The road is long and seemingly lonely... but we run the race before us. Learning with each step to be more content with just joying in our savior and entrusting our weary soul to His care, believing that He has our best in mind. Even when the dreary scene would tell us otherwise or the aches and pains seem endless and in vain... HE IS GOOD, HE IS SOVEREIGN, and we are certainly not forgotten.. for Christ didn't forget to save our souls from before the foundations of the universe.
Training for this marathon has been rough. I almost quit it all last week, convinced that it was just hurting my health and fatigue, and i had come up with this idea out of some crazy attempt to prove to certain people that I was in fact doing something of worth with myself. But it's crazy how God pursues us in the midst of our ULTIMATE weakness. countless fellow saints sat with me over this past week to help me raise my drooping head and weary arms, pick myself up off the ground and continue the race. I literally sat in my bed sunday, staring at my Bible and weaping because I didn't even know where to start or how to approach my God anymore. And after such a sweet season of refreshing and depth of knowing God, that weighs heavy heavy on my spirit. O how i miss many a night spent in the awkward chairs at art six where the Lord held my attention so engrossed within the words before me as he unveiled his beautiful character and holiness to an unsuspecting heart. With each new story of the old testament, my heart falling deeper in love and satisfaction with the God of the universe. And then in great awe that he had literally met with me in such a lowly estate, even in the middle of art 6. I miss that sweet sweet time in the cleft of the rock. And now, as my legs ache and im plastered to the bed(not even my bed, but my roommates because I dont have the energy to get up and relocate... thanks rachel:)) im reminded of the changing seasons. Challenged to believe that my God is that same God, that same sweet pursuer of my soul. And so, on monday, I began again, submitting each step with faith, of my 18 miler.. without the beloved i pod, intent to just listen to my God. It's always amazing how God uses that time to just literally lift my eyes and mind toward his truth. Its quite literally the only times during this season of my life i feel i can hear His voice. O how sweet, when im all sweaty, knees stinging, feet aching (because i need some new shoes!!!!!!!!!!), fighting every thought of disbelief and fear....He meets with me. He whispers over and over... I love you, just enjoy the process, just enjoy me." and guess what... I MADE IT.. even with a sprint in the last mile... o glory! here is what i quoted the whole way through... being reminded of the condemnation of the enemy and entrapping fear i face daily...i was also reminded of The God that has redeemed my soul from the pit of emptiness, loneliness, and death that i will never have to go back to...
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his names sake.
Even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death
i will fear no evil
for you are with me
your rod and your staff
they comfort me
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies
you anoint my head with oil
my cup overflows
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life
and i shall dwell in the house of the lord
forever.
...I am God's, and the enemy has no chains on me anymore...
And as i watch the leaves change and season turn to cooler air and brighter mornings, I am reminded that i can never predict when God will have my life change coarse, But to trust that in the midst of it all, His glory is not lost, and His strength has not left, and His call on me has not changed. To know him and make him known. To pursue holiness with all vigor, even when my legs grow weary. And so, i press on, even when it might seem, by looking around at my life and looking in the literal mirror, that i am absolutely digressing and life is just a mess.... insurmountable. Truth is, waaaay waaay back before there was time, God already saw it all, and cleaned it all up in His Beloved son. And thankfulness floods my heart and eyes, for HE IS GOOD and HE IS SOVEREIGN.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. galations 6:9
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Monday, July 20, 2009
A new leaf in my book...
Beloved Friend,
It has always been a privilege to do life with you, sharing all the ways God has shown Himself loving and sovereign. So I continue to ask for your prayers as God leads me into the next part of my life and so graciously includes me in His plan to glorify Himself. I just recently graduated from UNT in May 2009 and was faced with the question over and over again of what I wanted to come next. Maybe you can sympathize with the fear of that question, always drawing a confusing clutter of maybe’s and yet no answer. God really just led me to the understanding that my heart’s desire is to know Him deeply before I dive into my own world of ideas on how life should turn out. To grow deeper in knowledge and understanding of the truth of the gospel, of who God is, of who I am in Christ, and how to live that out well. Amidst all this prayer, God faithfully led me to a perfect place to do all that. I will be a part of the Denton Bible Women’s Program for the next 9 months (August 2009-May 2010). It is a discipleship program that will bless me with the opportunity of knowing God more through the study of scripture as well as being guided by wise men and women of God. I will walk closely with a small group of women as we all learn how God has created us to glorify Him. My hope is to find growth, not in knowledge alone, but in the ability to know the character of God and have it effect the way that I live and breath; seeking the direction that God wants me to walk in. I’m so excited to be a part of this program! As I walk through it I dearly want you to walk through it alongside me in your support. Your prayers for my time spent here would be so dear to me. Here are some specific ways you could be praying:
- Pray that God will prepare my mind and heart to receive and retain all that He will place before me. That He would be faithful to mature a heart in so much need of wisdom and grace. That I would listen, believe, and understand the majesty of a God so loving.
- Pray that the truth I learn will transform my heart and the way that I live, so that I might chase after His righteousness. That it will continually challenge my life and reveal those parts of me that I need to lay before the cross.
- Pray for the 15 ladies I will be walking alongside. That God would dig into their hearts and blow up their understanding of who He is to them. (as well as grace and patience to walk alongside myself!!!)
- Pray for the men and women who will be walking us through this program. A few are Jean Klughart, Anne Little, and Tommy Nelson. God has gifted us with great leadership and caring mentors, pray with me that they find strength and encouragement as they lead and teach us.
- Pray that our goal will continually be to know and glorify God all the more.
- Pray that God will begin to cultivate his direction for me as I go forward from this program.
Among other things, the program also requires a financial commitment for the books, retreats and facilities. Although, Denton Bible has really been gracious to reduce the cost as much as possible, so thankfully. If you would like to support me financially through this process you are able to be tax exempt. Checks should be made out to: Denton Bible Church and in the memo write: Women’s Discipleship Program 8155-01. Please send your checks to myself at: 305 Fry St., Denton, TX 76201.
Once again, I greatly appreciate you joining me during this time in my life through prayer and support. If you want to follow me on my blog and read what God is doing feel free: LydiaRuth.blogspot.com . Or better yet come visit or call or e-mail, I’ll still be in Denton!
I love you dearly,
Lydia Apple
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.” -Philippians 1:9-11
It has always been a privilege to do life with you, sharing all the ways God has shown Himself loving and sovereign. So I continue to ask for your prayers as God leads me into the next part of my life and so graciously includes me in His plan to glorify Himself. I just recently graduated from UNT in May 2009 and was faced with the question over and over again of what I wanted to come next. Maybe you can sympathize with the fear of that question, always drawing a confusing clutter of maybe’s and yet no answer. God really just led me to the understanding that my heart’s desire is to know Him deeply before I dive into my own world of ideas on how life should turn out. To grow deeper in knowledge and understanding of the truth of the gospel, of who God is, of who I am in Christ, and how to live that out well. Amidst all this prayer, God faithfully led me to a perfect place to do all that. I will be a part of the Denton Bible Women’s Program for the next 9 months (August 2009-May 2010). It is a discipleship program that will bless me with the opportunity of knowing God more through the study of scripture as well as being guided by wise men and women of God. I will walk closely with a small group of women as we all learn how God has created us to glorify Him. My hope is to find growth, not in knowledge alone, but in the ability to know the character of God and have it effect the way that I live and breath; seeking the direction that God wants me to walk in. I’m so excited to be a part of this program! As I walk through it I dearly want you to walk through it alongside me in your support. Your prayers for my time spent here would be so dear to me. Here are some specific ways you could be praying:
- Pray that God will prepare my mind and heart to receive and retain all that He will place before me. That He would be faithful to mature a heart in so much need of wisdom and grace. That I would listen, believe, and understand the majesty of a God so loving.
- Pray that the truth I learn will transform my heart and the way that I live, so that I might chase after His righteousness. That it will continually challenge my life and reveal those parts of me that I need to lay before the cross.
- Pray for the 15 ladies I will be walking alongside. That God would dig into their hearts and blow up their understanding of who He is to them. (as well as grace and patience to walk alongside myself!!!)
- Pray for the men and women who will be walking us through this program. A few are Jean Klughart, Anne Little, and Tommy Nelson. God has gifted us with great leadership and caring mentors, pray with me that they find strength and encouragement as they lead and teach us.
- Pray that our goal will continually be to know and glorify God all the more.
- Pray that God will begin to cultivate his direction for me as I go forward from this program.
Among other things, the program also requires a financial commitment for the books, retreats and facilities. Although, Denton Bible has really been gracious to reduce the cost as much as possible, so thankfully. If you would like to support me financially through this process you are able to be tax exempt. Checks should be made out to: Denton Bible Church and in the memo write: Women’s Discipleship Program 8155-01. Please send your checks to myself at: 305 Fry St., Denton, TX 76201.
Once again, I greatly appreciate you joining me during this time in my life through prayer and support. If you want to follow me on my blog and read what God is doing feel free: LydiaRuth.blogspot.com . Or better yet come visit or call or e-mail, I’ll still be in Denton!
I love you dearly,
Lydia Apple
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.” -Philippians 1:9-11
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Eternal Living
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
-Romans 6:13-14
For when you were slaves to sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life!
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 6:20-23
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
-Romans 6:13-14
For when you were slaves to sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life!
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 6:20-23
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
A Little Anatomy Lesson (on trees..)
Bark: bark at base is more likely to be rugged and cracked
becomes smoother higher up the tree
-fissured bark: deep cracks
-rough bark: cork layer
Rough barkCHECK THIS WEBSITE OUT... God created bark with such beauty... who knew!
http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/photo/bark.html
Branches: aerial and lateral extensions of the tree, branches enable the canopy of leaves to exploit as much as possible of the suns radiation. They extend from the trunk and have a similar structure internally and protective bark externally. Where lateral extension are very wide, branches have the ability to buttress themselves by providing an extra layer of wood on the underside.
Source of Life
Luke 643-44
For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit
For each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (this verse really challenges my life over and over... such a beautiful analogy of how a heart rooted in God is steadfast... because he is never changing.)
Thus says the Lord:
"Cursed is the man, who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit."
Isaiah 61:3
to grant those who mourn in Zion--
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
once again... when we are fed by the word and our hope is in God, righteousness follows....
Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way or sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord
and on his law he meditates day and night
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
Monday, June 29, 2009
rooted in righteousness
Roots: anchor tree into the ground so it is well supported and can grow upright, and enable it to seek out water and minerals to sustain growth and reproduction. They seldom reach very deep down into subsoil or bedrock; however, they do extend sideways well beyond the tree canopy.
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