Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
I’m gonna be lazy today and share someone else’s work for my blogspot today. Instead of going to my favorite hangout, having a latte’, and typing this out. I’m rushed to finish so that I can go to campus to finish some work before my class starts. I don’t want to go and ‘hangout’ tonight b/c I should spend some time with my mom. I leave for McKenzie, my hometown tomorrow and then on to Nashville to catch my flight to Colorado. I will be gone from home (Memphis) 5 days and mom has already expressed how much she is going to miss me but she knows how much I deserve this trip too. So I’ve decided to start changing my schedule around a little bit and make more time to hang out with her. Hence my laziness in blogging today. It comes from a book by Bruce Wilkinson’s wife, Darlene. The Prayer of Jabez for Women.
Chapter 4 titled “When God Steps In”:”The children were getting restless, but our Sunday morning service was about to end…or so I thought. At the conclusion of his message, our pastor shared a heartbreaking story. A teenager from another state had become pregnant. “She has been abandoned by her parents,” he explained, “and she needs a place to live for the next six months.” Immediately I sensed that God was about to expand my territory. It was as if the Lord gently whispered, “Darlene, this invitation is for you.”
But Lord, I reasoned, our children are so young. I know nothing about teenagers. And how will my husband feel about this?
During the drive home, I discovered that God had spoken to Bruce’s heart in a similar way. So we said, “Yes, Lord, we will take this girl into our home for You.” With the decision confirmed, we made the arrangements. Jody would arrive the following day.
That afternoon I became overwhelmed with feelings of fear and inadequacy. What had I been thinking? Retreating to the back porch with my Bible, I poured out my trembling heart to the Lord. Father, I pleaded, I can’t do this! What if she’s on drugs? How will I know what to say? I feel so weak and unprepared to handle this girl’s problems. Please, please help me!
Maybe you recognize this kind of situation in your own life. You eagerly say yes to an exciting border-expanding opportunity – only to realize that you’ve gotten yourself in way over your head. Convinced that you’re unequal to the task, you’re overcome by fear, inadequacy, and apprehension. You may even wonder, Am I in the right place?
As you are about to discover, the wonderful truth is that you’re right where God wants you!
There’s a reason why Jabez’s third request, “Oh, that Your hand would be with me,” follows his request for more territory. (Jabez’s Prayer is 1 Chronicles 4:10) Up to this point, Jabez probably felt that he could handle the challenges his territory required. After all, how hard is it to feed a few goats and keep up a small plot of land? But if God gave him more territory, it would mean more responsibility and greater challenges. Jabez understood that he would not be able to succeed without God’s divine help and intervention.
In the same way, you may have felt capable of handling what lay ahead before you started asking for more territory. And if a new opportunity – not skilled or talented enough – you found a way to avoid it. You pretended not to notice that woman alone in the restaurant crying, or you told yourself you were just too busy to minister to the women in your neighborhood or office.
Those are understandable reactions. But in order to expand your borders beyond where they are, God wants to move you beyond where you are – all the way out on a limb, you might say.
Why? Not so He can leave you hanging there or let you fall, but so you will learn to cry out for His hand, His help, His touch on your life. Only then can He do through you what you can’t do alone. And only then will He be glorified by your accomplishments – because it’s obvious that they couldn’t have happened any other way!
What an intimate image the words keep Your hand on me paint. The picture is of a loving God placing His hand on you so that His power and presence are there in your moment of need. As you step out of your comfort zone into unfamiliar territory for Him, this is an accurate description of exactly what God wants to do for you!”
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Check Memo says: B/c of my shameful behavior!
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
I had spent like 30 minutes typing a blog earlier today and it wouldn't post and it didn't save but like 4% of it! So I decided to scratch that idea and start with a new one. I went home and took a 30 minute rest, which did me good. My doctor put me on a different medication, one I've used in the past but the milligrams were too strong when I took it 3 years ago, it's working like a charm this time. I've noticed a big difference in being able to get up and going in the mornings. I sleep much better too.
So I really don't go into much detail about my personal life and relationships on this blogspot b/c whatever you put out on the internet...is there for the whole world to see. And I really don't care too much about airing out my dirty draws (as my daddy calls underwear). I will say that my behavior toward a particular person in my life has been shameful. I have acted like a brat who hasn't gotten her way and so I'm sulking and pouting. God has truly shown Himself to me this week. The church I attend in Memphis, White Station Baptist, started Experiencing God on Wednesday nights last week. (I've done the study before with Long Heights Baptist, 2002) That study has changed my life this week!!! And it shows b/c of what I have to do to reconcile my behavior with this person. They may not accept that I'm apologizing but forgiveness is for you, not for the other person actually.
So I was reading a tiny little book by Kenneth Hagin, Right and Wrong Thinking. The following describes perfectly why I choose to recognize my behavior as wrong and unbecoming of a believer in Christ. "When people confess their lack, they build a sense of lack and inadequacy into themselves, and then these deficiencies gain the ascendancy in their lives. But Jesus is our Lord, and if we hold fast to the confession of His Lordship, then Jesus will gain the ascendancy in our lives and lead us into success. We shall never rise above our confessions. The confessions of a believer's lips that have grown out of faith in his heart will absolutely beat the devil in every combat. However, if a believer does not believe in his heart the confessions his lips are making, these confessions will not work. And if he confesses Satan's ability to hinder him and to keep him from success, Satan will gain dominion over him. But Colossians 2:15 says, 'And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.' If Christ defeated the devil for us, then why does the devil do so many things against us? Why does he dominate people? Because people allow him to!"
The following scripture spoken from Jesus should convince us of the reason we should turn from sin and seek our Father's approval all the time. From John 8:31-38, "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' They answered him, 'We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?' Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever, the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father'."
The next piece I'm about to share with you is lengthy but it makes complete sense. Many of us have such a problem with unforgiving. We think that it serves us well to continue being bitter, angry, hurt, disappointed, or even allowing hatred to permeate our soul. It is sin! Plain and simple and God cannot, will not bless us if we continue to harbor these emotions in our hearts and souls toward another person. God understands these emotions and He doesn't tell us we can't feel the hurt and pain, it does matter to Him. What He warns us against is allowing these feelings to turn and cause the unforgiveness that is sin. Allow Max Lucado to finish today's blog out with his words. I'll warn you now, when you are finished reading this....you won't want to continue to be so bitter! Give it to God, I did this afternoon, bawled my eyes out for 20 minutes - almost needing to get into an altar to pray b/c my behavior associated with the unforgiveness has been so shameful. Don't continue to allow satan to win his battle against you. Forgive, give it to God, and it will set you free indeed!
In the Grip of Grace, chapter titled "The Heaviness of Hatred":
"Each week Kevin Tunell is required to mail a dollar to a family he'd rather forget. They sued him for $1.5 million but settled for $936, to be paid a dollar at a time. The family expects the payment each Friday so Tunell won't forget what happened on the first Friday of 1982.
That's the day their daughter was killed. Tunell was convicted of manslaughter and drunken driving. He was seventeen. She was eighteen. Tunell served a court sentence. He also spent seven years campaigning against drunk driving, six years more than his sentence required. But he keeps forgetting to send the dollar.
The weekly restitution is to last until the year 2000. Eighteen years. Tunell makes the check out to the victim, mails it to her family, and the money is deposited in a scholarship fund.
The family has taken him to court four times for failure to comply. After the most recent appearance, Tunell spent thirty days in jail. He insists that he's not defying the order but rather is haunted by the girl's death and tormented by the reminders. He offered the family two boxes of checks covering the payments until the year 2001, one year more than required. They refused. It's not money they seek, but penance.
Quoting the mother, 'We want to receive the check every week on time. He must understand we are going to pursue this until August of the year 2000. We will go back to court every month if we have to.'
Few would question the anger of the family. Only the naive would think it fair to leave the guilty unpunished. But I do have one concern. Is 936 payments enough? Not for Tunell to send, mind you, but for the family to demand? When they receive the final payment, will they be at peace? In August 2000, will the family be able to put the matter to rest? Is eighteen years' worth of restitution sufficient? Will 196 months' worth of remorse be adequate?
How much is enough? Were you in the family and were Tunell your target, how many payments would you require? Better stated, how many payments do you require?
No on - I repeat, no one - makes it through life free of injury. Someone somewhere has hurt you. Like the eighteen-year-old, you've been a victim. She died because someone drank too much. Part of you has died because someone spoke too much, demanded too much, and neglected too much. Everyone gets wounded; hence everyone must decide: how many payments will I demand? We may not require that the offender write checks, but we have other ways of settling the score.
Silence is a popular technique. (Ignore them when they speak.) Distance is equally effective. (When they come your way, walk the other.) Nagging is a third tool for revenge. ("Oh, I see you still have fingers on your hand. Funny you never use them to dial my number." "Oh, Joe, nice of you to drop in on us unpromoted peons.")
Amazing how creative we can be at getting even. If I can soil one evening, spoil one day, foil one Friday, then justice is served and I'm content.
For now. Until I think of you again. Until I see you again. Until something happens that brings to mind the deed you did, then I'll demand another check. I'm not about to let you heal before I do. As long as I suffer, you suffer. As long as I hurt, you hurt. You cut me, and I'm going to make you feel bad as long as I bleed, even if I have to reopen the wound myself."
Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ."
I had spent like 30 minutes typing a blog earlier today and it wouldn't post and it didn't save but like 4% of it! So I decided to scratch that idea and start with a new one. I went home and took a 30 minute rest, which did me good. My doctor put me on a different medication, one I've used in the past but the milligrams were too strong when I took it 3 years ago, it's working like a charm this time. I've noticed a big difference in being able to get up and going in the mornings. I sleep much better too.
So I really don't go into much detail about my personal life and relationships on this blogspot b/c whatever you put out on the internet...is there for the whole world to see. And I really don't care too much about airing out my dirty draws (as my daddy calls underwear). I will say that my behavior toward a particular person in my life has been shameful. I have acted like a brat who hasn't gotten her way and so I'm sulking and pouting. God has truly shown Himself to me this week. The church I attend in Memphis, White Station Baptist, started Experiencing God on Wednesday nights last week. (I've done the study before with Long Heights Baptist, 2002) That study has changed my life this week!!! And it shows b/c of what I have to do to reconcile my behavior with this person. They may not accept that I'm apologizing but forgiveness is for you, not for the other person actually.
So I was reading a tiny little book by Kenneth Hagin, Right and Wrong Thinking. The following describes perfectly why I choose to recognize my behavior as wrong and unbecoming of a believer in Christ. "When people confess their lack, they build a sense of lack and inadequacy into themselves, and then these deficiencies gain the ascendancy in their lives. But Jesus is our Lord, and if we hold fast to the confession of His Lordship, then Jesus will gain the ascendancy in our lives and lead us into success. We shall never rise above our confessions. The confessions of a believer's lips that have grown out of faith in his heart will absolutely beat the devil in every combat. However, if a believer does not believe in his heart the confessions his lips are making, these confessions will not work. And if he confesses Satan's ability to hinder him and to keep him from success, Satan will gain dominion over him. But Colossians 2:15 says, 'And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.' If Christ defeated the devil for us, then why does the devil do so many things against us? Why does he dominate people? Because people allow him to!"
The following scripture spoken from Jesus should convince us of the reason we should turn from sin and seek our Father's approval all the time. From John 8:31-38, "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' They answered him, 'We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?' Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever, the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father'."
The next piece I'm about to share with you is lengthy but it makes complete sense. Many of us have such a problem with unforgiving. We think that it serves us well to continue being bitter, angry, hurt, disappointed, or even allowing hatred to permeate our soul. It is sin! Plain and simple and God cannot, will not bless us if we continue to harbor these emotions in our hearts and souls toward another person. God understands these emotions and He doesn't tell us we can't feel the hurt and pain, it does matter to Him. What He warns us against is allowing these feelings to turn and cause the unforgiveness that is sin. Allow Max Lucado to finish today's blog out with his words. I'll warn you now, when you are finished reading this....you won't want to continue to be so bitter! Give it to God, I did this afternoon, bawled my eyes out for 20 minutes - almost needing to get into an altar to pray b/c my behavior associated with the unforgiveness has been so shameful. Don't continue to allow satan to win his battle against you. Forgive, give it to God, and it will set you free indeed!
In the Grip of Grace, chapter titled "The Heaviness of Hatred":
"Each week Kevin Tunell is required to mail a dollar to a family he'd rather forget. They sued him for $1.5 million but settled for $936, to be paid a dollar at a time. The family expects the payment each Friday so Tunell won't forget what happened on the first Friday of 1982.
That's the day their daughter was killed. Tunell was convicted of manslaughter and drunken driving. He was seventeen. She was eighteen. Tunell served a court sentence. He also spent seven years campaigning against drunk driving, six years more than his sentence required. But he keeps forgetting to send the dollar.
The weekly restitution is to last until the year 2000. Eighteen years. Tunell makes the check out to the victim, mails it to her family, and the money is deposited in a scholarship fund.
The family has taken him to court four times for failure to comply. After the most recent appearance, Tunell spent thirty days in jail. He insists that he's not defying the order but rather is haunted by the girl's death and tormented by the reminders. He offered the family two boxes of checks covering the payments until the year 2001, one year more than required. They refused. It's not money they seek, but penance.
Quoting the mother, 'We want to receive the check every week on time. He must understand we are going to pursue this until August of the year 2000. We will go back to court every month if we have to.'
Few would question the anger of the family. Only the naive would think it fair to leave the guilty unpunished. But I do have one concern. Is 936 payments enough? Not for Tunell to send, mind you, but for the family to demand? When they receive the final payment, will they be at peace? In August 2000, will the family be able to put the matter to rest? Is eighteen years' worth of restitution sufficient? Will 196 months' worth of remorse be adequate?
How much is enough? Were you in the family and were Tunell your target, how many payments would you require? Better stated, how many payments do you require?
No on - I repeat, no one - makes it through life free of injury. Someone somewhere has hurt you. Like the eighteen-year-old, you've been a victim. She died because someone drank too much. Part of you has died because someone spoke too much, demanded too much, and neglected too much. Everyone gets wounded; hence everyone must decide: how many payments will I demand? We may not require that the offender write checks, but we have other ways of settling the score.
Silence is a popular technique. (Ignore them when they speak.) Distance is equally effective. (When they come your way, walk the other.) Nagging is a third tool for revenge. ("Oh, I see you still have fingers on your hand. Funny you never use them to dial my number." "Oh, Joe, nice of you to drop in on us unpromoted peons.")
Amazing how creative we can be at getting even. If I can soil one evening, spoil one day, foil one Friday, then justice is served and I'm content.
For now. Until I think of you again. Until I see you again. Until something happens that brings to mind the deed you did, then I'll demand another check. I'm not about to let you heal before I do. As long as I suffer, you suffer. As long as I hurt, you hurt. You cut me, and I'm going to make you feel bad as long as I bleed, even if I have to reopen the wound myself."
Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ."
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Praising Him in the rain! (literally)
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Today was just one of those wonderful, I can't believe what I did days! I got up and knew it was going to be raining soon so I got dressed to do my 3 mile walk. By the time I got started with my walk it was drizzling but it was okay, I had my ball cap on and my Cowboys (Dallas) wind-rain pullover on. About halfway through my walk the rain was steady and my wind breaker is no longer keeping me dry. I am soaked to the bone and rain is dripping from my ball cap. It felt exhilarating! I kept thinking about how life giving rain truly is and I just worshipped God the rest of my walk. When I got home, I was ready to shout!!!!!
My quiet time today focused on worship. And I was challenged by the devotion I'm reading to sing a song of praise to God when I was finished with my reading. Daniel Doss Band's "Blessed is the One" is what I choose and I replayed it another time. The devotional I'm reading is by Rebecca St. James and it is titled, Pure. The scripture verse for today came from Psalm 66:1-4. "Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is. Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power. Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs'."
Have you ever just thought about how glorious the praise of heaven will be like? How loud it will be? Not noisy loud, just the volume of all creation praising God's name. It takes my breath away thinking about being in His throne room singing to Him. Yet we can come before Him every day and sing praises to Him and join with creation in praising how mighty He is right now. I use to sing really well but cheerleading ruined my singing voice when I was in 10th grade. (Lost my voice at cheer camp that summer and when my vocals returned 3 days later my voice was deeper.) So now when I sing I don't feel adequate enough but that's okay my heart is toward worshipping God and that's all that matters to Him. Sing praise to Him, He deserves all of it and more.
Rebecca St. James shared in today's devotion titled "Called to Worship" about her definition of worship. "I believe worship is the greatest thing we can do here on earth.... Worship is our calling; it's what we're created to do. ......There is such a need for it today. I define worship simply as our love response to God's love for us. When we express our love to God, when we open ourselves up to the reality of how much He truly loves us, living radically for Him simply becomes a natural lifestyle. It's so much more than going through the motions and just going to church on Sunday and Wednesday and saying, 'I'm a Christian.' It's living for God 24-7. .... To worship God is to be overwhelmed by His greatness and glory." She then goes on to ask questions in the Living It Out section. "What kind of worship is appropriate for you to bring to God today? Joyful exuberance, thankful devotion, humble adoration, or reverent silence? God will delight in any of these offerings from your lips and from your heart. Think about who He is. Praise Him for His faithfulness and constancy. Praise Him for His creations and for His blessings in your life. Then sing a worship song to Him." Seriously, try it....think of your favorite praise song, worship song, or hymn and just belt it out to the One who created you to sing it to Him. I took my walk in the rain before I did my quiet time so I just had a double blessing this morning!!
God is so amazing how He takes the every day little things in our life and reveals how truly great He is. I've been petitioning Him about a specific topic lately and though my patience has endured, I'm growing very impatient but lately He has helped me through the frustration of the request. God prepares us before He gives us the blessing or fulfills the request we're asking for. God also asks for our exhortation, encouragement, and prayer. Philippians 4:4-9 says this about those 3 subjects, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." ESV
Today was just one of those wonderful, I can't believe what I did days! I got up and knew it was going to be raining soon so I got dressed to do my 3 mile walk. By the time I got started with my walk it was drizzling but it was okay, I had my ball cap on and my Cowboys (Dallas) wind-rain pullover on. About halfway through my walk the rain was steady and my wind breaker is no longer keeping me dry. I am soaked to the bone and rain is dripping from my ball cap. It felt exhilarating! I kept thinking about how life giving rain truly is and I just worshipped God the rest of my walk. When I got home, I was ready to shout!!!!!
My quiet time today focused on worship. And I was challenged by the devotion I'm reading to sing a song of praise to God when I was finished with my reading. Daniel Doss Band's "Blessed is the One" is what I choose and I replayed it another time. The devotional I'm reading is by Rebecca St. James and it is titled, Pure. The scripture verse for today came from Psalm 66:1-4. "Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is. Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power. Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs'."
Have you ever just thought about how glorious the praise of heaven will be like? How loud it will be? Not noisy loud, just the volume of all creation praising God's name. It takes my breath away thinking about being in His throne room singing to Him. Yet we can come before Him every day and sing praises to Him and join with creation in praising how mighty He is right now. I use to sing really well but cheerleading ruined my singing voice when I was in 10th grade. (Lost my voice at cheer camp that summer and when my vocals returned 3 days later my voice was deeper.) So now when I sing I don't feel adequate enough but that's okay my heart is toward worshipping God and that's all that matters to Him. Sing praise to Him, He deserves all of it and more.
Rebecca St. James shared in today's devotion titled "Called to Worship" about her definition of worship. "I believe worship is the greatest thing we can do here on earth.... Worship is our calling; it's what we're created to do. ......There is such a need for it today. I define worship simply as our love response to God's love for us. When we express our love to God, when we open ourselves up to the reality of how much He truly loves us, living radically for Him simply becomes a natural lifestyle. It's so much more than going through the motions and just going to church on Sunday and Wednesday and saying, 'I'm a Christian.' It's living for God 24-7. .... To worship God is to be overwhelmed by His greatness and glory." She then goes on to ask questions in the Living It Out section. "What kind of worship is appropriate for you to bring to God today? Joyful exuberance, thankful devotion, humble adoration, or reverent silence? God will delight in any of these offerings from your lips and from your heart. Think about who He is. Praise Him for His faithfulness and constancy. Praise Him for His creations and for His blessings in your life. Then sing a worship song to Him." Seriously, try it....think of your favorite praise song, worship song, or hymn and just belt it out to the One who created you to sing it to Him. I took my walk in the rain before I did my quiet time so I just had a double blessing this morning!!
God is so amazing how He takes the every day little things in our life and reveals how truly great He is. I've been petitioning Him about a specific topic lately and though my patience has endured, I'm growing very impatient but lately He has helped me through the frustration of the request. God prepares us before He gives us the blessing or fulfills the request we're asking for. God also asks for our exhortation, encouragement, and prayer. Philippians 4:4-9 says this about those 3 subjects, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." ESV
Monday, October 12, 2009
Is Your Journey a Sprint or a Marathon?
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Today I was finally able to meet with an advisor who was able to give me "the plan". "The plan" being how many credit hours I need to finish and what courses I lack in order to complete the degree. We are still waiting for official transcripts from 2 online colleges I took courses with so the numbers will have to "add up" after they "officially" receive those. We are able to use the unofficial transcripts to do figuring but I have until November 9th b/c that is the day I can register for spring semester.
So I was a little disappointed today to learn that I would have to really buckle down even both terms this summer (I was planning on attending only 1 summer session) in order to finish by December 2010. Then I thought about it for a minute and it dawned on me that I don't have to rush this process. I need to enjoy this journey and take time to smell the flowers as I go along. How many of us rush around in our life and never enjoy the journey? God didn't intend for us to live our life in a constant "I wish" or "when I get .... done" mode.
Billy Graham, probably the most influential evangelist of our time, wrote a book titled The Journey (cool how I thought of my university experience as a journey) and he states, "The journey God has given us isn't a sprint but a marathon." The message of this book is "How to live by faith in an uncertain world". The chapter titled "The Long Haul" has the comparisons of a sprint runner and a marathon runner. Allow me to share this with you from the book. "A sprint is very different from a marathon. A sprint covers only a short distance and lasts just a few seconds, while a marathon covers miles and may last for hours. But the difference isn't only one of distance or time; it is also in the amount of stamina they require from each runner. The runner in a sprint race - a 100-yard dash, for example, or a 200-meter race - pours all of his energy into those few seconds of intense activity, crossing the finish line drained and exhausted. If he had to run another 100 yards or 200 meters, he might collapse, or at least he would slow down dramatically. The marathon runner, on the other hand, carefully paces himself, not using up all his energy in the early part of the race but measuring it out, maintaining a steady rate of speed as long as possible. ......This comparison with the Christian's journey through life isn't exact, of course. We never know, for example, how long our personal journey will last; God may take you home to heaven tomorrow. The marathon runner also trains extensively (often for years) before he enters his first race. We, on the other hand, are already in the midst of the race, learning as we go along and continually drawing strength from the resources God gives us. And, unlike the runner, we do not know in advance exactly what course the path may take - although we have no doubt about the final goal."
I'd like to remind you also that God wants us to ask Him for what we need in this journey. I came across Matthew 7:7-11 this morning during my quiet time and I rejoice that my heavenly Father wants to give me good things and to enjoy the journey is part of those good things. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
Thirteen years ago, life for me was just beginning, I was a newlywed (2 years) and our marriage had started to reach a new level of intimacy. My husband, Keith, adored me and our baby girl, Hannah. I couldn't believe that I was married and a mother at the age of 20, but as a teenager all I could dream about was having a family. I never had grand dreams of being a career woman (though I did have a goal of being President of the United States) or just HAVING to HAVE a college degree right away. After high school, I followed the journey my heart desired and God blessed me in so many ways. Don't get me wrong continuing my education was important to me, I did eventually start it. I just wanted what my heart wanted and God gave it to me. Many of you do know the tragedy that occurred 12/18/96 and you also know that God changed me in many ways b/c of the loss that was endured. My life would never be the same after those few cold days in December. The year that followed taught me more about myself than any other of my 34 years. I grew up alot in that year. I finally realized that the blazing sun that shined brightly during the day was the center of our universe, not me. Yeah, that's a sad reality to state but it is the truth and it took Keith's death to teach me many lessons about my continuing journey. God has a way of dealing with whatever it is that keeps you from His best for you. This is a daily lesson in reality for me. We have to be willing to lace up our running shoes, take in God's Word daily like putting those ear buds in our ears from our MP3 player for our run, and keep pace in life just as you pace yourself during a run/jog/walk. Make sure to allow your Creator to hold the map of your life b/c He designed it and knows what's best for you. May we be found ready and trained, training daily for our journey.
Today I was finally able to meet with an advisor who was able to give me "the plan". "The plan" being how many credit hours I need to finish and what courses I lack in order to complete the degree. We are still waiting for official transcripts from 2 online colleges I took courses with so the numbers will have to "add up" after they "officially" receive those. We are able to use the unofficial transcripts to do figuring but I have until November 9th b/c that is the day I can register for spring semester.
So I was a little disappointed today to learn that I would have to really buckle down even both terms this summer (I was planning on attending only 1 summer session) in order to finish by December 2010. Then I thought about it for a minute and it dawned on me that I don't have to rush this process. I need to enjoy this journey and take time to smell the flowers as I go along. How many of us rush around in our life and never enjoy the journey? God didn't intend for us to live our life in a constant "I wish" or "when I get .... done" mode.
Billy Graham, probably the most influential evangelist of our time, wrote a book titled The Journey (cool how I thought of my university experience as a journey) and he states, "The journey God has given us isn't a sprint but a marathon." The message of this book is "How to live by faith in an uncertain world". The chapter titled "The Long Haul" has the comparisons of a sprint runner and a marathon runner. Allow me to share this with you from the book. "A sprint is very different from a marathon. A sprint covers only a short distance and lasts just a few seconds, while a marathon covers miles and may last for hours. But the difference isn't only one of distance or time; it is also in the amount of stamina they require from each runner. The runner in a sprint race - a 100-yard dash, for example, or a 200-meter race - pours all of his energy into those few seconds of intense activity, crossing the finish line drained and exhausted. If he had to run another 100 yards or 200 meters, he might collapse, or at least he would slow down dramatically. The marathon runner, on the other hand, carefully paces himself, not using up all his energy in the early part of the race but measuring it out, maintaining a steady rate of speed as long as possible. ......This comparison with the Christian's journey through life isn't exact, of course. We never know, for example, how long our personal journey will last; God may take you home to heaven tomorrow. The marathon runner also trains extensively (often for years) before he enters his first race. We, on the other hand, are already in the midst of the race, learning as we go along and continually drawing strength from the resources God gives us. And, unlike the runner, we do not know in advance exactly what course the path may take - although we have no doubt about the final goal."
I'd like to remind you also that God wants us to ask Him for what we need in this journey. I came across Matthew 7:7-11 this morning during my quiet time and I rejoice that my heavenly Father wants to give me good things and to enjoy the journey is part of those good things. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
Thirteen years ago, life for me was just beginning, I was a newlywed (2 years) and our marriage had started to reach a new level of intimacy. My husband, Keith, adored me and our baby girl, Hannah. I couldn't believe that I was married and a mother at the age of 20, but as a teenager all I could dream about was having a family. I never had grand dreams of being a career woman (though I did have a goal of being President of the United States) or just HAVING to HAVE a college degree right away. After high school, I followed the journey my heart desired and God blessed me in so many ways. Don't get me wrong continuing my education was important to me, I did eventually start it. I just wanted what my heart wanted and God gave it to me. Many of you do know the tragedy that occurred 12/18/96 and you also know that God changed me in many ways b/c of the loss that was endured. My life would never be the same after those few cold days in December. The year that followed taught me more about myself than any other of my 34 years. I grew up alot in that year. I finally realized that the blazing sun that shined brightly during the day was the center of our universe, not me. Yeah, that's a sad reality to state but it is the truth and it took Keith's death to teach me many lessons about my continuing journey. God has a way of dealing with whatever it is that keeps you from His best for you. This is a daily lesson in reality for me. We have to be willing to lace up our running shoes, take in God's Word daily like putting those ear buds in our ears from our MP3 player for our run, and keep pace in life just as you pace yourself during a run/jog/walk. Make sure to allow your Creator to hold the map of your life b/c He designed it and knows what's best for you. May we be found ready and trained, training daily for our journey.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Family reunions, popping rocks, and the wonderful "man" God gave me in my son.
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Tonight at Bible study we went over the Psalm of Integrity, Psalm 101. I'm telling you I really needed this lesson which was titled Steadfast Integrity. Integrity means quality or state of being complete or undivided. And steadfast means not changing. How many of you would've liked hearing a lesson about this? God has shown me so much about myself since I've been able to focus more on His will rather than "His will FOR MY LIFE". What does God's will have to do with steadfast integrity? Well in verse 3, "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless." And the words I will literally mean a choice, I decide. You can't make someone a person of integrity it is a choice. Doing God's will is a choice as well, God doesn't make us choose what He chooses but He rather gives us the choice.
Let's take a closer look at verse 3. First, real integrity is recognizing who we are and making a choice. A synonym for integrity is purity. Integrity and purity are personal matters. As in verse 3 you cannot relax your standards. If something worthless is set before you, you have a choice to turn away or dwell on it.
Proverbs 22:1 (on a side note is the Bible verse for the meaning of my name, Billie)"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold." The question was asked, what do you need to do to clean up your lifestyle before Christ comes? (meaning the second coming of Christ) This question is aimed at believers not non-believers b/c as lost people you don't get "cleaned up" and then come to Christ. Come as you are and He will do the cleaning. But the question was aimed at born again Christians to get us meditating on our behavior. What do people think of when they say or think of your name? Are you a person of integrity?
My favorite Psalm is 119, from verses 33-37, "Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it." Looking at these 5 verses we should pray, Dear God, merciful Lord...please look at my heart, examine it in all the dark, hidden places You know about and show me how to change what is wrong. Father God I will choose to be a person of integrity. Thank You for what You are going to do. Make these verses of Psalm 119 my mantra every day. AMEN
On a note of integrity, I was in my hometown this weekend to visit my children and go to a family reunion. We play BINGO and win prizes for fun at the reunion every year. Everyone loves it, young and old, boy and girl. Many of the kids had won popping rocks, the firecracker type pods that you throw on the ground and they explode into a faint "pop" sound. So the kids went out on my grandmother's front porch to play with their wonderfully won prizes. My 9 year old son starts to realize that the paper from these pods are making a mess. And I was so proud when he turned to me and said, "Momma, when we're finished playing with these we need to get a broom and clean our mess up." He is so thoughtful too. One time when he won BINGO, instead of getting something for himself he choose a thoughtful gift for grandmother, which is his great grandmother. I pray my absence from my children is temporary. I am so thankful that I raised them properly and God gives me little nuggets of how I did raising them up in Him is translating into my children's lives. My Bryce will grow up to be such a wonderful man and an outstanding husband. That makes a mother's heart flutter when God shows her a vision of a man in her 9 year old son. My daughters are wonderful in their unique ways as well. I just had to brag about Bryce b/c of the events of this weekend.
God is doing some amazing miracles in my life. I wake up each morning with an expectation beyond my wildest dreams. Life isn't always peaches, come on, I live with my mother and I'm 34! I just know that I'm right where I need to be, exactly where my heavenly Father wants me. I'm learning NOT to ask God to put me in His will for my life rather I ask God for His will - period.
Tonight at Bible study we went over the Psalm of Integrity, Psalm 101. I'm telling you I really needed this lesson which was titled Steadfast Integrity. Integrity means quality or state of being complete or undivided. And steadfast means not changing. How many of you would've liked hearing a lesson about this? God has shown me so much about myself since I've been able to focus more on His will rather than "His will FOR MY LIFE". What does God's will have to do with steadfast integrity? Well in verse 3, "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless." And the words I will literally mean a choice, I decide. You can't make someone a person of integrity it is a choice. Doing God's will is a choice as well, God doesn't make us choose what He chooses but He rather gives us the choice.
Let's take a closer look at verse 3. First, real integrity is recognizing who we are and making a choice. A synonym for integrity is purity. Integrity and purity are personal matters. As in verse 3 you cannot relax your standards. If something worthless is set before you, you have a choice to turn away or dwell on it.
Proverbs 22:1 (on a side note is the Bible verse for the meaning of my name, Billie)"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold." The question was asked, what do you need to do to clean up your lifestyle before Christ comes? (meaning the second coming of Christ) This question is aimed at believers not non-believers b/c as lost people you don't get "cleaned up" and then come to Christ. Come as you are and He will do the cleaning. But the question was aimed at born again Christians to get us meditating on our behavior. What do people think of when they say or think of your name? Are you a person of integrity?
My favorite Psalm is 119, from verses 33-37, "Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it." Looking at these 5 verses we should pray, Dear God, merciful Lord...please look at my heart, examine it in all the dark, hidden places You know about and show me how to change what is wrong. Father God I will choose to be a person of integrity. Thank You for what You are going to do. Make these verses of Psalm 119 my mantra every day. AMEN
On a note of integrity, I was in my hometown this weekend to visit my children and go to a family reunion. We play BINGO and win prizes for fun at the reunion every year. Everyone loves it, young and old, boy and girl. Many of the kids had won popping rocks, the firecracker type pods that you throw on the ground and they explode into a faint "pop" sound. So the kids went out on my grandmother's front porch to play with their wonderfully won prizes. My 9 year old son starts to realize that the paper from these pods are making a mess. And I was so proud when he turned to me and said, "Momma, when we're finished playing with these we need to get a broom and clean our mess up." He is so thoughtful too. One time when he won BINGO, instead of getting something for himself he choose a thoughtful gift for grandmother, which is his great grandmother. I pray my absence from my children is temporary. I am so thankful that I raised them properly and God gives me little nuggets of how I did raising them up in Him is translating into my children's lives. My Bryce will grow up to be such a wonderful man and an outstanding husband. That makes a mother's heart flutter when God shows her a vision of a man in her 9 year old son. My daughters are wonderful in their unique ways as well. I just had to brag about Bryce b/c of the events of this weekend.
God is doing some amazing miracles in my life. I wake up each morning with an expectation beyond my wildest dreams. Life isn't always peaches, come on, I live with my mother and I'm 34! I just know that I'm right where I need to be, exactly where my heavenly Father wants me. I'm learning NOT to ask God to put me in His will for my life rather I ask God for His will - period.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
I'm finally taking a vacation!
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
This fall weather is wonderful. Fall has always been my favorite season for a number of reasons, one of which is football! I absolutely love football and it comes from years of watching it as a child and teenager with my daddy.
So I've been invited to go see a friend in Colorado and my doctor did tell me to take a much needed break and go somewhere. So my flight is booked and I'm going during my fall break from school. This particular friend was there for me when "the rug was pulled out from under me" last winter. He always knew how to make me laugh and try to forget about my current circumstance, even if just for a moment. And recently as I prayed about taking the trip God gave me permission but also gave me instructions. My friend doesn't attend church and his lifestyle would indicate that he doesn't have a personal relationship with the Lord. He may and it just doesn't show. I mean how many time have you or I lived our life in a way that others certainly wouldn't consider us Christians? So I don't judge my friend, I pray for him often. And God's instructions were for me to go and enjoy the scenery and my friend's company but to witness to him.
In Philemon, Paul and Timothy write "I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ." Philemon, verses 4-6 My young pastor at White Station Baptist has preached and preached, talked and discussed with us as members to be witnesses. Going out every day of our lives and witnessing to people who do not know the Lord. Are you? I know I could do so much more than my lazy self has been doing. I've even been asked by that same pastor to start a college/singles group. One of my gifts is that I never meet a stranger and I have no problem approaching people.
So my question to you is this, are you witnessing for Christ and are you using your gifts and talents for the glory of God? I'm excited about my trip to see the Rocky Mountains and anxious because I want my friend to truly understand why I live a life of purity. I want him to meet my best friend, Jesus Christ. If I'm a true friend to my friend in Colorado I'll introduce him to Christ and won't be able to wait to do the introductions.
Please pray for me as I ask God to make my life a bolder testimony for Him. And that I will not be ashamed to share my faith with people I meet every day. God is already molding me and making me into the person He would have me be for His glory. Now He is equipping me with the tools I need to get this done.
This fall weather is wonderful. Fall has always been my favorite season for a number of reasons, one of which is football! I absolutely love football and it comes from years of watching it as a child and teenager with my daddy.
So I've been invited to go see a friend in Colorado and my doctor did tell me to take a much needed break and go somewhere. So my flight is booked and I'm going during my fall break from school. This particular friend was there for me when "the rug was pulled out from under me" last winter. He always knew how to make me laugh and try to forget about my current circumstance, even if just for a moment. And recently as I prayed about taking the trip God gave me permission but also gave me instructions. My friend doesn't attend church and his lifestyle would indicate that he doesn't have a personal relationship with the Lord. He may and it just doesn't show. I mean how many time have you or I lived our life in a way that others certainly wouldn't consider us Christians? So I don't judge my friend, I pray for him often. And God's instructions were for me to go and enjoy the scenery and my friend's company but to witness to him.
In Philemon, Paul and Timothy write "I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ." Philemon, verses 4-6 My young pastor at White Station Baptist has preached and preached, talked and discussed with us as members to be witnesses. Going out every day of our lives and witnessing to people who do not know the Lord. Are you? I know I could do so much more than my lazy self has been doing. I've even been asked by that same pastor to start a college/singles group. One of my gifts is that I never meet a stranger and I have no problem approaching people.
So my question to you is this, are you witnessing for Christ and are you using your gifts and talents for the glory of God? I'm excited about my trip to see the Rocky Mountains and anxious because I want my friend to truly understand why I live a life of purity. I want him to meet my best friend, Jesus Christ. If I'm a true friend to my friend in Colorado I'll introduce him to Christ and won't be able to wait to do the introductions.
Please pray for me as I ask God to make my life a bolder testimony for Him. And that I will not be ashamed to share my faith with people I meet every day. God is already molding me and making me into the person He would have me be for His glory. Now He is equipping me with the tools I need to get this done.
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