valentine's day=success.

Today is Valentine's Day. It was a lovely day for me.

I received a dozen roses, a box of chocolates, a nice card with such a sweet note written inside....

Not really.

:)

Something better happened though. I spent some time with Jesus and He once again, as he often does, reminded me how greatly I am loved by Him and how much he cares for me. No boyfriend, husband, closest friend, or family member can come close to loving me as much as Jesus does.

Yeah getting a bouquet of flowers or a gift of some sort from the person you love, that is great. I look forward to the day when I will have a Valentine, it will be wonderful I have no doubt.

But having Jesus in my life...that is way better. It's like having Valentine's Day every single day of the year for the rest of my life. I know my husband (whoever he may be) will love me and he will tell me that over and over all year long, year after year - or at least I hope :) - but I know that Jesus loves me and will continue to love me more than my husband (again...whoever he may be!) will ever be capable of. He showed that to me on the cross.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

God doesn't need us. He chooses us. He gave his life, on the cross, while we were still sinners. We didn't do anything to deserve it. That's how much He loves us. Christ dying on the cross...that's a gift to us. And nothing, nothing, can separate us from the love of God. You should open your bible and read Romans 8:38-39 and see for yourself. Nothing compares to the love of Jesus. Nothing.

:) I am loved by the King. And so are you.

Oh, and I got to spend the day with my nephew celebrating his 6 month birthday. That was pretty cool. We spent the day playing away, laughing, and boy did he talk my ear off! Really, he did! Of course it was baby talk, but apparently he had a lot to say. :)

I would call this Valentine's Day a success!

to be content.

A couple of weeks ago I was reading in Genesis 19. The verse in particular that jumped out of the page at me was verse 26. "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt." The angel had specifically warned them in verse 17 not to look back.... "...one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back..." (Check out the full chapter to get all the details!)

Over and over I have been playing that over in my mind...Don't look back. The whole idea of these verses is to warn us believers not to become attached to, or take pleasure in the worldly things or we will experience God's wrath.

I kept thinking about contentment... A word I seem to hear a lot lately both in my life, and my friends, as this is something that several of us are working on. We are learning how to truly be content.

Then the light bulb went on in my head. I had a, "Duh, Kaci" moment for sure.

Being content doesn't have anything to do with where we are living, what we are doing, who we are with, how much money we have, or what job we have. The only way we can be content is in Jesus. When we are relying solely on him. We can't find true contentment anywhere else but through Jesus.

Read Phillippians 4:11-13. This is what it says.

"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Lot's wife obviously had a fond attachment to Sodom. There was a part of her that didn't want to leave Sodom. She looked back.

I can't help but think of my life. Am I attached to where I am right now? I'm not saying it's bad to enjoy the things you are doing. The people who are in your life. Your job. But would I choose these things over Jesus? Do I look to them to find comfort, contentment, and joy?

I can say that I am content with where I am now, but I have to do a heart check to make sure it's not me being content because everything is going well. I have amazing jobs that I love, I'm near my family, not too far away from most of my friends, I have a car that gets me from place to place, and etc. But what happens when these things are taken away? What happens when things are not going so smoothly?

If Jesus calls me somewhere else next week, would I willingly go without looking back? I know the day is coming when I will be called away to somewhere that isn't Chanute. Maybe not next week, but it's coming at some point. It may be to a place I have never been, with people I don't know, in a place where I won't have much of anything.

Yes, it would be much easier for me to settle and stay here rather than go. But God doesn't want me to settle. That's what happens when we find our contentment in things and pleasures of this world. We settle. We stay where we are comfortable.

Remember Lot's wife. Would/will you look back? Is your contentment in your things, your job, money, or people? Or is it in Jesus?

Whether I have plenty or I am in need, I want to learn to be content in whatever circumstance I am in. In Phillippians we find the secret to being content. It's given to us plain as day. It is simply this, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

It doesn't say apart from Him, but through Him. Not with our own strength, but His.

We can't go searching for happiness, joy, comfort, peace, anywhere else. Everything you will find will only leave you empty. It may bring you happiness for a time, but eventually it will fade away. And we definitely can't rely on our strength alone. We must learn to depend on God to meet our needs and desires.

Everything we will ever need is found in Him. When Jesus truly becomes our everything, we will experience true contentment in every circumstance that may come our way.


Lord, I long to be content, but I never want to be comfortable. I don't want to settle for anything less than you. You have blessed me in so many ways that I don't deserve, and I am so thankful, but I never want anything to take place of you. Only through you will I experience true contentment and joy. You alone are my provider, my peace, my comfort, my strength, and my joy.

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73: 23-28