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| partial victory
"so the Lord was with judah. and they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron." - judges 1:19
i came across this yesterday morning and for some reason, it made a deep impression on me. at first, this verse seemed really contradictory- if the Lord was with Judah, then why couldn't they drive out the ppl in the lowlands? didn't God promise the israelites that they would conquer all of the surrounding nations? why should chariots of iron matter?
then it hit me, they don't! whether it be chariots of iron or gigantic men, God can easily conquer them all without so much as lifting a finger. and so could israel, if only they wholeheartedly trusted Him. yet this verse shows that just as the size of the men of canaan shook the faith of the first generation who left egypt, so the chariots of iron of the lowlanders caused this second generation to falter. instead of tasting the victory of God's power, they retreated in the fear of men.
the end result? incomplete fulfillment of God's promises. lingering idols. compromise leading to downfall.
it's easy to look back at this and judge the ppl of israel for their unbelief and lack of faith. yet when we look in our own lives, what do we see? the insurmountable obstacles of deadlines, exams, applications, projects, papers, etc? the bitterness of past failures and disappointments? or the power of our resurrected Savior who carries us in the palm of His hand?
sometimes there's nothing harder than to just "let go and let God," but unless we do, we won't be able to fully reap the blessings of His promises or see His awesome purpose unfold in our lives.
"I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name." -isaiah 45: 3
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| **food for thought... new verse on my heart:
"Therefore, thus says the Lord, if you return, then I will restore you- before Me you will stand. And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them." -Jeremiah 15:19
as one who has suffered through years of high school and college chemistry, this verse immediately brings to mind the days in the lab when our task was to "extract" a pure element from a whole mess of compounds. i remember all too clearly the ridiculous steps necessary in the process- Bunsen burners, various cold/hot water baths, funnels, filters, decanters, organic solvents, etc. etc.- all for the sake of calculating the final "percent yield" of pure product that pretty much determined our grade. even though i shudder at the memory of these tedious experiments, they apply quite well to our lives as christians in non-christian work/school environments. the process of extracting what is precious and lasting from all the worthless yet oh-so-enticing pressures and influences that surround us is infinitely more painful and difficult than it was back in the chemistry lab (in fact, it's pretty much impossible without the mercy and grace of God). but if we don't go through it, can we really store up treasures in heaven?
**on a lighter note... much to give thanks for... (sorry same pics as fb)
food :)
more food!
friends...
...to eat it with...
...to be silly with...
family (susan don't kill me for posting this, hahaha)
and most importantly, the love of God which surpasses all understanding and compels us to return to Him no matter how far we have strayed
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| song i recently just heard... quite addicted to it...
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
Your will above all else,
my purpose remains
The art of losing myself
in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out anybody have the chords? (in the right places por favor :D)
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| love affair with basil
so recently, i've been messing around with fresh basil, and man, is it delicious! one thing's for certain, once you get hooked on the natural stuff, you can't go back to the dried and preserved (just like peanut butter... but that's a tangent for another day). instead of raving on and on about how basil can jazz up even the most basic ingredients, i'm going to throw out two simple recipes for you to try and taste for yourselves!
Tomato, Mozzerella, and Basil Phyllo Dough Pizza
1. preheat oven to 375
2. spread out 7-8 sheets of phyllo dough on lightly greased pan. be sure to follow phyllo dough directions to prevent sheets from drying out and to allow for proper separation between sheets.
3. top with mozzerella or mixture of appropriate cheeses.
4. lay slices of fresh tomato on top.
5. generously add freshly chopped basil.
6. add dash of oregano.
7. sprinkle light coating of cheese over everything.
8. bake 20-30 minutes until crust is golden brown.
serve as appetizer or even main meal!
Tomato and Basil Chicken Capellini
1. heat up olive oil and fresh chopped garlic on stove.
2. cook pasta separately.
3. add some diced onions.
4. add chicken chopped in small chunks. add 1 TBS of fresh basil. mix all together. simmer until chicken cooked through.
5. add red sauce with desired vegetables (i personally like zucchini and mushrooms).
6. add about another pinch or so of fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper. mix.
7. let it all simmer for about 10 minutes.
8. mix with the capellini and serve.
9. top with fresh cheese if so desired.
enjoy with a glass of white wine. a perfect light summer pasta. yums!
and if anyone out there has a favorite basil recipes/suggestions, do share!
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