible study, or a church service. Because God didn't stop giving of His love at what should have been the end of His son's life. 

What's with the title?

Why did I choose to call my blog "The Salty Socialite?"  Why "salty?" According to urban dictionary, it means that I just got played or looked stupid or maybe I am mad about something. However, according to God's precious word, it is something we should long to be as Christians. In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells us that Christians should be "the salt of the earth," and, salt that is not salty is no longer good and must be "thrown out and trampled underfoot." But, how do we keep ourselves from being no good? How do we become the "salt of the earth?" By simply being who God has made us to be. God made me loud and outgoing, so I try to be loud and outgoing for Him. Which is why I chose the word "socialite." We have to use the talents He has given us and the personality He has given us to honor and glorify His name, which is what I try to do daily. But, this blog is not just made for me. It's made for the people who want to read it. You do not put one grain of salt on your french fries to flavor them. You put a lot on there. Well, this world needs a lot of salt. It needs people to flavor it with God's love and grace. Although one grain of salt can add some flavor, multiple grains of salt can flavor the entire world and change it completely. To do that, we are all going to need encouragement, which is what I hope to provide with this blog. I hope whoever reads it, whether they read one sentence, a whole post, or even every post, will get something from this through the words God will give me to share. In turn, I hope that we can help to keep each other salty so that we can flavor the entire world.