<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>live by faith Archives - My Rose Colored Shades</title> <atom:link href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/tag/live-by-faith/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/tag/live-by-faith/</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2015 12:25:11 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">68676972</site> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: I Wrestled with Jacob and God Won</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/11/05/weekly-wisdom-i-wrestled-with-jacob-and-god-won/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/11/05/weekly-wisdom-i-wrestled-with-jacob-and-god-won/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2015 11:30:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Esau]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Galatians 6]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Genesis 27]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[grace]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jacob]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus]]></category> <category><![CDATA[live by faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[predestination]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Romans 11]]></category> <category><![CDATA[truth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8785</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I recently had a chance to revisit Jacob’s story in Genesis 27-28 as part of my attempt to read the Bible in a year. I knew Jacob was not one of my favorite people in the Bible but my dislike … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/11/05/weekly-wisdom-i-wrestled-with-jacob-and-god-won/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/11/05/weekly-wisdom-i-wrestled-with-jacob-and-god-won/">Weekly Wisdom: I Wrestled with Jacob and God Won</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/galatians-6_14.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8794" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/galatians-6_14-1024x737.jpg" alt="grace, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Jacob, Esau, predestination, Genesis 27, Romans 11, Galatians 6:14" width="560" height="403" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/galatians-6_14-1024x737.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/galatians-6_14-300x216.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/11/05/weekly-wisdom-i-wrestled-with-jacob-and-god-won/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/galatians-6_14-1024x737.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: I Wrestled with Jacob and God Won')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>I recently had a chance to revisit Jacob’s story in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+27-28&version=NIV" target="_blank">Genesis 27-28</a> as part of my attempt to read the Bible in a year. I knew Jacob was not one of my favorite people in the Bible but my dislike for him grew even stronger as I read his story for the umpteenth time. Conniving, deceitful, self-promoting…these are a few of the words that come to mind when I think of Jacob. He not only took Esau’s birthright but tricked Isaac into blessing him instead of his brother. Even when God revealed Himself to Jacob in a mighty way thru a dream, he dared to put a condition on his relationship with God! He declares that God will be his God <em>if</em> He watches over him on his journey and provides for all his needs. And yet in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Malachi+1%3A2-3&version=NIV" target="_blank">Malachi 1:2-3</a>, God says that “I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated. But why??? It doesn’t seem fair!<span id="more-8785"></span></p> <p>As I wrestled with this question of why would God choose Jacob over Esau, I unwittingly found myself going down the predestination rabbit hole. I sought wisdom from notable theologians and preachers and read whatever I could google on the subject. I was relieved to find that many of them also struggled with the Jacob and Esau quandary that I found myself in. But even their articulate and carefully outlined exegesis could not settle the matter in my heart and mind.</p> <p>It wasn’t until I read <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+11&version=NIV" target="_blank">Romans 11</a> as part of my <a href="https://www.bsfinternational.org" target="_blank">BSF</a> bible study that God started to open my eyes and work in my heart, and drive home the message He wanted me to receive from the story of Jacob. My question of <em>Why Jacob?</em> became the realization of <em>Why me?</em> Am I not just like Jacob, an undeserving sinner, full of faults and shortcomings? And yet, God has chosen me as one of His children. As it says in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+3%3A9-31&version=NIV" target="_blank">Romans 3</a>, no one is righteous, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” If anything, I should be grateful for Jacob because his example gives hope to sinners like me who, by God’s grace alone, are justified and brought into His redemption. God wanted to remove anything in me that even hinted at the idea of justification by merit, or any kind of initiative on my part. He knew that my prideful human nature would rear its ugly head whenever it got a chance so He had to hammer down the nail in that coffin. It was like He was playing whack-a-mole with my human pride.</p> <hr /><p><em>As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~Gal 6:14 http://wp.me/p4Ea16-2hH</em><br /><a href='https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp4Ea16-2hH&text=As%20for%20me%2C%20may%20I%20never%20boast%20about%20anything%20except%20the%20cross%20of%20our%20Lord%20Jesus%20Christ.%20~Gal%206%3A14%20http%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp4Ea16-2hH&via=myroseshades&related=myroseshades' target='_blank' rel="noopener noreferrer" >Share on X</a><br /><hr /> <p>It was the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+11%3A33-36&version=NIV" target="_blank">doxology</a> in Romans 11 that finally settled the unrest in my mind and heart. It says:</p> <p style="text-align: center;">Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!<br /> How unsearchable his judgments,<br /> and his paths beyond tracing out!<br /> “Who has known the mind of the Lord?<br /> Or who has been his counselor?”<br /> “Who has ever given to God,<br /> that God should repay them?”<br /> For from him and through him and for him are all things.<br /> To him be the glory forever! Amen.</p> <p>The idea that God’s infinite wisdom is beyond my human comprehension is not new to me. It’s something that I’ve always adhered to in my mind, but it was the Holy Spirit that convicted my heart, thru this passage, to rest in God’s infinite wisdom and unchanging character when it comes to matters that don’t make sense in my limited understanding. I believe that God is sovereign in everything, and I trust in His divine judgment, His justice, His righteousness, His omniscience, and most of all, His love for His creation. As I submit to His will, my only hope is that, “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%206:13-15&version=NLT" target="_blank">Galatians 6:14</a>, NLT)</p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/11/04/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-213/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-72/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/gratitude-as-a-discipline/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/11/cozy-reading-spot-117.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff94_steeped/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://rebekahmhallberg.com/my-grace-and-truth.html" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/11/a-party-for-one/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a href="http://www.janncobb.com/link-up-11915/" target="_blank">Reflect</a> | <a href="http://afieldofwildflowers.blogspot.com/2015/11/love-leads-smallwonder-link-up.html" target="_blank">Small Wonder</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/11/short-video-our-familys-adoption-story-and-unite-linky.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> | <a href="http://bybmg.blogspot.com/2015/11/fall-scarf-exchange-reveal.html" target="_blank">Tuesday Talk</a> | <a href="http://www.intentionallypursuing.com/2015/11/intentional-tuesday-linkup-week-42/" target="_blank">Intentional Tuesday</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/serious-about-sin/" target="_blank">#RaRaLinkup</a> | <a href="http://hollybarrett.org/2015/11/testimony-tuesday-samantha-landrus.html" target="_blank">Testimony Tuesday</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/11/i-want-to-make-eternal-significance.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/11/christmas-study-kids.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://patandcandy.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-67/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/11/05/weekly-wisdom-i-wrestled-with-jacob-and-god-won/">Weekly Wisdom: I Wrestled with Jacob and God Won</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/11/05/weekly-wisdom-i-wrestled-with-jacob-and-god-won/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>13</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8785</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: The God of the Universe Knows Us by Name</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2015 10:30:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible study]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Crazy Love]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God's Word]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[intimate God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[live by faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[majesty of God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Psalm 8:4]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8557</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I’ve been trying to write this post for the past couple of weeks and I find myself at a loss for words every time. Nothing I come up with seems to appropriately convey the magnitude of what I’m trying to … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/">Weekly Wisdom: The God of the Universe Knows Us by Name</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8559" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2-1024x931.jpg" alt="Scripture, Psalm 8:4, Bible, God's Word, majesty of God, intimate God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Crazy Love, bible study, words of wisdom, live by faith" width="560" height="509" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2-1024x931.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2-300x273.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2-1024x931.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: The God of the Universe Knows Us by Name')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>I’ve been trying to write this post for the past couple of weeks and I find myself at a loss for words every time. Nothing I come up with seems to appropriately convey the magnitude of what I’m trying to express. Perhaps I still don’t have a firm grasp of the concept I’m trying to present. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to put it on paper (online) and I hope it helps to remind us of the awesome God we serve.</p> <p>Is it perplexing to you that the God of the universe, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God, who made the heavens and the earth and all living things, knows you and me by name, knows the number of hairs on our head and is familiar with all of our ways? <span id="more-8557"></span>Do you find yourself in awe of the One who was and is and is to come? Does this realization ever make you stop and think? That is what we are urged to do in the first chapter of <em>Crazy Love</em> by Francis Chan, a book we’re currently using as our church’s home group bible study. I was pleasantly surprised that this theme also came up in the introduction of our <a href="https://www.bsfinternational.org" target="_blank">BSF</a> bible study for this year, which is on the book of Revelation.</p> <p>The idea of a majestic and intimate God presents a dichotomy that my mind can’t seem to fully grasp. As I read Scripture, I realize that it’s not a dichotomy but the reality of who our God is, whose indescribable nature makes me think of David’s words in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A5-7&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:6</a></strong>, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” Consider these parallels between His grandness and His closeness to us:</p> <p>When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,… (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+8%3A3&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 8:3</a></strong>)</p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em><span style="font-family: georgia;">For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A13&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:13</a></strong>)</span></em></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;">***</p> <p>The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles+16%3A9&version=NLT" target="_blank">2 Chronicles 16:9</a>, NLT</strong>)</p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><em>You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A1&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:1</a></strong>)</em></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;">***</p> <p>The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+19%3A1-2&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 19:1-2</a></strong>)</p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><em>Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A4&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:4</a></strong>)</em></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;">***</p> <p>He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1%3A17&version=NIV" target="_blank">Colossians 1:17</a></strong>)</p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><em>You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A5&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:5</a></strong>)</em></span></p> <p>God spoke everything into existence and could rule from afar if He so chose to, but instead He desires to be among His people. There is a reason He is called “Immanuel” or “God is with us.” We were reminded of this truth during our <a href="https://www.bsfinternational.org" target="_blank">BSF</a> bible study. In <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+2%3A1&version=NIV" target="_blank">Revelation 2:1</a></strong> it says, “These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.” God is in control and is sovereign over us but He also walks among us.</p> <p>This is a recurring theme in the Bible. As Moses led the Israelites to the promised land, God instructed them to build a tabernacle with the ark of the covenant so that He may dwell among His people. It says in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+25%3A8&version=NIV" target="_blank">Exodus 25:8</a></strong>, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” God then comes to dwell among us in the flesh thru His Son, Jesus Christ, as it is described in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A14&version=NIV" target="_blank">John 1:14</a></strong>, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” And now we have the gift of God’s presence in the form of the Holy Spirit as Jesus had promised in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A26&version=NIV" target="_blank">John 14:26</a></strong>, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”</p> <p>The truth is mind-boggling. The God who says “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool,” (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+66%3A1&version=NIV" target="_blank">Isaiah 66:1</a></strong>) chooses to have close fellowship with His creation. God made the ultimate sacrifice just so that we would be reconciled with Him and we have done nothing to deserve it. As I stop and think about this truth, I’m left with only one question in my mind and heart, “what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+8%3A4&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 8:4</a></strong>)</p> <p>Have a blessed weekend!</p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff93_swimming/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://www.beingconfidentofthis.com/grace-and-truth-link-up/beware-the-influence-grace-and-truth-week-40/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/10/not-just-any-calling/">Words with Winter</a> | <a href="http://www.janncobb.com/link-up-october-18-2015/" target="_blank">Reflect</a> | <a href="http://afieldofwildflowers.blogspot.com/2015/10/he-danced-smallwonder-link-up.html" target="_blank">Small Wonder</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/10/where-to-find-break-through-when-the-day-grows-dark.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> | <a href="http://waltzinginbeauty.blogspot.com/2015/10/tuesday-talk-41.html" target="_blank">Tuesday Talk</a> | <a href="http://www.intentionallypursuing.com/2015/10/intentional-tuesday-linkup-week-39/" target="_blank">Intentional Tuesday</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/self-destruct-faith/" target="_blank">#RaRaLinkup</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/10/do-not-grow-weary-in-suffering.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/10/a-little-r-r-wednesdays-a-linky-party-125.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://patandcandy.com/coffee-conversation-link-party-64-nanowrimo/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/10/21/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-211/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> </span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/">Weekly Wisdom: The God of the Universe Knows Us by Name</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>6</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8557</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: 5 Things to Remember When You Can’t Let Go (of Your Children)</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2015 11:00:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[children]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God the Father]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[letting go]]></category> <category><![CDATA[live by faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[milestones]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[the Bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8218</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Milestones are something most of us look forward to, but when we finally reach them, they can be bittersweet, especially when it comes to our children. We find joy in seeing our children learn, grow and mature but at the … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/">Weekly Wisdom: 5 Things to Remember When You Can’t Let Go (of Your Children)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8217" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children-768x1024.jpg" alt="words of wisdom, live by faith, children, milestones, Scripture, God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Bible" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children-225x300.jpg 225w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children.jpg 1104w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children-768x1024.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: 5 Things to Remember When You Can’t Let Go (of Your Children)')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>Milestones are something most of us look forward to, but when we finally reach them, they can be bittersweet, especially when it comes to our children. We find joy in seeing our children learn, grow and mature but at the same time, we feel sadness as we realize that they’re becoming more and more independent from us. As parents, especially as mothers, we want to keep them under our wings forever if we could.</p> <p>As the school year begins and many of us are sending off our children on their first day of school, we’re celebrating different milestones; first day in kindergarten, first year in middle school, last year in high school, etc. Beneath the beam of pride is a heart that aches for the days of old. And it’s hard to let go. But we have to remember that we must surrender all to God, even our children. God has impressed upon my heart five truths that make it a little easier to let go of my grasp over His precious gift.<span id="more-8218"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>1) We need to surrender our children to their rightful master.</strong></span></p> <p>Our children are God’s children first. They belong to Him who created them. Who can be a better parent than our Creator, our Father, our Provider and Protector. A pastor friend once said that the best thing you could do for your children is to let God take care of them.</p> <p><em>If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!</em> ~<strong>Matthew 7:11</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2) We need to disciple our children.</strong></span></p> <p>Our children are precious gifts that God has entrusted to us. They are a “heritage from the Lord” (<strong>Psalm 127:3</strong>). We are to not only pour out our love into them but also keep them grounded in the Word so they, too, are equipped to go out into the world and make disciples. It may seem like it’s going in one ear and out the other, but your words of wisdom will come back to haunt them in the future when they are facing life decisions. I speak from experience.</p> <p><em>And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.</em> ~<strong>Deuteronomy 6:6-7</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>3) We need to guide our children in the path to fulfill God’s purpose.</strong></span></p> <p>Contrary to what we like to believe, our children don’t exist to fulfill our needs. They were created for God’s purpose and glory. We, as their guardians, need to guide them in the path of righteousness so that they will seek to glorify God and store treasures in heaven and not seek to glorify themselves and go after fleeting treasures on earth.</p> <p><em>For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.</em> ~<strong>Ephesians 2:10</strong></p> <p><em>…everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.</em> ~<strong>Isaiah 43:7</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>4)</strong> <strong>We need to let our children learn from their mistakes.</strong></span></p> <p>When it comes to protecting their young, mothers can be pretty fierce and unrelenting. However, sometimes overprotecting our children can stunt their growth. They need to experience heartache, disappointment and all sorts of challenges. These experiences along with the truth of God’s Word will strengthen them and equip them for the future when they’re no longer under our supervision. More importantly, we need to teach them to rely on God and put their trust in Him.</p> <p><em>…but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,<strong> </strong>and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.</em> ~<strong>Romans 5:3-5</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>5) We need to encourage our children to reach their full potential.</strong></span></p> <p>We’re hindering our children from reaching their full potential in God if we hover over them. This means we need to let them soar beyond our reach. They will no longer fly under our wings but instead, will “take refuge in the shadow of His wings” (<strong>Psalm 36:7</strong>). No matter how far they go, they will always be within the reach of God’s “everlasting arms.” (<strong>Deuteronomy 33:27</strong>)</p> <p><em>…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,<strong> </strong>and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.</em> ~<strong>Ephesians 3:17-19</strong></p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/09/a-serious-prayer-warrior.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/09/7-steps-pinterest-boost-blog-stats.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://patandcandy.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-58/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/09/09/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-205/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-64/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/beautifully-broken/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/09/cozy-reading-spot-109.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff88_this_child/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/september-10th-2015" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://thebrowntribe.net/2015/09/a-lesson-in-wisdom-humility-and-link-up/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/09/bolder-than-lions/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/powerless-to-change/" target="_blank">#RaRaLinkup</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/09/hold-on-youve-almost-made-it-unite-linky.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> | <a href="http://livinginthisseason.com/tuesday-talk-39/" target="_blank">Tuesday Talk</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/">Weekly Wisdom: 5 Things to Remember When You Can’t Let Go (of Your Children)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>5</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8218</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: He is the God Who Sees Me</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2015 10:30:44 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[confidence in Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hagar]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[live by faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[the Bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[voice]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[You are the God who sees me]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8166</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>As far as I can remember in my life, I’ve never been one to stand out. I am the younger sister to a firstborn son in a traditional Korean family, so my brother almost always got all the attention. I … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/">Weekly Wisdom: He is the God Who Sees Me</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8171" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe-1024x689.jpg" alt="Genesis 16:13, Hagar, Scripture, women in the bible, Old Testament, God, faith" width="560" height="377" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe-1024x689.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe-300x202.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe-1024x689.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: He is the God Who Sees Me')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>As far as I can remember in my life, I’ve never been one to stand out. I am the younger sister to a firstborn son in a traditional Korean family, so my brother almost always got all the attention. I didn’t stand out for my looks, for my outgoing personality or for any exceptional talent. For a shy kid, I guess it didn’t make much of a difference, it was actually a relief. My nature was further reinforced by the fact that I was raised in the traditions of the Korean culture, where it was considered a virtue for women to be reticent and submissive, and to remain in the background.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I wanted to be heard, be seen and be noticed. </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I wanted to matter and make a difference.</span></strong></p> <hr /> <p>As I grew up and started to think for myself and to form my own opinions, I grew a desire to have a voice. I wanted to be heard, be seen and be noticed. I wanted to matter and make a difference. <span id="more-8166"></span>Being shy by nature and having been nurtured within the constraints of my culture, speaking up and expressing my voice did not come naturally, and it’s always been a struggle. In many situations, as a student in my teens and well into my young adulthood as a working professional, I never felt fully entitled to have an opinion that was worth expressing. I never truly believed that what I had to say mattered or could make a difference. In my struggle, writing became my refuge as well as my desperately needed outlet to express everything that was in my heart and mind without any inhibitions.</p> <p>The other day I found myself revisiting a <a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/06/11/weekly-wisdom-time-in-the-wilderness/" target="_blank">post I wrote about Hagar</a> as part of the Women in the Word series from <a href="http://shereadstruth.com" target="_blank">She Reads Truth</a>. As I was reading <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+16&version=NIV" target="_blank">Genesis 16</a>, verse 13 struck me in a way that it never did before. It says, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.” Our God is a God who sees Hagar, a slave girl who’s been forced into a situation, not of her own choosing, and mistreated for an outcome that was out of her control. Talk about not having a voice. And yet God sees her and also hears her and the cries of her son later on in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+21%3A1-21&version=NIV" target="_blank">Genesis 21</a>. Both times, when Hagar runs away and then later is sent away to the desert, God seeks after her because she matters to Him. When Hagar says “I have now seen the One who sees me,” she recognizes her source of strength and protection and trusting in God’s promise, she finds the confidence to face her difficult circumstances and keep going.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>I can make a difference in people’s lives </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>by my quiet and steadfast love and care for them, </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>speaking up only when necessary </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>for the sake of those who need to be heard.</strong></span></p> <hr /> <p>Now that I’m older, and hopefully wiser, I feel more confident in what I have to say and when I have to say it. Being grounded in God’s truth helps me know that I was created in His image and have an inherent value that is undeniable and cannot be taken away by this world. However, I’ve also learned that to make a difference in this world, I don’t necessarily need to be the loudest, the most outspoken, or even draw attention to myself. I can make an impact in this world by using my God given gifts to serve others. I can make a difference in people’s lives by my quiet and steadfast love and care for them, speaking up only when necessary for the sake of those who need to be heard. The words in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+4%3A10-11&version=NIV" target="_blank">1 Peter 4:10-11</a> echo my sentiments, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”</p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/09/capturing-their-hearts.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/09/a-little-r-r-wednesdays-a-linky-party-118.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://patandcandy.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-57/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/09/02/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-204/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-63/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/dance-in-the-rain/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/08/cozy-reading-spot-106.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://www.christianmommyblogger.com" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday40" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://adivineencounter.com/is-social-media-our-6th-love-language-grace-truth-linkup-week-34/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/09/fervent-fear-or-fervent-prayer/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/identifying-the-lie/" target="_blank">#RaRaLinkup</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/09/the-lady-who-said-she-was-going-to-punch-my-two-year-old-in-the-face-unite.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> </span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/">Weekly Wisdom: He is the God Who Sees Me</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>14</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8166</post-id> </item> </channel> </rss>