1 Anxious Expectation

Boy, sometimes I just love a rainy day. This afternoon has been heaven!!! I took a much needed nap and it felt sooo good to kick back and just relax. I wish I honored the work six days rest seven rule more often but between work and work at home it is hard to get a day of total relaxation. But, I sure do love these kind of days :)

This weekend has been pretty awesome. My church, St. James UMC, was a host church for the Beth Moore Living Proof Live simulcast that was broadcasted from Green Bay. Of course, I jumped at the chance to see Beth Moore! It was so much fun to see her in action and to worship with Travis Cottrell and his team of gifted musicians. Her lesson that she shared with us was based around Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." She broke down her message into seven parts and each one was special in their own right, but today I want to share point #6: Nothing is passive about patiently waiting for desire to turn into delight.

The scripture that is the reference for this statement is Psalm 37:7, "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." Often, in today's society, it is hard to be still. We live in a fast-paced world where we can get what we want in a click of a button. This allows us to think we have control over our lives. How much time do we actually spend waiting? Or praying for that matter? And, when we do pray, are our prayers so often focused on our needs and when we say amen we haven't taken time to listen? To really get down to it, we want it on our time not God's time.

"Be still," in this context, refers to the Hebrew word meaning to stop, to be silent. It means that when we pray we don't need to be all talk and no listening. We need to hush our mouths and just stop talking! I have a relative that loves to talk. She can carry on a conversation with a brick wall and be just tickled. We all love conversation, right? But, do we allow our conversations to be two-way streets? I can sit here and talk to you through this blog all day long but I would love for you to talk back to me so I can listen to what is going on in your lives. I want this to be an avenue of learning and growing for you and for me. More importantly, I want my time with the Lord to not be all about me. I need to stop my quick prayers and just take time out to listen. To hear His voice. To let Him take His time with me. I need to wait and be patient in His promise to give me the desires of my heart.

In Psalm 37:7, wait patiently in Hebrew is the word chiyl which means to have anxious expectation, to twist, to whirl, to rise in pain, to trust and to wait. Beth described this beautifully on Saturday and I hope I can give it justice. She demonstrated that if she were to bang her toe on something it would hurt and she would be jumping around saying "Ow, gosh this hurts!" But, what if she had anxious expectation that it would get better? What if she jumped around the room, twisting and dancing in pain, holding her foot in her hands saying, "Ow, Lord, Ow, this hurts, but Oh, Lord, you are going to make it better!" We all go through tough stuff. Stuff that hurts so much and stuff that can give us so much pain. Rather than sitting there being angry at God or praying but not taking the time to listen to how He will help us, we should have an anxious expectation that He is going to take this bad and turn it into something great and beautiful for our lives.

Prayer can move mountains, dear friends. Especially, when we take time to have a two-way conversation. I know the majority of us don't hear God speaking to us like He did with Moses, but He is there and He does speak to us. He speaks to us through others and He talks back to us through emotions. I know after I have been going through major low points in my life and I am crying out to Him, He gives me His peace to face another day. This weekend, I assisted St. James by being on the prayer team. We had alter calls both days for women to just take time to pray. It was a life-changing moment for me to be in a room praying over these women that I didn't even know. But, I knew they needed the Lord. We all have pain in our lives. We all need to cry out to Him. But, let's do it in anxious expectation that He is going to deliver us from this moment of pain. He is going to take us into a place that we long for; the place where we can delight in Him and be given the desires of our hearts.

Don't lose hope in this promise. Just wait patiently.



Till' next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 Create a Pure Heart

Good morning sweet friends!

Is anybody else in LOVE with this weather we have been having? Yesterday, we took the dogs on a walk after work and it was absoulutely perfect. During the day, I so wished to just take a blanket and go lay in a park to enjoy the sunshine. Being outside on such a pretty day just makes me feel so peaceful and pleasant.

The past couple of days, I have been reading in the bible about David. Yesterday, I read aboout how David conquered Goliath. I had forgotten how fun it was to read a story that I knew so well. My reason for reading this is that Raleigh needs some encouragement right now. He is in the middle of taking his architecture review exams and he is up against a Goliath. Don't we all have Goliath's in our lives?

If you have time, flip your Bibles open to 1 Samuel and read chapters 16 and 17. One of the verses that really stuck out to me was, "The Lord does not look at things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart"(1 Samuel 16:7). The Lord said that David had a heart like His, and that was why He seeked him out to serve his people as King. The story of David begins with his battle with Goliath but throughout his life he faces many personal battles and victories. The thing that sticks out to me when reading his story is that through it all he either asks for forgiveness from the Lord or he rejoices in the Lord. He knows he cannot live his life without God. So many of us run around thinking we can do it ourselves or that we don't need God to help us out with this task but the truth is that we cannot live our lives without Him!!!! He wants to hear you cry out to him, and He wants to help you every step of the way. David, strong and tender, says in Psalm 55:16-17, "But I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, & noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice."

If you are afraid to go to him after you have messed up terribly, please take the step to talk to Him because He is the forgiver of all sins. After David committed adultery with Bathseba he cried out to the Lord, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." The word "create" means as something new so even when our hearts are so broken and messed up, he will give us a brand new, pure heart to start fresh and clean.

Allow God to come into your heart if you haven't done so already. And if you have, allow Him to work at it and make it a heart like His.

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2 Coincidence? I think not.

How great is our God? He is the name above all names, worthy of our praise. Our hearts will sing, "How GREAT is our GOD!!!"

This past week has been pretty amazing. So many little things have happened that just aren't coincidence. First, on Monday I was really struggling with the blog being "out there." Honestly, I was so fearful and nervous about what other people would think of me. Then I got an e-mail and one section really just screamed, "I am talking to you Christen Price!" It read, "Why am I so worried about what other people think of me and not about what God thinks of me?" That statement stopped every other thing I was doing that morning and made me totally realize how self-conscious I really am. How many of us are so concerned about what other people think of us that we don't truly live our lives the way that God intended for us to lead them? I am tired of worrying about whether or not I am liked or if someone is my friend. I am not living my life for the approval of others. It is time for me to stop caring so much about what other people think of me and to live honestly, truthfully, and so full of God's love that I am not scared to share His word with anyone.

The second thing that happened this week is I got a phone call from one of my preachers at church. Several weeks ago, I was really struggling with what I should do with my life and what outlet I should focus on for sharing God's word. I had purchased a c.d. from a study I wasn't able to attend at our church that was about living your life's purpose. As I was listening to the study, I just kept thinking how great it would be to have a conversation with this pastor about my future. But, chicken me never ever got brave enough to initiate that type of phone call. On Wednesday night, I was putting a pound cake into the oven (with my cute new Williams-Sonoma oven mitts thanks to my thoughtful husband)and Raleigh said, "Christen, there is a woman on the phone for you." I answered the phone call and low and behold Janice Spencer was on the other line. As we began speaking she asked me to serve in a new position for my small group and from our conversation she also invited me to be on the prayer and fasting committee at church. When we ended our conversation, we decided on a day to meet for breakfast so we could discuss what ways I would like to serve the church. After I hung up the phone, I just sat there thinking how amazing the Lord is. He knew my thoughts and He answered them. His guiding hand prompted Janice to call me because He knows how much I need a mentor to guide me right now. Isn't He wonderful?

The last thing that happened this week happened about two hours ago. I have been debating about what to post tonight and three scriptures have been on my mind this week. Tonight, when we were helping out with the youth back to school party, all three of these verses were spoken. Not one, not two, but all three. Coincidence? I think not. Obviously the first one is the mission of this blog: "You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14,17. The other verse that I was wanting to share is my favorite Bible verse: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-7. The final verse that has been on my heart is when Jesus was walking on water and Peter went out to join him, "Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"" - Matthew 14:29-31. Aren't we all like Peter? We believe in Jesus but we don't totally trust him with our lives? Let's be completely honest here...we get scared. Fear grips our thoughts and when all we see is darkness we fall. But, you know what is so amazing? Jesus is there to catch us in an instant every time we fall. If we give ourselves completely up to Him, totally surrendering all, He will guide us down a path that is so much better than our craziest dreams.

The Lord has been moving in my life friends. I mean, seriously, speaking to me. He is telling me to let go of all of my fears and totally get flat on the floor and glorify His name. This blog is so much more than one person speaking about what is going on in her life. This blog is an outlet to glorify the one and only God. Amen to that!

Friends, what is the Lord speaking to you right now? What is on your heart that you need His guidance? I pray that you will seek Him and just give it up to Christ! He wants to hear your voice. Stop being scared. I promise He will move mountains in your life.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, Christen

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2 Bon Appetite!

Bon Appetite! As I started to think about my next post, I wanted to tell you a little about what has inspired me to do this crazy thing in the first place. My husband and I have been talking for months about what avenue I should take about sharing the Lord's goodness in my life. I have had many fears and doubts about starting this blog but in the end I made the decision to do it because I know that it will strengthen my relationship with the Lord and in return possibly give others a deeper connection that they have been longing for.

Last Friday, I went to the movies with a friend and saw Julie & Julia. Most of you have seen the previews already for it and it was truly a delightful film. I fell in love with the two characters and totally related with Amy Adams character, Julie. Basically, Julie's life was not what she intended it to be and she felt like she starts things and never finishes them. So, her husband encouraged her to start a blog about Julie Child's recipes. Every day for a whole year she blogged about a recipe she tried out from Julia's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. While cooking, Julie finds inspiration from Julia and she grows into herself in such a real, honest way.

That night, after seeing the movie, I got brave and wrote my first post. I still felt like it was crazy but I needed to do it. My "Julia" inspiration for this blog, is my favorite bible study teacher, Beth Moore. After college, I really got hooked on doing Beth Moore studies. What I love about her ministry is she really teaches you the Bible in a down to earth kind of way. When I say teach, I mean teach. During the lesson, my Bible is like a Huffy flying down a hill as I constantly flip the pages trying to keep up with how the Old Testament relates to the New. Then, she gives you homework during the week so you can have time to study and process the Word on your own. She is a southern gal living in Houston so she really cracks me up with some of her stories. This morning, while I was getting ready for work I had the television on The Church Channel. I knew Beth spoke on Wednesdays but I hadn't found the right time or channel so I honestly wasn't looking for her this morning. When I got out of the shower and started to put on my makeup, low and behold I heard a Southern twang coming through my tube! Instantly, I dropped my mascara wand and sure enough my favorite teacher was speaking to me this morning! What a great way for me to begin my morning by hearing her teach the word of God.

So, in closing I want to leave you with a verse that has given me guidance as I begin this journey. "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." - 1 Corinthians 3:7-9.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 The Uncontainable Truth

This tale begins about a girl who doesn’t know what on earth she was put here to do. She knows God gave her gifts, but they don’t quite make sense. Her parents always encouraged her in all of her endeavors growing up. Go for it! You can do it! Believe in yourself and don’t let anybody tell you different! In college, she was honored to hold various leadership positions. She felt like she was making a difference. And truth be known, she really was making a difference because she woke up every day with a goal to achieve. She had friends, she had family, and she even had a cute boyfriend that loved her so very much. But, her life still did not seem all together. There were too many puzzle pieces missing from the box.

After college, she became Miss Independent by living all on her own for the very first time in a city far far away (okay, 3 hours far away technically, but it was a for real city.) She struggled to figure out where she should work and often wondered out loud to herself, “Why again did I major in Communications????” Then one day, luck was on her side and her sorority sister hooked her up with an interview with one of the largest not for profit organizations in the whole country. She went on the interview and knew she had nailed it. After a couple of weeks, the phone never rang so she got brave and started doing the calling. Turns out the execs thought she would be better at another job in the company so she went on a second interview. Dressed in her lucky pink and green suit she walked in with a confident smile on her face and she just knew this was it. This was the one. Little did she know that the person interviewing her had already accepted a job with another company and she would be leaving her current position in a short period of time. So, after weeks of no phone calls, the girl found out the company was doing some restructuring and they would have to get back with her when and if an opening becomes available. With her head hung low, the girl politely told the company thank you and to keep her in mind if a position did become available.

Now what? How was she supposed to be Miss Independent and a soon-to-be Mrs. without a job? In order for her and her fiance to become husband and wife, she needed to have a job with benefits for them while he was still finishing school. Reluctantly, she did what she never ever in her whole life thought she would have to do. She applied to work at a bank. As a teller. This is a girl who “accidentally” spent $1,000 in one month when she became Miss Independent and who had honestly never been that good at balancing a check book. And, still to this day, the girl doesn’t know how to count out money and have all the Benjamin’s facing in the right direction. But the job had benefits, insurance, and a paycheck so she did what she had to do.

As she began her training she convinced herself that she was doing the right thing. She was engaged to be married in less than 7 months and she was making a sacrifice so she could be united forever and ever with her best friend in the whole wide world. “You gotta do what you gotta do,” she told herself every morning as she was learning how to identify a counterfeit bill. Then, one day in her training she received a phone call from out of the blue. An opening in the company! Oh, my! What a joy! She quickly and very secretly set up a meeting with her potential employer. They met, they talked, they sealed the deal. Finally, she got a real job that she was proud of!!!!! She felt like it was meant to be. Her first real job where she would be making a difference in other people’s lives! How wonderful! God was so very good and loved the young girl so very much.

God has taken care of that young girl since she was knit in her mothers’ womb. At this point in the story, you have probably figured out that girl is me. Throughout my life, He has opened doors that were constantly being shut. He gave me opportunity when all I saw was darkness. Now, three years later, I still love what I do and don’t plan on giving it up anytime soon, but I keep wondering if this is my full purpose in life. I know it is apart of the big puzzle but I am still missing a few key pieces to make the puzzle into a piece of art. But, finally, at the age of 25 I know what puzzle pieces I should be looking for. I have a direction and an obligation to fulfill to the One that knew me before He gave me to my parents. Below are a couple of those pieces that I have started to identify:

1. My purpose in life is to serve the Lord. Some of you might say, “duh” of course that is our purpose in life. To me, I have known for a long time that I want to serve the Lord but in what ways was I designed to do that? I can’t sing, I can’t speak in tongues, I don’t have the gift of being a caregiver. But, He has given me an encouraging spirit. He has given me a voice that is sometimes heard and needed by others. He has given me compassion and drive and a servants’ heart.

2. My purpose on this earth is to love my family. I mean, truly love them with all my heart. Yes, they get on my nerves and yes, I see so many flaws in them but YES I have so many flaws in me. My goal here is to be a loving daughter, a sister my brother feels proud to be his sister, and most importantly, a wife that loves her husband from the depths of her heart. One day, God willing, I will be a mother and my duty to society is to bring up our children to be children that serve and love the Lord with all their little big hearts.

3. My purpose on this earth is to care for others. That part, I am still figuring out. There are so many ways to care for others. As I have already mentioned, I don’t see myself as a caregiver, but I see myself more as a caring giver. I want to help people. I would love to see women living lives of noble character and families staying together and an end to poverty in this world. We are all children of the Lord and we are meant to love one another. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.

So, in closing, the girl at the beginning of this story is finally starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I still have some pieces to figure out and once I get done with this one I’m sure to begin another one but in the meantime, I need your prayers. I was fearful to take this step to writing a blog because it meant me being so open about my inner most feelings but I believe there is a purpose behind all of this and Jesus is giving me the nudge to share His glorious name with others out there. The verse in the Bible that is the mission of this journey is this: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” – (Matthew 5:17).

When I started to really break down that verse, I realized that Jesus doesn’t want our light to be contained under a bowl so no one can see it. He wants our light to be uncontainable where no bowl no matter the size can hide the light that so brightly needs to be burned. So, here I am. I am letting this little light of mine shine. And I hope it gives you light.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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Give

Freely you have received, freely give – Mathew 10:8

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret – Mathew 6:3

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward – Matthew 10:42

Compassion blinkie
Red – joinred.com
One – one.org/us/
World Vision
Samaritan’s Purse
Water Well????
Tom’s Shoes
Invisible Children
Kiva
Good African Coffee

Locally
Food Bank
Common Ground
St. James clothes closet
Friendship Mission- http://www.friendshipmission.net/index.html

Tips on “giving” in your budget

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Share

Pray:
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen – Matthew 6:6

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them

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Teach

A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher – Luke 6:40

My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. – John 7: 16-18

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Do

So in everything, do to others what you would have them to do you – Matthew 7:12

These are people that are doing good:

Bono
Jessica – Kiva girl
Beth Moore
Robinson guy
Joyce Meyer
Common Ground folks

The Do-Gooders: monthly list of people that have caught our eye doing some good
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him – Matthew 12:35

Do you want to be apart of The Uncontainable Truth? …..

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Contact

Email: christen.price@gmail.com

Facebook link here
twitter link here

ralprice@gmail.com

facebook
twitter

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About

About Us
Our Mission
Who we are
Christen
Raleigh

ABOUT US

The Uncontainable Truth was developed as a source for believers in Jesus Christ to gather together and learn how to use their God-given gifts to share their love for Christ with others. In August 2009, the blog titled “The Uncontainable Truth” was formed as a way to offer daily encouragement to the blog community. The goal of starting the website in addition to the blog is for this to become a resource for those seeking Christian tools and also for the blogging community to become passionate students of the word of God. The Uncontainable Truth is based off of scripture found in Matthew 5:17: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Our Mission:
To joyfully encourage each other to passionately seek the truth spoken by Jesus Christ and to become an uncontainable light humbly serving our world

Who We Are:

Go! It will be done just as you believed it would – Matthew 8:13

What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs – Matthew 10:27

The Prices reside in Montgomery, Alabama, and are “parents” to dogs Lu Lu and Obi. Both are graduates of Auburn University and call Dothan, Alabama, their hometown. This couple has a focus on living their lives for Christ and sharing the good news with others. Neither individual is a scholar of the gospel but they recognize that we are all called to be Christ’s disciples on this earth. Christen and Raleigh are both passionate about their love for Christ and look forward to sharing their stories within this community.

Christen:
Christen’s parents believe in miracles. When Christen’s mother, Connie, was pregnant with her, the doctor told her parents that there was a good chance that their child would be born with Down Syndrome. Her grandparents gathered a group of family and friends together and prayed over Connie throughout her pregnancy. When Christen arrived, they were so thankful that she was born a healthy baby with no complications. Upon arrival, the name Christen was formed and spelled so her name would always have Christ in it.
Growing up, Christen always knew Christ as her Savior and tried to live her life for him. In high school, she became an active athlete and leader at her school. She always tried to greet others with a smile and offer encouragement to her classmates. One day, a girl she went to church with asked her why she was always so happy and Christen had a hard time giving her answer. She was not confident enough in her relationship with Jesus to tell others that he was her reason for happiness.
During her senior year, she developed a deeper friendship with Raleigh Price and they soon began dating. For the fist time, she was actually dating someone that was an equal to her in her spiritual belief and they became companions in their walk in Christ.
While attending college at Auburn University, Christen continued her relationship with Raleigh but also got plugged into many campus activities. Throughout her four years at the loveliest village on the plains, she became Vice President of Membership Recruitment for her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, and was selected as one of the four leadership officers of the Student Government Association. These leadership positions allowed Christen to mentor other students and to share her love for these organizations with others. She graduated from Auburn with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with an emphasis on Communications.
In July 2007, Christen and Raleigh tied the knot and began their life together in Birmingham, Alabama. While living in Birmingham, Christen volunteered as a bible study leader for high school girls through a community organization. At this time, Christen discovered her love for teaching and mentoring others. She knew that she not only wanted to live her life for Christ but also to share it with others.

Raleigh:

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