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What you’re looking for, is my sweet, sweet Jesus…

~ mbard ~ Leave a comment

Are you feeling a void in your life and searching for something to fill it? If so, are you trying to fill it with relationships and treasures of this earth? Stop the search – “What you’re looking for is my sweet, sweet Jesus. What you’re looking for is my sweet Lord.” When God created you, He designed your heart for a relationship with Him. There is a God shaped piece of your heart only He can fill. The moment you let Him in, on your worst day, you still have everything you’ll ever need.

 

Have you ever wanted to be someone else
Have you ever wanted to be someone
Have you ever wanted to reach your dreams
Have you ever wanted life to be more than it seems
I have tasted of a love so wide
That it stops all my time
I have tasted of a love so deep
That it blows my mind
Have you ever wanted to reach up and touch the sky
Have you ever wanted to pack it up and say good-bye
Have you ever wanted someone to care
Have you ever wanted someone to be there
I have tasted of a love so wide
That it stops all my time
I have tasted of a love so deep
That it blows my mind
He is sweet, He is sweet
What your looking for
Is my sweet, sweet Jesus
What You’re looking for
Is my sweet Lord

“Have You Ever?” -Shawn McDonald

Enjoy and God Bless,

Meredith

“…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” -Matthew 22:37

Jesus: The Ultimate Valentine

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“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16

It’s Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air, flowers are being delivered and bellies are growing from a plethora of heart-shaped chocolate boxes, all of which have become symbols of Hallmark’s biggest holiday.  Despite receiving a cookie from my coach after 6am practice (Happy Valentine’s Day!) and a bag of M&M’s from my professor – I know, pretty good haul 😉 – it hit me hard this morning that the greatest Valentine’s gift doesn’t come in a heart shaped box. In fact, the best gift I’ve ever received came in the form of a blood stained cross (has Hallmark sold one of those lately?).

Despite my opinion that we should show love daily, Valentine’s is meant to be a “special day” centered around showing affection towards the ones you love most.  As a Christian the greatest act of love I’ve ever felt was that fateful day when my sinless Savior was tortured and hung on a cross for every sin I’ve ever committed or will commit.  Chick-flicks – my favorite movie genre (Yep, definitely going to see The Vow tonight with my lovely FCA ladies) – constantly emphasize loving someone enough to take a bullet for them and that is exactly what Jesus did for us.  He was sinless, yet suffered the most shameful death of His time to save our lives (I’d just like to take a moment to emphasize He died for us WAY before we were even thought of on this earth – pretty awesome, right?)…now that is true love.

I’m going to pose a challenge for today: Don’t dwell on the gifts you receive or your relationship status. Instead, bask in the love of Christ, keeping your eyes focused on what is eternal.  After all, Jesus doesn’t give us gifts that will wilt or be devoured in a few days (or in my case, minutes) – He gives us everlasting life! 🙂

Praying you are overwhelmed by Christ’s unconditional love,

-Mer

“We love because he first loved us.” -1 John 4:19

Oh and my favorite artist, Jimmy Needham, released his latest single on iTunes today! Check it out when you get the chance! “If I Ever Needed Grace” -Jimmy Needham

Competitor for Christ

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“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”-Colossians 3:23

So, dodge ball may or may not be one of my favorite sports (and by that I mean it definitely is).  And for those of you who know me, I may be slightly (as in really) competitive.  I’m not a fan of losing, but unfortunately it happens sometimes. Tonight was one of those times as I competed with some of my brothers and sisters in Christ at the St. Edward’s University Homecoming Dodge ball Tournament.

Everyone has heard the cliché “competition can bring the worst out in people,” and as Christians we’re held to higher standards in the arena of competition.  If we get really intense or hit someone hard we risk being ridiculed for our actions. Here’s what we need to understand: Getting into the game and hitting someone hard isn’t bad if your going 110% for the Lord. It actually pleases Him!

I’ve been involved with FCA since 6th grade, and as a Christian athlete I have signed and work to follow the Competitors Creed:

I am a Christian first and last.
I am created in the likeness of 
God Almighty to bring Him glory.
I am a member of Team Jesus Christ.
I wear the colors of the cross.

I am a Competitor now and forever.
I am made to strive, to strain,
to stretch and to succeed
in the arena of competition.
I am a Christian Competitor
and as such, I face my challenger
with the face of Christ.

I do not trust in myself.
I do not boast in my abilities
or believe in my own strength.
I rely solely on the power of God.
I compete for the pleasure of
my Heavenly Father, the honor of Christ
and the reputation of the Holy Spirit.

My attitude on and off
the field is above reproach -
my conduct beyond criticism.
Whether I am preparing,
practicing or playing;
I submit to God’s authority
and those He has put over me.
I respect my coaches, officials,
teammates and competitors 
out of respect for the Lord.

My body is the temple of Jesus Christ.
I protect it from within and without.
Nothing enters my body that
does not honor the Living God.
My sweat is an offering to my Master.
My soreness is a sacrifice to my Savior.

I give my all – all of the time.
I do not give up. I do not give in.
I do not give out. I am the Lord’s warrior -
a competitor by conviction
and a disciple of determination.
I am confident beyond reason
because my confidence lies in Christ.
The results of my efforts
must result in His glory.

LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN.
LET THE GLORY BE GOD’S. 

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t say let the opponent walk all over you or don’t try your hardest because your faith may be questioned if you hit someone too hard.  It says give your ALL, ALL THE TIME.

As Christian athletes we aren’t weak, we’re strong. Why? – Because our strength comes from the Lord. With God on our side, we are stronger than we can imagine.  

There has been many times I feel like I can’t possibly run another step, but God proves me wrong over and over again. Somehow I end up running the last sprint as fast or faster than my first (and that is definitely NOT on my own strength. I’m a volleyball player… I move 10 feet and am done. Pulse check anyone?).

Other times we walk onto the court, field, or stadium and seem to be facing Goliath.  In those times it would be easy to back down, but we don’t.  We do the opposite.  We put on the full armor of God (Eph. 6), stand up, look him in the eyes and tell him “BRING IT”. Despite the outcome, if we go all out we glorify Him (Col. 3:23).  

So here’s the point: Get in the game. Don’t be timid because you’re worried about people seeing you in the wrong light.  God gave you a gift, it’s dishonoring to Him not to use it to its full potential.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the 2011 season. If you didn’t notice, my veins are about to pop out of my neck and that face isn’t timid (2 Tim. 1:7).  That point was won for and with Christ. After all, my collegiate volleyball career is a gift from Him and I don’t plan on wasting it.  He’s given me a platform to show His glory and that’s exactly what I’m working to do. 

G3 (Give God Glory),

-Meredith

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” -1 Corinthians 10:31

 A little food for thought: At a recent retreat, a fellow camper referred to fear and asked what would have happened if David had backed down from Goliath…think about it. (1 Samuel 17)

Do Life Together

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“As iron sharpens iron, so does one person sharpen another.” –Proverbs 27:17

God rocked my world this weekend! I just returned from an amazing retreat filled with faith, fellowship and competition. For those of you who don’t know, I’m involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  This weekend I attended the annual Texas College Advance and spent time worshipping our awesome God with 400 college student-athletes.

This is my third year attending the retreat and each time God does a work in everyone’s heart – totally legit. I am far from perfect and it’s awesome to see God continue to mold me into who he ultimately wants me to be. It’s a fun (picture 40 athletes pushing a massive soccer ball around trying to get to the other team’s goal – hilarious), but challenging weekend. Every message hit me hard. As we closed this morning and headed back to our universities (and reality – bleh), three words stuck with me – Do Life Together.

While we are at retreats or camps, we are rejuvenated and on spiritual highs (Jesus is real and it gets crazy!). It would be easy to remain in this atmosphere, constantly surrounded by our brothers and sisters who are striving for the same eternal crown, but God calls us to go out and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). We have to go back to reality and continue doing his work. It isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. We’re persecuted and we’re tempted.  In those times of persecution and temptation, we get by with the comfort of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Scripture reminds us of the importance of Christian community over and over again. Galatians 6:2 tells us to “carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  Ecclesiastes 4:12 states “and if somebody overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Looking back on this weekend, there were 400 children of God in one place. I’m going to say that one more time for dramatic effect…400 CHILDREN OF GOD IN ONE PLACE! I’m not a math person, but that is 397 more people than stated in Ecclesiastes…can I get an amen?! That’s one strong cord!

So here’s my point:

Yes persecution and temptation is inevitable, but we aren’t going through it alone! We’ve been blessed with teammates (7 of my teammates enjoyed the weekend with me…talk about team bonding!), roommates, friends, family and FCA members (I know I’m leaving out other categories, but you get the point J) to help us through these trials. So here’s the challenge – Let’s “Do Life Together” and glorify our loving, merciful, gracious God. Who’s with me? J

Here’s to doing life together! God Bless and Enjoy!

Meredith

“Now all the believers were TOGETHER and had everything in common.” – Acts 2:44

Seasons

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“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” –Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

CHANGE – Such an intimidating word that seems to be haunting me day and night!

As I washed my final loads of laundry to pack back my bags and head back to school Sunday night, I started reading Karen Kingsbury’s “Leaving.” I didn’t get far before I started nodding off and decided to put down the book and leave the laundry for the morning, but the opening chapter hit home as it described the changing seasons in our lives. And what do you know, my mind starts racing. As I compared the words to my own life, I realized things in my life are changing, FAST.

I like to think I’m used to change and in some ways enjoy it. The transition from high school to college was an awesome change! Other periods of change, like the ending of a relationship or the loss of a friendship, aren’t quite as pleasant. As I look back on all the changes in my life, those transitions seem simple in comparison to the ones quickly approaching.

Tomorrow I start my first semester as a senior in college (It seems like yesterday I was moving into the dorms). It’s also my last offseason as a collegiate volleyball player and most importantly I have reality knocking hard on my door. In a little over a year, a lot of things are going to change. School and sports are comfortable to me, but in the near future I won’t be in school anymore – talk about weird! Everything I’m used to: the roommates I live with, the teammates I have played with, the professors who’ve taught me, basically everything I’m comfortable with is going to – here comes the word again – change! It’s scary, yet exciting.

As intimidating as change can be, in those moments of insecurity I’m comforted by this truth:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” –Romans 8:28

BOOM! Talk about the ultimate comfort! God, who sent his Son to die for me promises me good! Whew, talk about weight off my shoulders!

Here’s the point of this story: We all face change. Some we welcome and some maybe not, but God promises good to us because we love him. Did you get that? Even the seasons that seem bad lead to good!

And even though nothing in our life stays the same, we can rest knowing, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). While we are constantly changing and being formed into the people He ultimately wants us to be, Jesus Christ, our Savior who died on the cross, remains unchanged.

So as I face tomorrow, my last, first day of offseason (say that 5 times fast) I’m going to enjoy each moment both good and bad. I’m going to rejoice in the soreness and strength that comes with it and make the most of what is to come in this season of change. I’m taking in each moment and logging it into my memory while looking forward to the good God has in store for the rest of my life.

Join me in making the most of whatever season we may be in and remember the good God promises you!

Here’s to change! God bless and enjoy!

Meredith

P.S. Here’s a link that ties in with my last blog entry and inspired the title of my blog. It’s by Jimmy Needham, one of my favorite artists!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbDtWltHfN8

Dearly Loved

~ mbard ~ 1 Comment

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” –John 3:16

Do you know that you are dearly and unconditionally loved?

Do you know that the perfect man was sent to die so you may live?

Do you know that you can have eternal happiness?

Do you know Jesus Christ?

For those of you in Christ, you know what it is like to be dearly loved. Those of you who may be on the fence, hop on over. In this instance the grass is really greener on the other side.

So you may be thinking, “Why should I be listening to the advice of a 20-year old college kid.”

Well, here’s why:

I’ve found Mr. Right. I’ve found the one person who will never leave me or forsake me. His name is Jesus Christ. He opens doors for me, He listens to me, He can walk on water (How cool is that!), He heals my broken heart, He gets knocked down but gets back up again, and most importantly HE WILLINGLY DIED FOR ME. I don’t know about you, but I’m a hopeless romantic and have dreamed of being with a man that would take a bullet for me. And guess what…Jesus already has! He was beaten and hung on a cross to slowly die for every sin I have committed in my past and for every one I will commit in my future. He suffered so that when my time comes to leave this earth I will be eternally wed to my ultimate Bridegroom.

You see, I’m a perfectionist in denial (I’ve been trying to perfect my blog’s look for hours). I try daily to lead a perfect life, but I can’t. That’s why I need and want Jesus in my life. God loved me thousands of years before I was conceived. He loved me enough to send His only son to die for me so that I can be reunited with my Heavenly Father (John 3:16).

And here’s the catch…He didn’t just die for me. The Bible states, “God so loved the world…” not God so loved Meredith and her friends…He loved the world, including YOU, enough to send his Son to die for our sins.

It’s hard to understand what being dearly loved means until you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. In my life, that moment came when I was 12 at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Camp at Texas A&M University. Since that moment, no matter how many times I’ve stumbled (and believe me, I have), I’ve never felt more loved. I’m not here to beat my beliefs into your mind, I’m here to share with you about the greatest love I’ve ever known and pray a seed may be planted for God to grow.

Here’s to being Dearly Loved. God Bless and Enjoy!

Meredith

“May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” –Psalm 19:14