shopping for a life verse

ok, so have you ever heard of anyone saying that they had a "life verse"?? well, i have, and i was always a little jealous of that. i know, i know...i am awful, aren't i? jealous of a life verse? seriously?? how pathetic can one get? gimme time...you shall see. and ignorance breeds lots of emotions that we aren't intended to have, friend. stick with me.

i didn't get it. i wanted to ask them...where did you get this life verse? was it given to you? assigned to you in children's church and i was absent that day and didn't get my little sticker for attendance? cause c'mon people, i was a good little presbyterian, i went to church every week...i wasn't aware of a life verse.

maybe it was when they were older? maybe when they went to church camp and a super cool counselor with a name like "chief" or "jellybean" gave it to them after a profound experience with God at the age of 12. well, i was always a scaredy-cat...like, BIG time, and wouldn't stay away from home for a week, so that didn't happen. but, shoot...i did WORK at a Christian camp for like almost ten summers...and it was never listed as part of my staff training manual. (ooh, staff training manuals...sorry, gotta take a minute here. if any camp people read this blog, didn't we just LOVE those staff training manuals!?! he he he. by the way, if you didn't return yours, you still owe camp $2..he, he, he!! and yes, i used both chief and jellybean's names on purpose up there!! love love you both!)

was it in youth group maybe....our church growing up didn't really have a "youth group", persay...so i was very involved in young life at my high school. was i too busy playing hot potato with raw spam that i missed the "get your live verse here" booth one week at metro or something??

my wedding day, maybe?? barnone one of the best days of my life, but still we didn't dance back down the aisle to james brown's " i feel good" with life verse in hand. ok, maybe when i was baptized as a grown up?? man, that was a very cool day, though! and i got a very cool certificate, but no life verse written on the back. maybe when we dedicated our kiddos in front of the church? again, nice certificate, but no life verse for me...oh shoot..or them either! oh no, now i'm a bad mom, too....ugh!! maybe when i was blessed to get to go on staff at my amazing church?? (if you read this....man, i miss you guys and girls!!) we were asked to use a verse for our password into the computer system. oh man, i bet all the other staff members used their life verses for their passwords. shoot, i wonder if they knew i didn't have one.

ugh.....how could i have been a Christian this long and have no idea where to pick one of these bad boys up??? oh man, i've got it!! i didn't go to a Christian school. is that it?? do you think they only pass them out there? i sure hope not. i actually thought that once. so sad, isn't it. i could ask around i guess....but ooohh, that pride thing can be tricky, can't it?? didn't want to see the look on someone's face as if to say "seriously dude, you don't have a life verse by now!?!" well, how about Ez 14:6 " Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!" well, clearly pride isn't getting in my way anymore since i am writing about it for all to read.

i have come to terms with the following truth, and i could be wrong....it would only be like the 2,396 time today (by the way, it is only 9:45am) and i'm ok with that.... it is what it is. but here is what i think....maybe this life verse is something only God can give me. hmmmm. and maybe He's been trying to give it to me for a while now. a looooong while.

can i tell you the verse that has impacted me the most in my entire life? can i tell you the verse that NO MATTER WHAT, i can always quote, word for word...doesn't matter how long it's been? can i tell you the verse that hits me in the eye, through the heart, in the depths of my mind every...single...stinkin'...time??

phil 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

that is it friend. that is it. man oh man...someday i will open up more to you about how the first five words of that verse have changed my life....seriously, i could write a whole book about it. and if He keeps stripping this pride down and down and down like He is...maybe i will. i could write on and on and about how His faithfulness even just these last few months has LIVED OUT LOUD how His peace alone, which transcends all understanding (in my speak "which makes no stinkin' sense to me!") WILL absolutely guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. again, i could write a whole book about it. not because i have a degree in theology. not because i can ever keep straight if sarai was married to abraham or jacob...my memory stinks. (i was right! i just looked it up....sarai (sarah) was abram (abraham's) wife and poor jacob had the whole rachel and leah thing going...another story for another blog)...but i could write it because GOD alone has shown off in my life with how He can prove Himself true through even just one verse, not to mention the whole Bible. my life is testimony, friend. trust me.

i am a person of words. i know that surprises some of you. ha.

i have waaaay too many of them for a day. i think this blogging thing blesses my sweet ryan most of all because it allows me to get at least some of my words out of my head and not all over his sweet self in the few minutes and hours we get together a day! :) "hey honey,. i got to write today" huge sigh of relief comes over his face. :) poor thing, didn't stand a chance when he picked me for life.

my point is this. for someone who never ever lacks for words, ever. for someone who has multiple conversations a day with me, myself and i...quite witty conversations by the way...i find myself quite funny. :) see, i can't even stop telling you about how much i like to talk. ugh, it is a sickness. anyway....i do not think i can yet fully express how profound this verse is to me. even now, i sat here for a good two minutes (which for me, is an eternity, considering it only takes me like 30 minutes to write an entire blog)...and still....i cannot think of how to fully express it to you. i guess i will just have to work on that one.

but, for now. know this. His Word is TRUE. His Word is ALIVE. it is there for you every single day for every single issue, in every single circumstance. you don't believe me, try Him out. read it every single day and you see if He won't lead you to exactly what you need to read, when you need to read it. don't be lazy, friend. read it every day. more than once if you want to. you have no excuse. especially those of you with "fancy" phones. if you can tell me on facebook that you are ordering a panini, or sitting in traffic...then you have an "ap" for the Bible, friend. i'm just sayin'.

so, there you have it. my life verse. for all to see. God has known for a very long time that i would need the truth in that verse. He knows how anxious i can get about every little thing. He knows that i need to face Him with prayer AND petition, which means all types of specific requests. He knows how selfish i can get and how even still sometimes, i have to remind myself not to forget the "with thanksgiving" part when i am reciting my verse. (isn't that something awful to have to confess...but i must keep it real with you, friend) oooh He knows i need His peace desperately to guard my heart and especially my mind. and He knows how controlling i am and that sometimes...ok, A LOT of times, i need to rest in the peace that he give that just...doesn't...make....sense....to....me. and at the end of my verse, who do i owe it all to?? that's right...Christ Jesus.

amen.

ps. i would like to mention though, for the record...when i was on staff at church...phil467 was my password to get in the computer system...i can tell you that now since i haven't been on staff in months. but, whew...i guess i was good all along. :) he he...just me being silly here. :)