(A Danielle Post)

"Did I not tell you that if you believed , you would see the glory of God?"

I heard this verse in a sermon about a month ago and have been meditating on it ever since. I was not sure why it struck me like it did, but it did. Then today, in my quiet time it hits me! The understanding comes full circle. Just as a side note i want to say i hate it when people "proof text" or just take one verse from the bible and make up a meaning for it. Then apply it wrongly, forsaking the context and its right meaning. I hope i am not doing this. I don't think i am, but then again I am not a bible scholar. So bare with me friends.

The story surrounding this verse is Lazarus death, his sisters and friends mourning and then his life being restored, by the Restorer and Creator of Life; Jesus. What was so striking to me was Mary and Martha's doubt in Christ's COMPLETE control. Just because Christ had not been there when Lazarus fell ill does not guarantee that Lazarus would not have died. That is in fact what the sisters believed.

Isn't that what people think all the time. "Well, if there really is a God then why does he allow these horrible things (natural disasters, terrorists, death, poverty etc) to happen?" Or my personal favorite; the Christian thinking: "If I had just read my bible more or prayed more, than BLANK would have happened!" Let me say this, in my conviction; Christ is NOT a magical genie. We do not put a token in and get what we want out of Him, but isn't this how we treat Him? God says we do not have because we do not ask. "Ask and it will be given to you." Luke 11:9a.

I think our problem is not in the asking, but the believing, while we're asking, and in the motives behind the asking.

Notice again in the verse: "Did i not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God."

Mary and Martha knew that Jesus could prevent Lazarus death, so they wanted him to do it. I'm sure their motives were to see their brother again, but Jesus' were to glorify himself.

Just like Martha and Mary, I know who Jesus is, I know what he's about. I know I can come to Him and He can radically answer prayer, but my problems lies in my belief and motives behind my prayers. The verse above convicts me because my end goal in a certain prayer i've been praying for is NOT for God's Glory. I knew in the back of my mind that He would be glorified by the outcome, but that was not my main reason behind asking. However, from this verse i see it should be. I should ask for God's glory to be shown rather than an outcome to come true; therefore making our own glory known. Which i believe is exactly what Christians do.

My problem is two fold. 1. I do not believe that God alone can answer my prayer. Me plus a bunch of "good Christian stuff", plus God answers prayer...WRONG! And 2. I wanted my glory (whether I am willing to admit it) to be displayed FIRST and then the Lords. DEAD WRONG AGAIN!!

My prayer is not sinful, but my motives were. I should be asking to see the GLORY OF THE LORD DISPLAYED. I believe that He can change any and all circumstances at and by His will, not MY OWN. I cannot control this...or anything for that matter. The sooner i start believing God and His power, he promises that not only will he roll away the rock hiding the answer of my prayer, but more importantly His Glory will be SEEN! What a far better thing to ask for and receive.

"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God." John 11:40

1. I was born in Maryland.
2. I've only lived in Kentucky since i was 12, but still consider myself Southern.
3. I came to know Christ, personally by understanding His perfect life, death and resurrection for the atonement of my sins when i was a freshman in college.
4. I had my tongue and nose pierced...at one time.
5. Every girl in my high school (I went to an all girls school) was afraid of me and my wild personality.
6. I used to be afraid that there was a snake in the toliet waiting to bite my "tushy" when i was a kid...and sometimes still fear as an adult!
7. I knew the moment i met Bryan we were going to date. Then after our first conversation (about an hour after meeting him) I knew he was God's provision as my husband, eventually.
8. Bryan is the only one that truly gets me.
9. Bryan is the only one that truly doesn't understand me, at times. Go figure!
10. I make people laugh.
11. I love to dance.
12. I love to sing.
13. I love art.
14. I have a degree in Advertising.
15. I manage a Sunglass Hut and love it, go figure.
16. I love to encourage people.
17. People are not afraid of me anymore...i hope!
18. I treat my dog Calvin like he's my child.
19. Physical touch and quality time are my love languages.
20. My parents were divorced when i was 9 and surprisingly I am normal...other than my committment issues. Hah.
21. I am an ORGANIZED NUT!!!! I love organizing and maximizing space. I love the office supplies stores...i love agenda planners and sticky notes. My staff thinks i am OCD.
22. I used to do voices and impressions when i was a kid...I wanted to be an actress.
23. I love to shop for accessories....i have high-end tastebuds, but i usually talk myself out of it.
24. I rarely go into target without spending $100...subsequently, i am not allowed to go in by myself.
25. I want a baby....any baby, black, white, chinese, purple, yellow...i don't care. I want to be a mother more than anything. What a gift it would be!

Hey All! I felt i needed to post because i havent in a looong time. Currently I am in Maryland visiting family and eating my weight in as much seafood as humanly possibly, or in season. I miss seafood living in Kentucky. Even when we go to Florida for Baise vacations the seafood is not the same. I love the Old Bay seasoning that is literally on everything seafood here. The Maryland Steamed crab is the best crab you will ever eat! I grew up cracking into them and eating them. My dad taught me how to crack them at the tender age of 5...i think i wasnt officially his favorite daughter (the only one) until i could properly disect a crab. We should be getting crabs on Thursday! I cannot wait, but am not excited about my hands smelling like Old Bay and crab for about three days after eating them.

Shrimp....yum! I wasnt even off the plane an hour before my dad took me to the best Shrimp salad sandwich place in all of Baltimore. Its called Sunsets and i have been going there since i was a kid. The place looks like it is stuck in the 60s, but its soooo good. My dad is super loud; the apple doesnt fall far from the tree. Us Italians have to let you know we are in the room at all times. We were in the restuarant and he says: "GodD***m (he cusses like a sailor) these old people have been in this place since i have been coming in my 20s. They stay the same, but i keep getting older, sh**t!" Ohh the wonders of the Baltimoron dialect! I have been pummeled with it all week.

I am having a great time, but miss Bryan something terrible! I come home on Friday! Its sad because when i am here I miss bryan, but when i am in Kentucky i miss my grandma, brother and dad. Catch 22! When I am here I realize I LOVE THE SOUTH!!!! Kentucky isnt really that southern...but compared to here...it is waaay southern. I love southern hospitality, where everyone wants to know how your doing and they hold doors for you. Here people give you bad service and you get weird looks when you hold doors for people. Everyones in a hurry and affraid to say "Hi" or take a moment to find out how your days going. Please Lord, dont call us to the NORTH! Hah. Seriously, He can call us wherever, but i do miss the South when i am in the North.

It seems that when i spend more than a weekend here I start to sound like a "Balitimoron" (as i affectionately call it). I hate the accent, but i pick it up sooo easily when i am here. I am catching myself saying things like i used to when i lived here! The brainwashing has began...get me home where i drop my "Ings"s and accentuate my "i"s.

I miss my Calvin too. I know he must miss me. Bryan says he's glued to Alexis when they come over. He needs a mothers love and comfort! Speaking of the Bednars....I feel like there is another woman in my marriage and his name is George! Bryan and George work together, go to school togther and generally hangout together that I am a little afraid Bryan likes him better than me! Hah, just kidding...They were lucky enough to be at the UK game last night! What a great game!! I don't know much about sports, compared to Bryan, but Meeks hit a shot that I thought was pretty darn amazing...i would have loved to have been there, in RUpp watching! Wow!

Anyway, can't wait to come home, but glad to be here...does that make sense? Story of my life....CONTENTMENT, i struggle!

I dont know how to make the video thing appear and Bryan isnt here...so this will have to do :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83JDXXKzOXg

A HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!

Don't go see it, two huge thumbs in the downward position!
Good company makes good times, but a horrible movie makes for a....horrible movie!

Thanks Bednars for living through that with us.....

I do believe the boys actually enjoyed parts of the movie though...I will let Bryan post his thoughts too!

HORRIBLE MOVIE!

My Husband teaches me, a lot. He is constantly teaching, lovingly teaching and telling me things that I admittedly do not always understand right away. He is patient and kind and always willing to wait on my acknowledgment...whenever that may be. I'm sure this is something that he'd rather not have to endure, but I think its God's way of teaching him patience and perseverance.

One thing that he brought forward to me about a year and a half ago was the book "When Sinners Say I DO". He read it and i listened to the deep insight he found while reading it...we tried to read it together, but time wasn't on our side....or I wasn't paying attention (who can tell?). We laugh because the pattern in our marriage is Bryan teaching me something and me not "getting" it until months, or in this case years later. Not that I did not understand the basic gist of what he was saying. I do listen to him and nod in agreement. Its almost like when someone knows a lot of facts about Jesus and His death, when he died, why he had to die...etc., but they don't really understand personally their need for him. That is kind of how it is with us. The holy spirit (in both cases) has to reveal the truth when the heart is ready to receive it. So Bryan, I apologize for the delayed understanding on my part. Thank you babe for being so loving and patient!

My point....

Marriage reflects Christ and his union with the Church. As the body, we depend on our union with Christ to deliver, sustain, uphold and ultimately make us Holy. We do not depend on Christ to just make us happy. Although, a life spent in fellowship with our Savior often brings us immense joy, the goal is not our satisfaction...its goal is to make Christ's holiness known, so that He may be glorified. Our marriage is not to make us happy, its to make us holy.

As we struggle in our Christian walk we say things like: "This is for my sanctification"..."Christ is made perfect in my weakness....when i am weak He is strong". We are called to rejoice in our sufferings bc we are becoming more like Christ as we do suffer. We should see this same blessing in our marriages. When we suffer and fight for joy we should remember that the end goal is not to make one another happy, but to make Christ more holy. We are two unholy people coming together to display a holy union. What a more perfect way to do it. We should be so lucky that we can fight and battle with one anothers sin, only to find grace and forgiveness in a physical form; one another. When I have hurt Bryan I see the immediate implications or consequences of my sin all over his face, in his actions (or reactions) it crushes me. We do not get to see how our sin devastates our Holy God. Then Bryan has the chance to lovingly bring me back with mercy, forgiveness and grace. He is demonstrating Christs' (on a small scale, but in a huge way) abundant love and forgiveness toward my restoration. After all, Bryan's job is to love me as Christ loves the Church...and is that not how Christ would react to our sin, as believers?

So my application to this is....How would i react to Christ in His loving restoration to my soul in times of brokenness? I would accept his forgiveness and be thankful for my salvation and pursuit of holiness. Instead of doing this in our marriages, we remain bitter at one another and forsake forgiveness to defend our selfish need for happiness. Wow! (So true....just sounds horrible reading it)
We do this and completely miss the boat on allowing these momentary troubles to bring us closer in our understanding of Grace in the Flesh, closer in our relationship with Christ and ultimately closer in our pursuit of Holiness. I have been convicted that i should lovingly submit to my husband; respect him and allow his merciful love to pursue me right towards holiness. I would pray that my love and forgiveness toward him would do the same.