Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Community
Christ had community with the disciples. The disciples had community with Christ. In this automated, high tech, face paced world I could find myself without community. When do you know you need it? When life happens and you find that you can't think of anyone to come to your side or rescue. Do you have community? Can you name a handful of friends that you know would come to your aid? Hypothetically, your husband goes to the ER. Do you have friends that your kids could do some home jumping from one to another till you could comfortably leave your husband's side or bring him home? I think it's critical to have community and yes, it requires time,work, and a lot of effort. Frankly, I need to know I have someone to lean on here and now because it is guaranteed that life will happen.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Perspective
I Samual 17:34 "...then a lion came..."
One situation. Many perspectives.
Yesterday the clutch went out on my car. Yesterday my husband was in the air flying to Louisiana. First, kudos to military moms and single moms and moms that have to go it alone for a period of time without your man. You are resilient and Glad tough. I will spare you the craziness of the day with two kids, schedules and the timing of it all. I do want to share what the Lord has brought to my mind.
When my clutch went out, I was on my way to get my youngest daughter from school. As I had to walk back to somewhere to borrow a phone or find someone to help, and after a small spell of whining (yeap, it was short), I praised the Lord for His provision. I asked Him who He wanted me inconvenience and bless today. I knew He would help me manage to get my daughter from school. I knew He would help me get to the airport 30 miles away and get the second vehicle. I knew He would help me get my car to the shop. I knew He would help me get my oldest daughter from school later and make her dental appointment as well. I went into this with confidence in His provision and looking for someone to bless. That was one perspective.
My husband on the other hand recalled July's expense when I busted my oil pan while he was in the air to New Jersey. He saw December's expense when we had to replace the struts and buy new tires to make it road worthy for our vacation. He saw a money pit. Frankly, I wasn't expecting that perspective. Though it made me think this morning.
How do you look at the 'lion's' that come your way? How do you look at the temptations, trials, dangers, and misfortunes that some your way? No matter the outward appearance, do you look at them as opportunities from God in disguise? Or do you have a sense of fear or alarm? Even the tabernacle of God was covered with badger skins and goat hair. No one would think there would be any glory there, yet the Shechinah glory of God was very evident underneath the covering. (Streams in the Desert)
May you ask the Lord today to give you a fresh perspective, a new set of eyes, a view through His eyes to the world around you. May you see the fierce lion's as opportunities from the Lord to bless and praise His name.
As for blessing someone else, I may never know that. I do know the Lord blessed me richly. A local coffee shop owned by a gentleman in our church is where I waited for my ride to the airport to retrieve our second vehicle. When the owner heard my saga, he quickly offered to get my car where it needed to be. At this point my head was spinning and I simply handed over my keys, called him an hour later and told him where the car needed to be and he got it there. To him that was "no big deal", to me it was a huge deal. Psalm 116:5 How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!
One situation. Many perspectives.
Yesterday the clutch went out on my car. Yesterday my husband was in the air flying to Louisiana. First, kudos to military moms and single moms and moms that have to go it alone for a period of time without your man. You are resilient and Glad tough. I will spare you the craziness of the day with two kids, schedules and the timing of it all. I do want to share what the Lord has brought to my mind.
When my clutch went out, I was on my way to get my youngest daughter from school. As I had to walk back to somewhere to borrow a phone or find someone to help, and after a small spell of whining (yeap, it was short), I praised the Lord for His provision. I asked Him who He wanted me inconvenience and bless today. I knew He would help me manage to get my daughter from school. I knew He would help me get to the airport 30 miles away and get the second vehicle. I knew He would help me get my car to the shop. I knew He would help me get my oldest daughter from school later and make her dental appointment as well. I went into this with confidence in His provision and looking for someone to bless. That was one perspective.
My husband on the other hand recalled July's expense when I busted my oil pan while he was in the air to New Jersey. He saw December's expense when we had to replace the struts and buy new tires to make it road worthy for our vacation. He saw a money pit. Frankly, I wasn't expecting that perspective. Though it made me think this morning.
How do you look at the 'lion's' that come your way? How do you look at the temptations, trials, dangers, and misfortunes that some your way? No matter the outward appearance, do you look at them as opportunities from God in disguise? Or do you have a sense of fear or alarm? Even the tabernacle of God was covered with badger skins and goat hair. No one would think there would be any glory there, yet the Shechinah glory of God was very evident underneath the covering. (Streams in the Desert)
May you ask the Lord today to give you a fresh perspective, a new set of eyes, a view through His eyes to the world around you. May you see the fierce lion's as opportunities from the Lord to bless and praise His name.
As for blessing someone else, I may never know that. I do know the Lord blessed me richly. A local coffee shop owned by a gentleman in our church is where I waited for my ride to the airport to retrieve our second vehicle. When the owner heard my saga, he quickly offered to get my car where it needed to be. At this point my head was spinning and I simply handed over my keys, called him an hour later and told him where the car needed to be and he got it there. To him that was "no big deal", to me it was a huge deal. Psalm 116:5 How kind the LORD is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Dust Bunnies
As I was cleaning the house this morning and restoring it to order, I came across some hidden dust bunnies behind one of the stereo speakers. Now, I work each week to keep dust bunnies off of visible surfaces, but when it comes to those hidden...well, I am not so good. There is a delicate balance between obsessive compulsive tendencies and balance. As I moved the speaker to get those dust bunnies, the Lord brought to mind "guard your heart, for out of it come the issues of life" Proverbs 4:23. On heels of that thought came the remembrance of a conversation I had with a friend just this morning about our lack of desire for superficial conversation.
I like deep conversations. I want to know what the Lord has been teaching you. I want to share how He is stretching me and growing me. I want to hear about His miraculous wonders in the lives of His people HERE and NOW. I want to encourage and to be encouraged to persevere in His name. Ok, I'll get off that soap box...
What He shared with me this morning regarding those dust bunnies is how we can spend so much time keeping our surfaces clean, much like the Pharisees and their ritualistic cleaning, but if we don't let the Lord deal with the issues of our hearts and purify them, our walk with Him will remain where it is at, superficial and shallow and wanting more.
No one said that Him dealing with our hearts would be painless or comfortable. Growth occurs outside of our comfort zones. He chastises those whom He loves, much as father disciplines his child. What I can say about that chastisement is that it is rewarding to feel His love. One reward I have experienced is His peace and that is priceless.
I long to go deeper with Him every day, but life gets in my way and throws me curve balls. What I do know, is that I do not get hung up on my failures. He has shown Himself to me and I am encouraged to keep picking myself up by the bootstraps and keep moving forward after Him. "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting that which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead". Philippians 3:12-13
P.S.
Oh, did I get those dust bunnies behind that other speaker? No, that is my, maybe the Lord's way, of keeping those obsessive compulsive behaviors in check.
Have a blessed day in HIS name.
I like deep conversations. I want to know what the Lord has been teaching you. I want to share how He is stretching me and growing me. I want to hear about His miraculous wonders in the lives of His people HERE and NOW. I want to encourage and to be encouraged to persevere in His name. Ok, I'll get off that soap box...
What He shared with me this morning regarding those dust bunnies is how we can spend so much time keeping our surfaces clean, much like the Pharisees and their ritualistic cleaning, but if we don't let the Lord deal with the issues of our hearts and purify them, our walk with Him will remain where it is at, superficial and shallow and wanting more.
No one said that Him dealing with our hearts would be painless or comfortable. Growth occurs outside of our comfort zones. He chastises those whom He loves, much as father disciplines his child. What I can say about that chastisement is that it is rewarding to feel His love. One reward I have experienced is His peace and that is priceless.
I long to go deeper with Him every day, but life gets in my way and throws me curve balls. What I do know, is that I do not get hung up on my failures. He has shown Himself to me and I am encouraged to keep picking myself up by the bootstraps and keep moving forward after Him. "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting that which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead". Philippians 3:12-13
P.S.
Oh, did I get those dust bunnies behind that other speaker? No, that is my, maybe the Lord's way, of keeping those obsessive compulsive behaviors in check.
Have a blessed day in HIS name.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Daily Light January 30
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.* Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.* Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness.
Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus; not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.* Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.* Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.
Heb 12:1-2; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:33; Rom 13:12; I Cor 9:25-27; Phil 3:13-14; Hos 6:3
Encouragement from Daily Light by Anne Graham Lotz
If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.* Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.* Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness.
Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus; not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.* Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.* Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.
Heb 12:1-2; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:33; Rom 13:12; I Cor 9:25-27; Phil 3:13-14; Hos 6:3
Encouragement from Daily Light by Anne Graham Lotz
Thursday, January 21, 2010
I Choose
I Choose.....
I desire to live this way. May it speak to your heart as well......
It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose......
I CHOOSE LOVE...No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I CHOOSE JOY...I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I CHOOSE PEACE...I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I CHOOSE PATIENCE .....I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I CHOOSE KINDNESS...I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I CHOOSE GOODNESS...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.
LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL Gal.5:22,23
To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest with the peace that passes all understanding.
-- Author Unknown
I desire to live this way. May it speak to your heart as well......
It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose......
I CHOOSE LOVE...No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I CHOOSE JOY...I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I CHOOSE PEACE...I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I CHOOSE PATIENCE .....I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I CHOOSE KINDNESS...I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I CHOOSE GOODNESS...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.
LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL Gal.5:22,23
To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest with the peace that passes all understanding.
-- Author Unknown
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Happy New Year!
If you haven't read any good devotions on New Years Resolutions, I encourage you to go visit At the Well.
Meanwhile, when it comes to New Years Resolutions, does it simply come done to priorities not obsessions? For example, our church has embarked on a journey 90 Days Through the Bible. Twelve pages a day! That is Genesis to Revelation in 90 days! As I started my reading, I realized what a challenge this was going to be. Well, it's priority now. Not that I let my other God given priorities, ie. husband, children, meals, and laundry, get put on the back burner, but I will now reconsider how I spend my time (phone, email, surfing the net, dawdling from one menial task to another, etc) to ensure I allocate sufficient time to read.
Read on!
Meanwhile, when it comes to New Years Resolutions, does it simply come done to priorities not obsessions? For example, our church has embarked on a journey 90 Days Through the Bible. Twelve pages a day! That is Genesis to Revelation in 90 days! As I started my reading, I realized what a challenge this was going to be. Well, it's priority now. Not that I let my other God given priorities, ie. husband, children, meals, and laundry, get put on the back burner, but I will now reconsider how I spend my time (phone, email, surfing the net, dawdling from one menial task to another, etc) to ensure I allocate sufficient time to read.
Read on!
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