The Bigger Picture.

During my quiet time with the Lord yesterday, I read 1 John 2:15-17 and was cut to the heart. I put the verse as my recent update on Facebook but felt a prodding to go deeper into how clearly this passage affects us daily. 

The passage reads as follows (NIV):

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

Now having cable, it's so tempting to watch the latest reality shows (I'm not talking about Jersey Shore...I won't stoop that low), but at times I find myself casually getting sucked into the life of the Kardashians. The one I watch the most is actually a very pleasant reality show that I've loved for years, House Hunters on HGTV. 

The media, socialites with their own shows, celebrities, and reality shows in general have taken over. But when you really look at them, all they offer are the "cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does." All that you find now is each bragging about how expensive this or that is, how much the dress they wore at an awards show cost, or what they do or how many fans they have...etc. It's so empty because all it offers is what the world has: temporary satisfaction, but no truth.

Even the one I watch most, House Hunters, is about couples looking for the right home. They end up with the top 3 and you get to guess along with the show which one they choose (I'm normally wrong...lol). Regardless, something as nice and simple as that show makes me long for desires of this world. I've noticed how when people choose the perfect home, it's so much about the "stuff". Bigger is better, nicer appliances, bedrooms so large that you don't know what to fill it with, closets sometimes bigger than some peoples apartments, and yet there's still little satisfaction. 

As a society, we always want more. Guess what? The world never satisfies the lust of the flesh, so it will keep you wanting more and more with nothing but emptiness at the end of the tunnel. 

BUT...

The Lord offers us a hope in him. He will give us eternal life, eternal love...one that only he can give that satisfies beyond anything the world can attempt to offer. 

I exhort my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to go beyond the desires of the world. It's easy to get caught up in it...I have. But look at the BIGGER picture. It's only a short time we're on this earth, and it's not meant for our fleshly satisfaction or our society's "life is short so live how you want" mantra. It's meant to reach others for Christ. 

"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

New Website!!!

I finally have my new website ready! I'll be updating it constantly to keep it current.

Please visit my new site at www.SimplyJenelle.com

You'll find the latest posts, recipes, my handbag store, arts and crafts and more, all in one place.

I'd love your feedback and your support in forwarding it to your friends!

The End of my 25th Year.

I always wanted my 25th year to be a big deal because it's the big "25", a quarter of a century old. Now a few days before my 26th birthday, I started wondering what was so great about this year. After last weekend at the marriage retreat, several things surfaced that helped me analyze just that.

As a wife, I had been praying for several of my weaknesses that were affecting my marriage and my husband. It was on the undercurrent for quite some time, because since I felt it was second nature, I never truly noticed how it was truly affecting everyone around me, especially my husband. It wasn't until about 1 1/2 years ago that I consciously made the decision to change. It was hard!!!

You may be curious as to what weaknesses I'm taking about. Well, in one word: anger. I gave in to fits of rage or get angry quicker than anyone. It was terrible and as I felt the anger rising, instead of stopping it, I would feed it and let it loose to create destruction knowing I would feel remorse afterwards. It was terrible and even writing it is hard to admit. But I wouldn't be writing it if things hadn't changed. This is a mini-testimony of what the Lord has done for me this year.

After making that decision to allow the Lord to work in me I saw meekness, kindness, mercy, gentleness, patience and love more than ever in my life and marriage. It was subtle and definitely didn't happen over night. It took time, swallowing my tongue, truly living out patience as opposed to just praying for it and then exploding, AND lots of prayer!!! It took Christ in my life and FULL surrender to the fact that though I've prayed for this change for years, I couldn't do it on my own.

What happened last weekend? My husband told me how hard it was for him when I would explode and how amazing our marriage has been the past 1 1/2 years. I didn't realize the hurt it was causing him until I saw the change in my life reflected in our marriage.

What's most interesting is I tell people all the time, without noticing, that our marriage is better now than ever before. I feel like we're still honeymooners. We're not infatuated, we're truly in love with one another and with Jesus Christ.

My 25th year has been a turning point for the better. There were other wonderful things that I noticed happen, but this was by far the most important to me. I still continue to pray for meekness, kindness, mercy, gentleness, and patience. I have too, because I need Jesus everyday in my life and marriage and I can't do it on my own.

I welcome my 26th birthday and can't wait to see where I'll be next year in my spiritual walk, my marriage and my life =)

Calm after the Storm.

There's something so absolutely beautiful about the calm after the storm. After it rains, you know there's a rainbow somewhere. Today, I was able to see it clearly (so did my camera).

What a sight!

Engagement Pictures Take-two

I didn't really like my engagement pictures, so I had decided we needed to have another session even though we've been married 3 1/2 years. Well, a really good friend, Dee Stecco, shot our photos and they came out great.

My favorite part was noticing how much more in love I am with my husband . I felt like we were newlyweds all over again! What a wonderful feeling to be in love!!!

Solid Foundation

Recently heard a great message about marriage and creating a solid foundation that I wanted to share.

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus tells the story of the Wise and Foolish Builders. The wise builder built his house on a rock. When the rain came down, the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall because it's foundation: rock. Now the foolish builder built his house on the sand. When the rain came down, the streams rose, and winds blew and beat against that house, it fell with a great crash.

Similarly, this is what happens with marriage. When we build marriage with Jesus Christ as our foundation, it is as the wise builder. When we build marriage on "us", we are foolish and have built on the shakiest ground that can't resist the slightest tremor.

Unfortunately, most people build their marriage on the latter. They are built on the "me" factor. What is good for "me"? What can "I" get out of this? Will this make "me" happy? He or she doesn't understand "me". "I" am in love. "I" have fallen out of love.

When a relationship is built on "me", it's predominately built on feeling. Feelings can be deceiving. The word of God clearly states in Proverbs 28:26 "He who trusts in himself (KJV says "in his own heart") is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe."

Clearly, trusting yourself or your heart to make decisions is unwise. Our feelings change everyday and every hour. Some days your happy and in love, the next you miserable and you can't stand anyone, the next your fine but not great and so on and so forth. It's not wrong, it's just the way we are. Which is why we cannot base one of the most important decisions on our feelings.

Marriage is not to be taken lightly. It is a covenant, not created by man, but by God. It is a promise, not a contract. It is about trust, not mistrust. Just as the rings placed on those fingers, marriage is to be for life. A circle with no end.

It is impossible to experience full joy in marriage without having an intimate relationship with God. When He is involved, His love will hold marriages together because unlike our love, His is eternal and unconditional.

Holistic Living

Instead of combining my passion for Holistic living into my regular blog, I've created a blog called just that: Holistic Living.

I'd love for you to follow at http://holisticwayoflife.blogspot.com/

Thanks!