Moving...

Okay loves,

In an attempt to condense as much as possible as well as keep up with the times, I'm moving my blog to my tumblr.  Assuming this sticks, you can find me at http://makenziryanne.tumblr.com.  Hope to see you there!

Makenzi

Risk

"Formula says, 'I will not risk. I will be in control of my future.' Faith says 'I will risk everything. I will trust Him whom I cannot see, surrender what I cannot control anyway.'"

Life is full of risk. We aren't called to protect ourselves. We are called to follow Him unabandoned, trusting that He has our best interests in mind.

Every Moment

I read recently that we shouldn't try to recreate moments with God because He always has something new and more for us. Today I drove home to see my aunt who was in town for the day. When I got home, I took a walk on the trail around our property then sat on the swing in patchy sunshine. There was just a slight breeze, which we all know is rare here in Oklahoma, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. Sitting there amongst the scent of damp earth while listening to the birds, I wanted to capture that moment to relive again and again. That's when I remembered what I mentioned above. Life is beautiful. The best is yet to come. Enjoy every moment and don't waste it by wondering how you can make it last forever. There's another sunny day coming, and it is going to be even more beautiful...

A Different Way

"It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, 'If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt.'" (Exodus 13:17, MSG)

God is so kind. I mean really, He is ALWAYS looking out for His children and trying to do best for them. But how often do we want to go the shortest route? We are constantly telling God, "Look, I know you know best and all BUT it would seem to me that it would really make the most sense to do it this way." AS IF He needs our finite knowledge to make the best decision. His goal is to get us OUT of slavery and INTO the promised land that He has for us. We need to embrace the journey because it is in the small things along the way that we are molded and shaped into vessels for Him. Day after day I am guilty of second guessing the goodness of God (aren't we so glad that He never grows tired of us or of giving us another chance?). Just yesterday I had to realign myself with the goodness of God to remember that His ways are perfect, and honestly, I have to everyday. It's not a one time ordeal. I want to live from heaven to earth, but the fact of the matter is that I'm surrounded by earth and I have to CHOOSE to align myself with Christ and His purposes for the earth. So here's to this rainy morning, remembering that His ways are perfect, His nature is good, and His kindness is incomprehensible.

Grasshopper Identity

"We saw the Nephilim [giants], and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers..." Numbers 13:33

This verse hit me afresh tonight. It comes from the passage that tells of the twelve spies going to scout out the land of Canaan. Upon returning, Caleb and Joshua encouraged the people of Israel saying, "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30) Caleb and Joshua knew the nature of God. They believed His promises. They didn't get caught up comparing their insufficiencies and inadequacies against the things they saw. They knew what the Lord had said, and they believed it. Later they urged Israel saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:7-9)

Why is it that we are willing to settle so quickly? Why don't we hold out for what He's promised? Graham Cooke wrote, "When we fail to respond to the overtures of God, we remain the product of all our yesterdays." The overtures of God... I LOVE THAT. An overture, by definition, is an introduction to something more substantial. God longs to introduce us to something more substantial, something greater. Why do we turn back to slavery instead, just as the Israelites did? We must stand firm until the breakthrough comes. There is no turning back. We must see ourselves through the identity that was put on us by Christ's death, the identity substantiated through the Holy Spirit living inside of us. THE LORD DOES NOT SEE US AS GRASSHOPPERS SO NEITHER SHOULD WE. He sees us as His beloved children whom He fights for. We are His instruments of battle. We are not what our past says about us. We are what Christ says about us. The old is gone and the new has come. So put on your helmet of salvation and pick up your shield of faith. The Lion of Judah is walking beside you, and He says that you were made for this. It's time to yet again receive the promise of God and remember who He is. With Him, we can stand up against the enemy and receive the territory that God has for us.

Does your self-esteem match up with the Holy Spirit's confidence? Don't convince yourself that you're a grasshopper. Stand up. He believes in you.

11:11

God and I have this thing going on. See, it seems that I look at the clock pretty much every time it reads "11:11." Whether it's in the morning or at night when I'm getting ready for bed, I seem to always see when those numbers pop up. I decided to ask God what He was wanting to tell me, and He told me that He wants me to be thankful for the here and now. As a college student it's so easy to always be looking towards the future-- "What will I do once I graduate?" "Am I going to go on any adventures?" "When will I meet the person I'm going to marry?" etc. etc. On top of that, God has said that 2012 is going to be a year of promise. I feel like I'm on the edge of something new with Him, and I'm so ready to jump into whatever it is. It's so easy for me to constantly be jumping ahead and wondering what's next. I firmly believe that the best is always yet to come and God's plans are always good so that gets me excited. BUT God wants to remind me, that He has something for me NOW. Right now. Right here. He has me in this place for such a time as this, and He doesn't want me to miss it. So for now, I'm letting 11:11 be my reminder to be all here now and to look for what He is doing around me.

End of Year Resolutions

The year 2011 is coming to an end, and it got me thinking. Every year I attempt to make New Years Resolutions. Yes, sometimes they've actually happened, but for the most part... It just doesn't happen. The biggest hinderance is not my lack of motivation but the idea that I have a whole year in front of me to get it done. Well, I have decided to try something new this year. I am making End of Year Resolutions. Nothing huge, just a couple of goals I have for myself before we ring in the New Years. So here we go...

1. Lose 2 more pounds. Yes I'm aware this is cliche and silly BUT I gained between 15 and 20 pounds during 2010, and this year I have lost all of that except 2 pounds. It's gonna happen folks-- and it's gonna happen WITHOUT me cutting out all the holiday yummys. Just watch.

2. Pay off my debt. This sounds much more intense than it really is. It really just means making sure all of my credit cards are completely paid off when I start the New Year. I want to start the New Year owing no man anything except to love them in Jesus Christ.

So those are my End of Year Resolutions. What are yours??