SURPRISE...or not

January 17, 2011 was my 22nd birthday.
Every year I always anticipate my birthday, still just as excited as I was when I was a little girl. Leading up to it, my friends would ask me "What are you going to do for the BIG day"? And...as usual, my answer is always I don't know. This year, however, I knew exactly what I was going to do for my birthday.

I have some pretty amazing friends in my life right now. So amazing...that some of them wanted to throw me and my twin sister, Kellie, a SURRISE birthday party. Now, I know what you are thinking, how was it a SURPRISE if you knew about it. Well, I accidentally found out that these friends were throwing me and my sister a party when I saw it on someone's phone through a text message. I was so mad at myself for seeing the message at first! I always ruin surprises for myself...nothing is ever a secret for me. I found out about this party on a Thursday, and my birthday was on the following Monday, so I knew all weekend that these friends were going to throw me a SURPRISE party. It was quite funny for people to ask me what I was doing for my birthday and seeing their reactions after asking...most people had a smirk on their face with the thought of "ha i tricked Kristen, I know something she doesn't know!" WELL...they were wrong! I knew exactly all the things that were going on behind my back leading up to my birthday surprise party. So, My birthday rolled around on the following Monday. All day that day I was nervous, anxious, and anticipating something amazing that was going to happen at the end of the day! Some of my friends kidnapped me and Kellie with blindfolds so that all of my other friends could get to my house for my surprise party (that I knew about...but did not tell anyone I knew). So long story short, we get to my house FINALLY...and after a whole weekend of waiting for my party that I was not supposed to know about....I walk in the door...and...SURPRISE! some of my closest friends were there to celebrate Kellie and I's birthday with us! Kellie had no idea and trust me it was really hard to keep it a secret from her. My heart was really joyful and happy even though I knew what was about to take place!

Here is where the "teachable moment" comes in...the Lord is so gracious in showing us things through everyday life!

I got to thinking that night about how Jesus throughout His Word promises that one day He will return to this earth and redeem His people. The second coming of the Lord is something that I think about often. There is hardly a day that goes by that I do not acknowledge it in my head or think about what it is going to be like. So, I got to thinking about my surprise party. I knew about this party for a good 4 days before it came to pass. In the same way, Jesus says that there are signs that are going to happen for us to discern when He will come or rather that His return is getting close. Scripture says that no one knows the time or season when He will come, but we can know when it is getting close.
                  

                        "Therefore stay awake--for you do not know when the master of the house will come,  in      the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning--lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake" -Mark 13:35-37 

        "But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand" - Mark 13:23

"Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night....But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness." -1 Thessalonians 5:1-2,4-5

(See also 2 Peter 3 & 2 Thessalonians 1..etc.)

Although I knew that this party was supposed to be a "suprise" it was not much of a "surprise" to me....or it did not catch me off guard when it finally came because I had time to prepare myself for what was to come (my reaction, my emotions, etc..) In the same way, Christ gives us signs for us to discern when the end is near, so that we are not caught off guard by His return, but rather, we are filled with joy!

"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with hoy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." -1 Peter 1:8-9 

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." -1 Peter 1:13

"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace." -2 Peter 3:13-14

(see also Revelation 1)

The flip side to this story is the way that my sister, Kellie, might have perceived it. She had no clue what was going on for her birthday or that there was any surprise party planned at all. When our friends came and kidnapped us, she just went with it and did not think anything of it, until they un-did our blindfolds and our friends yelled SURPRISE!! and she was surprised and astonished. The Bible says that the coming of the Lord will be like a thief in the night. I pray that we as believers will not wait to seek the Lord until it is to late. Let's not wait until tomorrow to do the things that we can do today! We would be foolish to live life naive and think that He won't return. I pray that we won't be foolish in our thinking about this concept.

In conclusion, my prayer for this blog is that we will not be caught off guard by the coming of the Lord (whenever that will be), but we will DAILY strive to live for him as if He were to come today.
I was anticipating my surprise party before it even came to pass and was longing for Monday to come so that I could celebrate the greatest day of the year with my closest friends. In the same way, I pray that we learn to anticipate the Lord's coming and that we will anticipate His return with joy and perseverance knowing that with that comes our redemption, final salvation, and that we may be filled with JOY and not regret.

Truth or Dare.

Truth or Dare? -Truth

I pray for my (a) husband at least once, if not more, a day. No, I do not know who that is yet, and Yes, I believe that it is in the Lord's timing when I will meet him if that is what He has planned for my life (EXCITING!) It could be someone I already know, or it could not be, only He knows and I TRUST that. As women, I think that it is VITAL for us to pray for our husbands daily! It is also VITAL that we ask the Holy Spirit to control our emotions and that they will come under the command of his will/control. I personally pray that the Lord is grooming him to be the spiritual leader that he is called to be. I ALWAYS pray first and foremost that the Lord will send me a man that loves Christ more than me and walks humbly in His ways (fear of the Lord). I pray that the Lord is daily teaching him and reproofing him in discipline so that he will be obedient to the Word and the Holy Spirit.  Secondly, I pray that He views the relationship as an offering to Christ, and as a reflection of the gospel!! My heart swells up when I think of this! What a beautiful picture of his grace, and how much more beautiful is it that we, his creation, get to portray a picture of his grace, his love, and his unity with the church! (Ephesians 5:23). Im not saying that there can't be any fun in relationships because I do think there should be!...but..these things must be the foundation..that foundation being Christ.

I not only pray for my husband, but I also pray for myself. I pray that the Lord is grooming me daily to be the wife that someone else is looking for (Lord willing that I become a wife). I pray to be a wife that faithfully serves and faithfully is willing to be an encourager. I pray constantly for a pure heart, for a loving heart, and for a life that reflects the glory of Jesus. I pray that I will be compassionate and that I will radiate the imperishable beauty of the heart of Christ (see blog temple on wheels). I pray all these things and MORE! Is all of this easy? NOOO Do I struggle with the question of "am i wasting my time praying for someone who I may not have met yet?" YES!!

I am not looking for a "perfect" someone, but I am looking for a sinner who is covered/saved by the grace of God and strives for perfection in their walk with Christ through his saving/sanctifying power. In all respect, we should be looking for the imperfect, not the perfect. Someone who knows how deep their sin is, but also knows how great their saving God is! 

I WILL wait for this!! We have a call to wait for this! We have a call to protect our hearts, and we have a call to groom ourselves for our future husband (see blog on singleness). Prov. 31

With all of this said, The main point of this blog is this: Ladies, it is important to prepare yourself now to be a wife! It is important right now in the waiting to prepare your heart to 1) to know Christ personally/intimately and strive to seek after Him 2) be pure and 3) be a servant. 

               "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word,    they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external-the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:1-4

              "Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman, for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God." 1 Cor. 11:11

(read also Ephesians 5:22-33)

We have a calling to reflect God's glory in our lives. Women, we are called to be pure and conduct our lives in a pure way, not to WIN a husband, but to reflect God's glory!! This means purity in thought and in action. No, not all of us ladies are called to be wives. Some of us may remain single forever. The only thing that matters is....CHRIST and living for him daily! We must be satisfied in him. This includes our emotions, desires, thoughts...all must be focused on him. He is sufficient for us! 

Second- we are called to be SERVANTS! The man is the head of the house and the woman is to be under the man. This goes all the way back to Genesis 2. We need to learn how to serve with a pure heart. We need to learn how to serve without complaining but rather serve as if we are serving Christ. He says in His word to do ALL things in him and in way that we were serving him! I want to learn how to GLADLY serve. I am praying for this now in my own life. We are called to be servants and good stewards of our relationships. There is more to say on this topic, but you get the point.

 So the reason to prepare? to 1) reflect the glory of God in the light of being a woman made in His image, 2) to reflect the Lord in a pure manner in a relationship, 3) to acurately reflect the gospel of Christ in a pure and holy way, 4) to show internal and imperishable beauty.
Preparing is an EVERYDAY thing! and will be for the rest of our lives!

Truth or Dare? -Dare

I dare you to pray DAILY for your husband. I dare you to seek the Lord and ask him to create in you a pure heart that is dedicated to making HIM known. I dare you to live out your faith according to CHRIST and not man. I dare you to be the aroma of Christ with the realization that it WILL reflect His glory to those who are being saved and to those who are perishing. I dare you to reflect God's glory in your relationships...boyfriend or husband with the realization that is reflects the very gospel of Christ and his church. I dare you single ladies to guard your hearts and do not let it be moved by the world which is eagerly wanting us to give into its "standards" of dating.

Pray for these things and more!

May God be made much of in our lives and may he be reflected in our relationships!! (friendships, boyfriends/girlfriends, and marriage)


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