Favorite Psalm: Scripture Challenge 4

I don't have a favorite Psalm. I have lots of favorite Psalms. So here is one that stood out to me tonight.

Psalm 34
I will praise the Lord at all times;his praise is always on my lips. My whole being praises the Lord.

The poor will hear and be glad. Glorify the Lord with me,

and let us praise his name together. I asked the Lord for help, and he answered me.

He saved me from all that I feared. Those who go to him for help are happy,

and they are never disgraced. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him

and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear God,

and he saves them. Examine and see how good the Lord is.

Happy is the person who trusts him. You who belong to the Lord, fear him!

Those who fear him will have everything they need. Even lions may get weak and hungry,but those who look to the Lord will have every good thing. Children, come and listen to me.I will teach you to worship the Lord. You must do these thingsto enjoy life and have many happy days. You must not say evil things,and you must not tell lies. Stop doing evil and do good.Look for peace and work for it. The Lord sees the good peopleand listens to their prayers. But the Lord is against those who do evil;he makes the world forget them. The Lord hears good people when they cry out to him,and he saves them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed. People who do what is right may have many problems,but the Lord will solve them all. He will protect their very bones;

not one of them will be broken. Evil will kill the wicked;

those who hate good people will be judged guilty. But the Lord saves his servants’ lives;

no one who trusts him will be judged guilty. (Psalm 34:1-22 NCV)

Happiness: Scripture Challenge Day 3

Day 3: A scripture that I love.

Well this is difficult.

After flipping through my Bible a bit, I've decided on 2 verses to love today. I say that because I love A LOT of verses in the Bible. So I narrowed it down to single verses. Then I narrowed it down to one of my favorite books. And then, I got it down to 3 that I love. Here they are:

"The Teacher says, 'Useless! Useless! Completely useless! Everything is useless! What do people really gain from all their hard work on Earth?"

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

"Now, everything has been heard, so I give my final advice: Fear God and obey his commands, because this is all that people must do."

Ecclesiastes 12:13

The first and last statements of the book tell a whole story. Things like partying and working and getting what you want is not really worth a hill of beans. David had it all. He was the King. Everything he commanded was at his fingertips. But he wasn't even happy.

This whole book is David's plea to people to realize, you don't need anything but God to make you happy.

That removes a lot of anxiety in my mind. God will provide for me. I don't need to worry. As long as I fear Him. As long as I do what He said. He's got my back. He'll take care of me.

The simplest of concepts: happiness.

Think about all the things you do on a daily basis to maintain your happiness. Drinking Starbucks, watching your favorite TV show, cooking, scrapbooking, playing sports.

Now take all of that away. Every single earthly antidote to happiness.

Would you still be happy?

If you woke up in a cardboard box in the middle of the Yukon wearing nothing but a bathrobe, would you still be happy?

That may be extreme. Ok, it IS extreme. But it's true. Do you fear God and keep His commandments no matter what? And then are you always HAPPY about it?

I'm not. Sometimes I need a cupcake to cheer me up. Or a shopping trip. Or a good book to stick my nose in.

Why do I seek other things to make me happy when the Lord is all I need?

Hope in Darkness...Scripture Challenge Day 2

Day 2: A scripture that brings you hope.

I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.
Philippians 3:12-14 NCV

I've got a dark past.

Some of you know. Some of you don't.

What matters is that I'm better now. I'm a better person. I am now actively striving to be the best person that I can be. I try to be a good, kind Christian woman. I work to be cheerful and happy and loving. I want to be strong and happy and pure. Hopefully, this is what you see.

What you don't know is that everyday I'm haunted by the past. Will people find out about it? Will they judge me for it? Will I become enslaved by the darkness of sin and depression again? I'm so afraid of the wrong person knowing these things. Using them against me. Ruining the good reputation that I've tried to build...despite the past mistakes.

I've gotta get through that. I cannot let my past (my own mistakes and sins) hinder me from the prize. The goal. I've asked for forgiveness. I've repented...turned my life around. Stopped living in sin.

As Paul says, I'm not there yet. I have not reached the goal. I am not perfect. I have not acquired my heavenly crown. But I've come a long way.

I can do it. Just forget the past. Look forward. Eyes on the Prize.

I'm Part of the Body? (Scripture Challenge Day 1)

Day 1: A scripture that makes you think of yourself

A person's body is one thing, but it has many parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that also. Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit.

The human body has many parts. The foot might say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body." But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body. The ear might say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body." But saying this would not stop the ear from being a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell. If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But truly God put all the parts, each one of them, in the body as he wanted them. So then there are many parts, but only one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the foot, "I don't need you!" No! Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are really necessary. And the parts of the body we think are less deserving are the parts to which we give the most honor. We give special respect to the parts we want to hide. The more respectable parts of our body need no special care. But God put the body together and gave more honor to the parts that need it so our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor.

Together you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of that body.
(1 Corinthians 12:12-27)

I used to think that because I was not raised in a strong Christian home that I would never be a "good enough" Christian. That because my father was not an elder, deacon, minister...or even a faithful Christian, I could never accomplish great things for the Lord. I thought I would be the "red-headed step-child" of the church. I would always be lagging behind or handicapped in my Christianity.

I used to think that I would never be able to find a strong Christian mate because I did not have the ideal upbringing. So many people concentrate on finding a mate (or mates for their children) who came from a strong Christian family that I figured I would just remain single.

I thought that because I was not raised with daily Bible study or prayer in the home that I would never be a great Bible teacher, I could never convert others to Christ. I wouldn't be useful on mission trips.

I was wrong.

I placed that handicap on myself which held me back from doing so many amazing things in the past.

Then I realized that many of the Christians that I looked up to were not raised in the church. At all. At least I had a faithful mother who took me to worship every week. I had youth group activities. I became a Christian at 12. Some of the strongest Christians I know didn't even hear the word until they were over 18.

The point of the matter? The church cannot be made up completely of those who were raised in Christian homes. That would mean no one is being converted from the world. We need a variety of parts to make up an entire body. Those who can speak, those who can cook. Those who can nurture, those who can build. Young, old, wise, weak, loud, quiet.

The church needs everyone who will be faithful and adhere to the Word.

30 Day Scripture Challenge

I saw some friends doing this on Tumblr the other day and I thought it would be interesting. I might do more than one day at a time...I may go days without posting, but rest assured, I will finish. I hope others will do this too, whether on Facebook or just in your daily Bible study.

Day 1: A scripture that makes you think of yourself

Day 2: A scripture that brings you hope

Day 3: A scripture that you love

Day 4: Your favorite Psalm

Day 5: A scripture that changed your view on life

Day 6: Your favorite scripture on salvation

Day 7: A scripture about praise/worship

Day 8: A scripture about strength

Day 9: A scriptural promise

Day 10: A scripture that makes you smile

Day 11: A scripture about family/friends

Day 12: A scripture about peace

Day 13: Something Jesus said

Day 14: A scripture on fear

Day 15: A scripture about love

Day 16: A miracle performed in the Bible

Day 17: A miracle performed by Jesus

Day 18: A prophecy

Day 19: Your favorite Proverb

Day 20: A scripture from the New Testament

Day 21: A scripture from the Old Testament

Day 22: A scripture on prayer

Day 23: A scripture on forgiveness

Day 24: A scripture on life

Day 25: A scripture about unity

Day 26: A scripture about unbelievers

Day 27: A scripture about children/youth

Day 28: A scripture with a reference to the number seven

Day 29: A scripture about your favorite Bible character

Day 30: A scripture of your choice.

I'm challenging myself to be more devoted to Bible study everyday. I hope that you will too.

Domestic?????

Jonathan will be here in less than 3 hours. I find myself running around the house cleaning up a storm and planning supper for tonight. I want things to be perfect.

I just texted him to ask his opinion on something before I did it. It didn't have anything to do with him, but I wanted his opinion because I respect it.

On the one hand, I'm starting to be more submissive and less independent. Relying on him more. This is normal. This is good.

On the other hand, I'm freaking out. Why did I need to ask his opinion? I am capable of making my own decisions. Why do I feel the need to cook and clean for him? He can take care of himself and I'm SURE he won't even care if my house is clean.

Where's the balance here? He certainly does not expect or ask me to do these things for him. I just want to.

But why? What happened to those years of "I don't need a man. I don't want to rely on someone else. I want to be completely self sufficient." After years of that, WHY do I suddenly WANT to rely on him?

Not that he isn't worthy of that. He's a perfect balance between letting me have independence, make my own decisions (even bad ones)...and then gives me advice when I need it...and then says no to things that are not good and that he will not do nor wants me to do.

Maybe that's why it's so hard. He's not forcing submission on me. Nor is he indifferent about everything. He's moderate.

He makes me happy. He improved my quality of life.

Hello, identity crisis.

Neither Here Nor There

I've always struggled with finding my own place on this earth.

A couple of months ago I thought I had hit it. I was living a good life down in Henderson, TN.

And now...now Ohio feels like home too.

So when I'm there, I want to be here. When I'm here, I want to be there.

Where do I belong?

Do I not belong in either? Do I belong in both?

*Exasperated sigh*

This whole situation just makes me want to be a missionary in China.

Honestly, my REAL home is heaven. THAT is where I belong. So really, all I have to do here is work to get there.

Part 2 of the taboo.

PLUS-SIZE STORE.

DUN DUN DUN.

I never considered these. I never considered that I was plus size. And I might've held the stereotype that there was nothing stylish in these stores (For that, I apologize). But seeing as I was desperate and I just want a pair of pants that doesn't feel like a torture device, I walked in.

I found an ENTIRE rack of jeans in my size. They were a bit expensive...I mean, $60 a pair. I don't buy anything for $60 per pair. That's absurd. But then I found an ENTIRE CLEARANCE rack of my size! I picked a few (I mean really, I've never seen so many size 14 pairs of jeans in one place, in my life) and tried them on.

(Sidenote, they also have graphic tee's. I LOVE graphic tee's. And they aren't tight. They're modest. Amen.)

Lo and behold, the perfect pair was found. You know what I mean. The pair of pants that you put on and you just know. It fits in the right places, you can breathe properly, your pelvis isn't curving inward. You feel like the heavens are shining down on you. You're debit card starts glowing. (Ok, I'm joking about that one. My debit card starts screaming in agony when I buy something.)

Anyway. I looked at the tag. $20. If you don't know, that's cheap for a pair of jeans. I smiled at my luck and took my purchase to the counter. The (very friendly, mind you) sales clerk engaged me in a conversation about my purchase and my life in general, actually. Then she said, "Oh, good news. These are ten dollars."

I almost starting dancing the disco in the middle of the store.

Oh and...they have one of those rewards cards. I love those.

So tell me, why I have I been agonizing over jeans for so long?

Here's the big question: Am I going to try to lose weight?

I don't know. I think dieting and making a big deal out of weight loss is stressful. I mostly just try to make good decisions all the time. Everything in moderation, you know. So I might try to make more of an effort to exercise more. Or eat less sweets. But really, as long as I'm healthy and happy...I see no reason to stress about weight. It's no big deal. :)

I'm going to talk about my weight.

I know. This is taboo. Who writes a blog about their weight? (Ok, besides the billions of weight-loss blogs...but this is NOT one of those.)

Let me tell you a story.

I was a chunky kid. Occasionally I was teased for it. Once or twice it really hurt my feelings, but it didn't really have a detrimental effect on my body image. Once I got in junior high/high school puberty hit, my insulin resistance was under control, and I was getting plenty of exercise with dance class, a job, and high school extracurricular activities. I became fit for my height. Not stick thin, mind you. I was muscular and in shape. I was a size 8/10. See...(BTW If you make fun of this picture, I will no longer be your friend.)

Then comes college. We all know what happens in college. Especially if you're forced to eat in Gano. Hello calories. Though I didn't just blow up...I did gain about 10 pounds every year of college.

And now we're here. I'm overweight, I know. It doesn't really bother me. I still fit just fine in roller coaster and airplane seats. I love eating vegetables. I only drink diet and unsweetened beverages. I like chocolate and sweets, but I don't gorge myself on them, and I HATE the feeling of overeating, so I don't. (How's that for a run-on sentence?) I just don't exercise. I don't particularly like exercise. Dance was great for me...but then there's the stigma of being a Christian and taking dance classes. Then there's the money factor. I like treadmills and ellipticals and so forth but I lack the motivation and accessibility.

I digress.

The only thing that upsets me about my weight is shopping. It is SO DIFFICULT to find comfortable, modest, affordable clothing for women my size. Not that I would shop in Aeropostale or Abercrombie or any of those other horrendous stores, but if I wanted to, I couldn't. They don't carry my size. In stores like Charlotte Russe, I'm the biggest size they carry. And even then it's a bit tight.

So today I was desperate. I only have 1 pair of jeans that fit. I was on an emotional high from good job interviews so I decided to go shopping. For one pair of jeans. After browsing a few of my normal stores and leaving depressed because I was the biggest size and nothing fit right (and I might've felt like the size 0 sales associates were judging me), I decided it was time for a change.

So for the first time, I decided to go to...

(tune in tomorrow for part 2. :-)

Two (Very Important) Things

Yesterday I was frustrated.

Even though plenty of things are going right and I'm overly blessed and surrounded by a great support system (that covers multiple states).....sometimes I just get cranky.

Upon surveying my frustration, I realized I had neglected 2 very important things in my life that caused this foul mood.

1. Lack of solitude.

I love Jonathan (if you don't know that by now, you're illiterate.) And I just revel in seeing him everyday. But I am very fond of my alone time (which is actually something he and I have in common.) And by very fond I mean, I need at least half an hour of alone, meditation, silence a day. At least. Sometimes I feel like I'm addicted to silence.

Of late, that hasn't been happening. So, as soon as I got off work yesterday I high-tailed it to Newport. I walked the Riverwalk. I sat in a bookstore for 2 hours. I ate something chocolate that was probably at least 5,000,000,000 calories. And the best part? I DIDN'T TALK TO ANYONE. There were plenty of people around. I might've said thank you to the guy at Starbucks. Otherwise? I had no one to answer to. I didn't have to carry on a conversation. Or decide where to go. I could wander around aimlessly at my leisure.

Solitude. Sweet solitude. I'm gonna have to keep up with that. (And as I type this now, I'm alone in the house. In silence. Basking in the glory of solitude.)

2. Lack of creativity.

I might have oodles of boxes of crafty stuff in Tennessee. But I haven't brought anything to Ohio yet. So last night I was itching to draw, write, paint, hot glue, mod podge, scrapbook....I mean ANYTHING that would release my pent up creative mind. I hadn't done anything crafty in over a week, and that is WAY too long.

Not that I'm good at any of that, mind you. It's just a form of therapy really. A method of sanity that I like to practice. So, while at aforementioned bookstore I picked up a journal. Not just any old journal, but this one. That's right. I bought a book called "This is not a book." Each page has different entries to fill out. Each one says something like, "This is a recorder. Note the events of the day." Or, "This is a beach scene. Add some props." Or, "This is a psychological mood altering machine..." and so on. You get the picture. To me, it's like a world of imagination and creativity in one tiny book. I recommend it.

Upon purchasing said book, I scribbled in a few pages. And it felt good. I never thought that drawing a whale would be so exciting. But it was definitely the release that I needed.

SO. What did I learn yesterday? That I still need to work to maintain good emotional/mental health. No matter where I am, who I'm with, or what I'm doing.

Sometimes a girl just needs a little alone time and a pen.
Amen.

Change

I hate change. With a fiery passion.

My to-do list is almost a mile long. I have people to call...email...see. I need to find a job. I have things to take care of.

And it keeps getting put off.

Why? Because it's too much change. Too many different experiences happening at one time. What if things don't pan out the way that I hope? What if I'm not good enough?

It's days like today that I just want to curl up and read a book. Like the Bible.

I've been looking forward to mid-week Bible study since Sunday. Is this a change of topic? No. God is the one thing that doesn't change. I cling to Him in these times, when everything around me is new and different. I can still go back to Him and know: He has not changed. He is the same.






**Not to say that I'm not grateful or blessed by these experiences and errands. I'm so blessed. But I'm just not good at adjusting. *sigh**

A Few of My Favorite Things

Is the song stuck in your head now? I hope so.

Lately I've come across several interesting things that I just LOVE. SO...I thought I would shamelessly plug them on my blog. You are welcome. Here we go.

1. Be Well Red Tea. The Republic of Tea has these cool tins of herb tea for different things. I bought the Get Happy brand last week. I have to admit, since I thought it was cute, I didn't look closely at the label. When I got home I realized that it was Lemon-flavored herb tea. I hate lemon flavored things. And I'm not a big fan of herb tea. But I have to admit, it tastes AMAZING. I've had 2 cups in the past few days. The "Get Happy" part comes from the fact that it has St. John's Wort in it. I want almost all of these just to try them. Especially the "Get it Going" and "Get a Grip." How funny is that?

2. Journals Unlimited. I'm not even kidding when I say that this company has journals for EVERYTHING. Dancers, Boating, Sledding, Pets, Fly fishing, the 50 states, Dating, Pregnancy, New mommy, Readers, Cooking.....seriously....EVERYTHING. Jonathan bought me their Prayer Journal on our second date. Even thought I haven't used it everyday, it is super organized and helpful. I find that it's most useful when there's a lot on my mind. You can also personalize them and there are different sizes. I also want one of the "Between You and Me" journals. They're so sentimental! Although these are a bit pricey for me, I think it's worth it. Like I said, they are organized very efficiently.

3. Toms. I really just want a pair of plain black canvas Toms. They're comfy, slip-on, and charitable. Well, the shoes themselves aren't...but the company is....haha.... Unfortunately, I've never spent that much on a pair of shoes before. (Wal-Mart shoes have worked for me just fine.) But really, these are worth it. Maybe at some point I can afford them. :-p

4. My Bible. Ok. I can't give you a link to my Bible. It's a Thomas Nelson New Century Version that is no longer in print. It has pages and pages of notes in it. Highlights. Underlines. The back cover is breaking...the pages are folded. I really want to get a new one to start carrying around before this one goes kaput. But like I said, they don't make it anymore. They only print this version in devotional or specialty kinds...and I would have to transfer all my notes to a new shiny Bible. I wouldn't know where everything was. It just would not be the same. *sigh* Maybe someday I'll make the change. But not anytime soon.

5. Jonathan. Yes. This is one of the mushiest, cheesiest things I've ever said. And he is not a "thing." He is my favorite person. I miss him when I come to Tennessee for a few days. I love talking to him. Watching movies with him. Playing games with him. I was lonely tonight so I trekked out in the rain to a coffeeshop to chat with him. Lame, eh? But I've been more than sufficiently blessed by him and I hope I continue to be for a long time.

So now tell me...what are some of YOUR favorite things????

The Angry Birds

Jonathan and I have reached a new stage in our relationship.

Last week, it seemed as if Jonathan had done nothing but play Angry Birds all day. I was becoming frustrated at his increasing game play and decreasing attention to girlfriend. At one point I exclaimed, "If you don't stop playing Angry Birds, I'm going to BECOME an Angry Bird!"

At that point I realized: we are now past the honeymoon stage.

Sometimes he plays Angry Birds too much, gets frustrated when I don't say please, and scowls at my barrage of nags. In return, I have become a bit spoiled and needy, I've started to fight submission with a fiery vengeance, and I do things that he just does not like.

In short: we're showing our faults. Instead of being on our best behavior, we've begun to "take off the make-up" and see the ugly side of each other.

I, for one, LOVE this stage in a relationship. (Crazy, huh?) We might be having a few more spats than usual, but we're also learning to compromise. We're learning to discuss things before blowing up. We're learning what not to do. We're fighting through our differences and learning to love each other DESPITE and BECAUSE of them.

I call this the "strengthening" stage of a relationship. This is where most couples will end. They realize that it's not all about googly eyes and smooches. This is the 'make it or break it' point. We decide if we can continue to make it...even with each other's downfalls.

I know what you might be thinking. "Why are you posting this in public? You just ran your boyfriend's name in the mud. You can't tell other people about your boyfriend's faults!" To that, I have 2 things to reply. 1. I will NEVER post ANYTHING about Jonathan without his approval first. If this appears on my blog, he read it first and agreed. 2. No couple is perfect. I think if parents never disagree in front of their children, they are not teaching them what relationships are really like. Every relationship has issues, and instead of suppressing them, I think we should acknowledge them and learn how to best find a solution.

What have I learned through this so far? I love Jonathan more. I love his stubbornness. I love working out arguments. I love becoming closer to God with him. I love him when he plays Angry Birds too much. He is still the best man I've ever known and I still want to spend as much of my life with him as possible. And I still thank God for him everyday.

Even if sometimes we are a couple of Angry Birds.

A Dedicated Woman

I never cease to be amazed by the women in the Bible.

Recently, I studied the story of Mary Magdalene for a teen girls’ class. And even though I knew the story and had read it multiple times, it didn’t hit me until then. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all record how Mary had 7 demons that Jesus removed. Because of this, she became a faithful follower and friend to Him. We know that she was at the cross with Jesus’ mother, and witnessed the crucifixion of her Savior. And, perhaps most famously, she was at the tomb when Jesus was raised from the dead. She had gone there to embalm his body in spices…but he had been raised.

Read these accounts of the scene at the tomb.

“Soon afterward, He went on through the cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the Good News of the Kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of the evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, […] who provided for them out of their means.” Luke 8:1-3

“The women who had come with Him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested, according to the commandment. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.” (Luke 23:55-24:1)

“Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him!’ […]

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in while, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head, and one at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him!’ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know it was Jesus. He said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to Him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ which means Teacher. Jesus said, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and to your God.’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’ and that he had said these things to her.” John 20:1-2, 11-18

From this, I realized 2 very important things about Mary Magdalene.

1. She cared for Jesus. I often think of Jesus caring for others. What I fail to realize is that He was taken care of as well. Someone probably cooked for Him. At some point, He may have had holes in His robes that needed patching. They provided for Him monetarily as they could. God created women to be nurturers, and this is a great example of that.

Even after He died, Mary Magdalene and the other women were going to correctly embalm Him. They prepared spices and ointments to preserve His earthly body. She left very early in the morning. In her mind, this is what Jesus DESERVED. He was the Son of God and He DESERVED a proper burial. As a friend and follower of Christ, it was her DUTY to give Him a proper resting place.

2. She was dedicated. After Jesus healed her, she followed Him. From what it seems, she left her town, her job, her friends. She left it all…and gave it all to Him. He healed her of the agonizing pain of seven demons. Because of that, she was dedicated to the One who could save her…not only physically, but spiritually. She probably faced the same dangers as all of His other followers: being hurt, scorned, But Mary Magdalene pressed on, no matter what the dangers of her decision were.

This dedication continued even after Jesus had died. Imagine that your best friend passed away. After the funeral, you go to the grave to place flowers and find that someone has dug up and stolen the casket. This is the same thing that Mary is going through. She is probably just beside herself with anguish and distress. She is weeping so hard that she does not recognize Jesus… the very Man who she is seeking. What does Mary say? That she will go and take Him away. I think of Mary being so faithful that she is willing to CARRY His body herself to put it in a proper resting place. Now that is dedication.

She was dedicated enough to do whatever Jesus asked of her. She did not question Jesus when He asked her to go and tell the apostles that he was alive. She did not say, “Ok, but how did you raise from the dead?” or “Why did you come back?” or even “Don’t you know that people might try to hurt you again?” She just did. She knew that He was asking her to do what was right. She trusted Him enough to know that whatever He asked of her was good.

I pray that I can become that protective and dedicated to my Jesus. I want Him to know that I will go to every length to care for His Name and His Word. I want to be so dedicated to Him that I would carry His weight. I want to be like Mary Magdalene. Jesus took away her demons…he took away my sins…and in return, I want to dedicate my entire life to caring for Jesus.