As I was reading Isaiah this morning, I was reminded again about the deep, enduring love of God. Even though Israel messed up and God allowed them to suffer hardship for it, when they turned back to God, we was there with open arms and blessings followed. We see that all through scripture, like in the story of the prodigal son. The consistent current under it all is that blessings follow obedience.
Sometimes people live in very difficult circumstances. Physical and mental health issues, difficult living conditions, financial issues, children going through difficulties and I think, "Is it an obedience issue?" Many times it is. It often isn't a love of God issue. They may love God very much. They may pray and read their Bibles daily. But still they struggle. Often there are small compromises. They would appear small anyway, but have big consequences. So I ponder, "Is it worth it? Is it worth the little shortcuts to have to live like this?" Absolutely not. Are they happy? I can't imagine they would be. Is this God's will for them? No. "So why do people choose this, instead of choosing to do it God's way?"
I guess sometimes people don't know better. They have never experienced the joy and blessings that come from obedience because they didn't grow up obeying God and didn't have role models who obeyed God. Sometimes I think it is a selfish choice. People often wonder about their difficulties. I don't think it's always a selfish choice necessarily. Sometimes the enemy messes with us just to throw us off-track and God uses those times to grow and strengthen us. Sometimes we just need discipline to get to where we should be.
Anyway, I must get moving this morning. Blessings to you on this great, sunny Thursday!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Remodel Update
Today we get some trim around our windows, maybe our whole house fan installed. Last night our contractor and our cabinet guy came over and for a couple of hours we went over the kitchen. I have permanent marker on my floor and wall! I guess tht means I don't have to clean the floor anymore? Yeah, right.
I had a bad dream last night. Really weird. Part of it was that my car was stolen. Then a mattress that is in our garage was put by our front door and there were 3 men and a lady in our garage, looking like they were trying to steal something. Then I was driving around a nice part of Modesto (a nearby larger city) looking for my car and saw that many of the homes were burned down. There were teenage girls dressed up as witches for Halloween, lots of cats and kittens, torches, lawn gnomes, fire pits, etc. It look really bad. Not really evil-scarry bad, but like they were buying into lies and enjoying themselves bad, like they didn't know they shouldn't be playing around with that stuff.
Greg said he can't tell when I cut off from reporting on a book and start writing my own thoughts again. I went back to yesterday's blog and made the distinction. Hope that helps. Blessings on this lovely Tuesday!
I had a bad dream last night. Really weird. Part of it was that my car was stolen. Then a mattress that is in our garage was put by our front door and there were 3 men and a lady in our garage, looking like they were trying to steal something. Then I was driving around a nice part of Modesto (a nearby larger city) looking for my car and saw that many of the homes were burned down. There were teenage girls dressed up as witches for Halloween, lots of cats and kittens, torches, lawn gnomes, fire pits, etc. It look really bad. Not really evil-scarry bad, but like they were buying into lies and enjoying themselves bad, like they didn't know they shouldn't be playing around with that stuff.
Greg said he can't tell when I cut off from reporting on a book and start writing my own thoughts again. I went back to yesterday's blog and made the distinction. Hope that helps. Blessings on this lovely Tuesday!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Choices
I thought I would share another great bit of wisdom from Erwin McManus' Wide Awake.
If you're going to create the life of your dreams, if you're going to discover the life God created you to live, you have to learn how to say no to all the other options. And the tough choices aren't between good and evil, but between all the equally good options out there that are simply not the right paths for you. You have to allow even beautiful dreams to die when they are not supposed to be yours. To make even one dream come to reality, many other dreams have to be sacrificed on the altar of your imagination.
That really struck me. I was thinking how many options we truly have, how many opportunities we have as Americans, to make our dreams come true. We can rush in and do whatever we want, or take the more patient, mature approach and pray, asking God to reveal to us His dream for our lives. Are we patient enough to wait for that one, customized, perfectly fit, just for us dream? It may take years. It may take decades. Can you wait for the sweetest passion and purpose you have ever known? Are you willing to put the hours in praying about it? Are you willing to spend time, being still and waiting for God's still, small voice to whisper his call in your ear?
The result certainly beats the fast food approach to living for God. "I'll have a #1 Typical Ministry, a large cup of recognition, and a side order of prayer, please." I think what God is serving is "Welcome to my table. I've prepared a beautiful feast for you, but it will take time to cook. Please, sit for awhile at my feet. I will start you off with some appetizers. They are the glimpses of what will be. They will be small seeds of passion rooted deep within you, so that when I call you, you will recognize what I have for you to do. Drink of my character. You may find the cup of lessons bitter at first, but they are necessary to make you more like Christ and prepare you for the meal. I will serve you appetizers of physical and emotional pain, of wrong accusations and punishment, of loss, all necessary so you can appreciate and understand what Christ went through. You will look over my table at the empty dishes and see how carefully I have chosen each part of the meal for you in preparation of your call. You will remember how each one tasted. You will see how each one gave you strength. There will be a time of waiting for the main course.
You will wonder, "Is this all there is? It was good, but there must be more." Finally, when I know you're ready to receive it, I will call you. The aroma will almost knock you over. Your head will spin. You will question, "For me? This is too great for me. Are you sure?" You will weep.
"Yes, I'm sure, my good and faithful servant. I have prepared this especially for you. You desire it because I have put the passion you require to do it in you already. Enjoy. It will take much work to eat of this, but with my strength, you are able. Be faithful. Eat the entire meal, do not quit before it is time."
Our stomachs will be satisfied as we live our lives according to God's will and purpose for us. He will give us the strength and wisdom we need to fulfil His call. We will have joy abounding. Invest in the meal.
Blessings on this gorgeous Monday!
If you're going to create the life of your dreams, if you're going to discover the life God created you to live, you have to learn how to say no to all the other options. And the tough choices aren't between good and evil, but between all the equally good options out there that are simply not the right paths for you. You have to allow even beautiful dreams to die when they are not supposed to be yours. To make even one dream come to reality, many other dreams have to be sacrificed on the altar of your imagination.
That really struck me. I was thinking how many options we truly have, how many opportunities we have as Americans, to make our dreams come true. We can rush in and do whatever we want, or take the more patient, mature approach and pray, asking God to reveal to us His dream for our lives. Are we patient enough to wait for that one, customized, perfectly fit, just for us dream? It may take years. It may take decades. Can you wait for the sweetest passion and purpose you have ever known? Are you willing to put the hours in praying about it? Are you willing to spend time, being still and waiting for God's still, small voice to whisper his call in your ear?
The result certainly beats the fast food approach to living for God. "I'll have a #1 Typical Ministry, a large cup of recognition, and a side order of prayer, please." I think what God is serving is "Welcome to my table. I've prepared a beautiful feast for you, but it will take time to cook. Please, sit for awhile at my feet. I will start you off with some appetizers. They are the glimpses of what will be. They will be small seeds of passion rooted deep within you, so that when I call you, you will recognize what I have for you to do. Drink of my character. You may find the cup of lessons bitter at first, but they are necessary to make you more like Christ and prepare you for the meal. I will serve you appetizers of physical and emotional pain, of wrong accusations and punishment, of loss, all necessary so you can appreciate and understand what Christ went through. You will look over my table at the empty dishes and see how carefully I have chosen each part of the meal for you in preparation of your call. You will remember how each one tasted. You will see how each one gave you strength. There will be a time of waiting for the main course.
You will wonder, "Is this all there is? It was good, but there must be more." Finally, when I know you're ready to receive it, I will call you. The aroma will almost knock you over. Your head will spin. You will question, "For me? This is too great for me. Are you sure?" You will weep.
"Yes, I'm sure, my good and faithful servant. I have prepared this especially for you. You desire it because I have put the passion you require to do it in you already. Enjoy. It will take much work to eat of this, but with my strength, you are able. Be faithful. Eat the entire meal, do not quit before it is time."
Our stomachs will be satisfied as we live our lives according to God's will and purpose for us. He will give us the strength and wisdom we need to fulfil His call. We will have joy abounding. Invest in the meal.
Blessings on this gorgeous Monday!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Red Hot Mama
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Okay, so I'm not a red hot mama, but Thursday I my arm felt like one! Greg asked me to have our custodian turn off a sprinkler valve at church because he knew it was full of red fire ants. I looked for the custodian but he left to get supplies. I took matters into my own hands, thinking, "I can do this!" I found a popcorn bag and donned it as a glove. Bravely I went out to the field, opened the valve cover, and reached it. It took about 3 tries to get it all the way turned off. Though there was now a hole in the bottom of the bag, I left unscathed, or so I thought. I shook the bag viciously to get a few straggling ants off. On the way back to the building I looked down and saw a red ant on my arm, all curled up, looking rather dead. I gave a little shriek and brushed it off. A few seconds later, that area started to burn and itch. Great, I thought. I went in to the office, washed my arm with soap and water, quickly consulted the Internet and my doctor's office and called Greg. The doctor's office said use hydrogen peroxide, the Internet said rubbing alcohol. I ran home and put the peroxide on it and it felt somewhat better. Over the course of Thursday it got red and swollen. Friday, a puss pocket formed. Greg insisted to popping it to get the poison out. His fire ant bites never did that though. He squeezed and out it came, and more hydrogen peroxide was applied. It became more swollen through Friday with a hard bump underneath and a scab finally forming. It looks better today, just a small red area with a scab. I learned my lesson. No more red ant nests for me!
This experience reminds me of the times when I've known better NOT to do something and went ahead and did it anyway and got burned in the process. Sometimes we need these little reminders, don't we?
Yesterday was a big day for us. Kristen got her driver's permit! Today is her first behind the wheel lesson. She's pretty nervous, but she'll do fine.
On the remodel side, we got windows yesterday!
Today we shop for the door handles and fans. I got he lights for the outside of the house yesterday. Wahoo! Next week, we demo the kitchen. Yikes!
Okay, so I'm not a red hot mama, but Thursday I my arm felt like one! Greg asked me to have our custodian turn off a sprinkler valve at church because he knew it was full of red fire ants. I looked for the custodian but he left to get supplies. I took matters into my own hands, thinking, "I can do this!" I found a popcorn bag and donned it as a glove. Bravely I went out to the field, opened the valve cover, and reached it. It took about 3 tries to get it all the way turned off. Though there was now a hole in the bottom of the bag, I left unscathed, or so I thought. I shook the bag viciously to get a few straggling ants off. On the way back to the building I looked down and saw a red ant on my arm, all curled up, looking rather dead. I gave a little shriek and brushed it off. A few seconds later, that area started to burn and itch. Great, I thought. I went in to the office, washed my arm with soap and water, quickly consulted the Internet and my doctor's office and called Greg. The doctor's office said use hydrogen peroxide, the Internet said rubbing alcohol. I ran home and put the peroxide on it and it felt somewhat better. Over the course of Thursday it got red and swollen. Friday, a puss pocket formed. Greg insisted to popping it to get the poison out. His fire ant bites never did that though. He squeezed and out it came, and more hydrogen peroxide was applied. It became more swollen through Friday with a hard bump underneath and a scab finally forming. It looks better today, just a small red area with a scab. I learned my lesson. No more red ant nests for me!
This experience reminds me of the times when I've known better NOT to do something and went ahead and did it anyway and got burned in the process. Sometimes we need these little reminders, don't we?
Yesterday was a big day for us. Kristen got her driver's permit! Today is her first behind the wheel lesson. She's pretty nervous, but she'll do fine.
On the remodel side, we got windows yesterday!
Today we shop for the door handles and fans. I got he lights for the outside of the house yesterday. Wahoo! Next week, we demo the kitchen. Yikes!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Why Don't You . . . (Continued)
I thought of a few more from the other day. Again, not judging, just giving my personal reasons for not doing some things. God made us all unique, you know!
Why don't you . . .
Drink Coffee?
1. Caffeine is a heart stimulant drug. It makes your heart beat faster, so more blood flows through your body, so more oxygen gets to your brain. This makes you more alert and awake, which are good things, but I think a better way is to get enough sleep and exercise, so you don't have to artificially stimulate your body to behave the way you want it to work.
2. Caffeine causes blood pressure to elevate.
3. It stains your teeth.
4. It makes your breath bad.
5. It costs money. Water is free.
6. It's a diuretic, draining your body of the natural fluids (water) that it needs. Like soda, for every cup you drink, you have to drink 2 cups of water to replace the water you've lost.
7. It's addictive.
Talk More?
1. You learn more by listening than by talking.
2. God made me this way, and he delights in me just the way I am.
3. I'm a contemplative, a deep thinker. It's hard to think one thing when your mouth is saying something else to be conversational.
4. I hate useless small talk.
5. I share more in discipleship relationships. That's when it's most effective.
6. The more you talk, the more likely you are to start talking about someone who isn't there, which can be gossip. I avoid gossip at all costs, and have been known to end a conversation and walk away when the conversation starts going in that direction.
Go to Women's Retreats?
1. It's too far away.
2. It costs more money than I want to spend.
3. I'd rather be home with my family.
4. I loose too much sleep.
5. I'd rather do a retreat with my family or my husband.
6. I haven't found one that feeds my soul enough for the number of hours I'm there, taken into the consideration I'm an intellectual type who loves to be mentally stimulated and grow.
Spend more time with friends?
1. I'm in preparation mode right now. The time will come, fast and furious.
That's good for now. I have a full day planned which includes shopping, a few appointments, and housework. Blessings on this gorgeous, sunny Friday. I just love California!
Why don't you . . .
Drink Coffee?
1. Caffeine is a heart stimulant drug. It makes your heart beat faster, so more blood flows through your body, so more oxygen gets to your brain. This makes you more alert and awake, which are good things, but I think a better way is to get enough sleep and exercise, so you don't have to artificially stimulate your body to behave the way you want it to work.
2. Caffeine causes blood pressure to elevate.
3. It stains your teeth.
4. It makes your breath bad.
5. It costs money. Water is free.
6. It's a diuretic, draining your body of the natural fluids (water) that it needs. Like soda, for every cup you drink, you have to drink 2 cups of water to replace the water you've lost.
7. It's addictive.
Talk More?
1. You learn more by listening than by talking.
2. God made me this way, and he delights in me just the way I am.
3. I'm a contemplative, a deep thinker. It's hard to think one thing when your mouth is saying something else to be conversational.
4. I hate useless small talk.
5. I share more in discipleship relationships. That's when it's most effective.
6. The more you talk, the more likely you are to start talking about someone who isn't there, which can be gossip. I avoid gossip at all costs, and have been known to end a conversation and walk away when the conversation starts going in that direction.
Go to Women's Retreats?
1. It's too far away.
2. It costs more money than I want to spend.
3. I'd rather be home with my family.
4. I loose too much sleep.
5. I'd rather do a retreat with my family or my husband.
6. I haven't found one that feeds my soul enough for the number of hours I'm there, taken into the consideration I'm an intellectual type who loves to be mentally stimulated and grow.
Spend more time with friends?
1. I'm in preparation mode right now. The time will come, fast and furious.
That's good for now. I have a full day planned which includes shopping, a few appointments, and housework. Blessings on this gorgeous, sunny Friday. I just love California!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
We've Got Doors!
Yesterday our doors were installed and the electrician came and started the wiring. Yes, that's plywood in front of the doors to keep the dogs from scratching the new doors. Casey got halfway over it last night. It's over 4'! Windows this week? Tearing out the kitchen wall next week? Wahoo!
I'd love to share more, but I'm running a little behind this morning and what I was going to share really doesn't go with doors! We'll try tomorrow. Blessings on this beautiful, warm (100) Thursday.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Why Don't You . . .
The Bible tells us to always be ready with an answer for why we believe. Good advice. It's also good to be ready with an answer to why we don't do certain things. Sharing all our beliefs with someone, whether it is why we do certain things, or why we don't do certain things, brings trust through our transparency. Often I've been asked why I don't do certain things, that are generally accepted things to do. Things the asker usually does. I thought I would share some of those with you today. Disclaimer: This isn't meant to judge anyone who does them, it's just my personal reasons for not doing them.
Why don't you . . .
Drink?
1. There is alcoholism in my family and I've seen the destruction of families that comes from it. Alcoholism is often genetic, and I'd rather not even find out if that is a potential addiction for me.
2. It kills brain cells.
3. It makes you say and do things you wouldn't normally say and do.
4. In my early 20's I drank socially on the weekends. Twice I lost control of my bladder. After having two kids, I don't even want to go there.
5. It's healthier and cheaper to drink water. I think God wanted the majority of our bodies to drink water. That's why we're made up of so much water and why there is so much water on the earth.
6. If you never start, you never have to stop.
Get a pedicure or manicure?
1. It costs money.
2. It costs time.
3. It risks infection.
4. If God wanted our toenails or fingernails to be red, he would have created them red. It's just not natural.
5. I'd rather be responsible for the health of my body, than to cover up unhealth.
6. 1 Peter 3:3-4.
7. I think it's a cultural fad or lie that will go away eventually, and I'm not buying into it.
8. Don't they look much worse when you decide not to anymore?
Eat shellfish?
1. Shell fish are bottom feeders. They eat the waste of other sea animals. Their livers are full of waste. I don't want to put that in my body.
2. You never know if you're allergic until you swallow.
3. It's usually the most expensive of seafood.
4. The Bible says to only eat fish of the sea with fins and scales. You can dispute that by saying that was old Testament, and Jesus came to get rid of the law. Many things in the old Testament are still good advice today, like washing.
Drink soda?
1. I have 6 porcelain veneers on my teeth. Brown sodas can stain. I paid good money for these!
2. Soda has absolutely no nutritional value.
3. Soda is the leading cause of obesity in America.
4. It costs money. Water is free.
5. The Navy uses diet Pepsi to clean barnacles off the bottoms of ships. Can you imagine what it does to the soft interior of your stomach? I know a lady who drank soda every day from 16-40. She had 2 holes in her stomach and kidney problems.
Gamble?
1. The Bible says ill-gotten gain is bad. It's basically trying to get money for not working for it.
2. It costs money.
3. Casinos are usually smoke infested and I don't like being around people who are drinking.
I think that's about all I can think of right now. Do you know your reasons for not doing the things that you don't do? Do you have concrete reasons, or is it fear? Food for thought!
Why don't you . . .
Drink?
1. There is alcoholism in my family and I've seen the destruction of families that comes from it. Alcoholism is often genetic, and I'd rather not even find out if that is a potential addiction for me.
2. It kills brain cells.
3. It makes you say and do things you wouldn't normally say and do.
4. In my early 20's I drank socially on the weekends. Twice I lost control of my bladder. After having two kids, I don't even want to go there.
5. It's healthier and cheaper to drink water. I think God wanted the majority of our bodies to drink water. That's why we're made up of so much water and why there is so much water on the earth.
6. If you never start, you never have to stop.
Get a pedicure or manicure?
1. It costs money.
2. It costs time.
3. It risks infection.
4. If God wanted our toenails or fingernails to be red, he would have created them red. It's just not natural.
5. I'd rather be responsible for the health of my body, than to cover up unhealth.
6. 1 Peter 3:3-4.
7. I think it's a cultural fad or lie that will go away eventually, and I'm not buying into it.
8. Don't they look much worse when you decide not to anymore?
Eat shellfish?
1. Shell fish are bottom feeders. They eat the waste of other sea animals. Their livers are full of waste. I don't want to put that in my body.
2. You never know if you're allergic until you swallow.
3. It's usually the most expensive of seafood.
4. The Bible says to only eat fish of the sea with fins and scales. You can dispute that by saying that was old Testament, and Jesus came to get rid of the law. Many things in the old Testament are still good advice today, like washing.
Drink soda?
1. I have 6 porcelain veneers on my teeth. Brown sodas can stain. I paid good money for these!
2. Soda has absolutely no nutritional value.
3. Soda is the leading cause of obesity in America.
4. It costs money. Water is free.
5. The Navy uses diet Pepsi to clean barnacles off the bottoms of ships. Can you imagine what it does to the soft interior of your stomach? I know a lady who drank soda every day from 16-40. She had 2 holes in her stomach and kidney problems.
Gamble?
1. The Bible says ill-gotten gain is bad. It's basically trying to get money for not working for it.
2. It costs money.
3. Casinos are usually smoke infested and I don't like being around people who are drinking.
I think that's about all I can think of right now. Do you know your reasons for not doing the things that you don't do? Do you have concrete reasons, or is it fear? Food for thought!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Get a Clue
I always know when God is speaking to me through Greg. He'll say something that is unlike our normal conversation, kind of like a, 'which one of these things doesn't belong' picture. But they do belong, don't they? We should constantly be looking for those things that God uses to speak to us. He uses the people in our lives, circumstances, Pastors, His Word, His whisper, and in those really cool instances, His audible voice. We should always be looking for those clues.
I'm not going to say what Greg said last night, but it was timely and put things in perspective for me. It shrunk me down to the little person I should be in relation to God's greatness. It wasn't condemning or anything close to it, but it made me see what Christ endured for us, and how easy we have it. It made me stop whining. I'm going to savor it for several days at least.
Another clue I got was this morning. Greg kissed me good-bye and said, 'Have a great quiet time today.' He says this sometimes. But today it stood out. I had planned to exercise this morning, but in light of what he said, I decided to allow for extra time with God. As a result, He gave me two excellent passages that helped me even further. I was able to put more in perspective and be encouraged. I was validated and felt God was empathizing with me.
Be watchful. Expect God in everything, throughout your day. Blessings on this awesome Tuesday!
I'm not going to say what Greg said last night, but it was timely and put things in perspective for me. It shrunk me down to the little person I should be in relation to God's greatness. It wasn't condemning or anything close to it, but it made me see what Christ endured for us, and how easy we have it. It made me stop whining. I'm going to savor it for several days at least.
Another clue I got was this morning. Greg kissed me good-bye and said, 'Have a great quiet time today.' He says this sometimes. But today it stood out. I had planned to exercise this morning, but in light of what he said, I decided to allow for extra time with God. As a result, He gave me two excellent passages that helped me even further. I was able to put more in perspective and be encouraged. I was validated and felt God was empathizing with me.
Be watchful. Expect God in everything, throughout your day. Blessings on this awesome Tuesday!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Shrinking Back
I read this little verse in my Wide Awake book by Erwin McManus and it begged me to read it over and over again.
Hebrews 10:38: "But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back."
God calls us to a life of faith. How can he use us, call us, stretch us, if we are unwilling to trust Him and take steps requiring faith? Every person from the Bible who was involved in something extraordinary, trusted God and took a step of faith and God honored it. He stretched them. Were they afraid? Maybe. Did they doubt? Probably. Did they obey? Definitely. Did they see the very hand of God in the situation? Absolutely.
God is looking all over this earth for people who are willing to be used by God, no matter the cost. Will his eyes land on you? Or will you be passed over? Are you fully surrendered to the will of God for your life? You have accepted Him as Savior, but have you accepted Him as Lord?
This verse says God takes no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. No pleasure. Don't you want God to take pleasure in you? I know I do. Don't be afraid. Trust in the one who loves you more than anyone else. As God stretches out His hand to you, place your hand confidently in His and let Him lead you on. A great adventure awaits you, if you will just trust Him and obey. Blessings on this cloudy, breezy, cool wonderful Monday.
Hebrews 10:38: "But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back."
God calls us to a life of faith. How can he use us, call us, stretch us, if we are unwilling to trust Him and take steps requiring faith? Every person from the Bible who was involved in something extraordinary, trusted God and took a step of faith and God honored it. He stretched them. Were they afraid? Maybe. Did they doubt? Probably. Did they obey? Definitely. Did they see the very hand of God in the situation? Absolutely.
God is looking all over this earth for people who are willing to be used by God, no matter the cost. Will his eyes land on you? Or will you be passed over? Are you fully surrendered to the will of God for your life? You have accepted Him as Savior, but have you accepted Him as Lord?
This verse says God takes no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. No pleasure. Don't you want God to take pleasure in you? I know I do. Don't be afraid. Trust in the one who loves you more than anyone else. As God stretches out His hand to you, place your hand confidently in His and let Him lead you on. A great adventure awaits you, if you will just trust Him and obey. Blessings on this cloudy, breezy, cool wonderful Monday.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Hearing
Last night, our golden retriever 'puppy' aka moose, decided to practice his vocal exercises and bark much of the night. There wasn't anything to bark at that we could find, but Casey was determined. Greg and Mark both got up multiple times to try and make him stop. A variety of methods were used, patience was tried, and Greg ended up sleeping a few hours on the sofa to be closer to keeping him quiet.
I was mostly oblivious to the noise. My hearing was tested a few months ago and I found I had mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears, it is genetic, and likely to worsen.
It is frustrating when you can't hear people talking to you. Someone may be offended if we don't respond to them, but it's just that can't hear that they said anything, then we have to make amends. Sometimes we have to ask someone to repeat things, sometimes repeatedly, and that can frustrate them. I often have to ask for the TV to be turned up. This is difficult on my kids, who have exceptional and sensitive hearing. It's also a little unsettling, knowing that if there is a threatening noise outside, I can't hear it. Thankfully Greg is a light sleeper and can wake up quickly. God knows exactly what we need.
Then there are times when not being able to hear is a good thing. If I walk by two people gossiping, I'm very glad I can't hear what they're saying. And take last night for example. I was very glad I didn't hear most of it. I didn't even hear Greg leave the bedroom last night.
Sometimes we choose what we hear and what we don't. Sometimes I think God protects us from things we shouldn't hear. I'm thankful that hearing God's voice isn't dependent on my physical ability to hear. May that sensitivity never falter. Blessings to you this wonderful Lord's day.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Prayer Walk
We had some good impressions today on our prayer walk. Thank you for praying. One person noticed a yard with goats and a cow and an empty food barrel. He felt the west side needed someone to come and fill up the barrel with food that was substantial. Another felt the animals were looking for a shepherd.
Another had a sense of pride of ownership. The people put up fences and walls to protect what was theirs, at the same time keeping others out.
Another sensed that too, and saw the differences between nice homes and homes that weren't kept up. She felt that although all the houses were different, each one had a beacon inside that could be giving hope to others in some way. She also felt that people need to come out from behind the fences and start talking with each other. That food and children who know each other from schools would be the vehicle that would bring people together.
I had a sense for the first time of the spiritual battle that is taking place there. I saw and felt the evil that has a hold on some families. The tennis shoes on the telephone wires in front of the drug house. The young man who looked out of it at 8:30 in the morning. The shotgun shell in the gutter.
One person felt if they had a purpose and something to do, that people would come out of their houses on a Saturday morning. Many homes appear to be short of hope.
I walked over a metal cover, about 2'x4' and heard water rushing under it. I felt God say there would be many things I don't see from looking at the outside, but if I listen, I will hear the murmurings of people's hearts. I took that to mean to pay close attention to people. Not everything will be disclosed by looking at the outside, but listening to the underlying things that people say, which reveal their heart. It may be their longings, their passion, their true opinions and values and view of things. This is what I need to respond to, pursue, and cultivate.
It was a great morning, and the weather was much cooler this time. Have a blessed Saturday!
Another had a sense of pride of ownership. The people put up fences and walls to protect what was theirs, at the same time keeping others out.
Another sensed that too, and saw the differences between nice homes and homes that weren't kept up. She felt that although all the houses were different, each one had a beacon inside that could be giving hope to others in some way. She also felt that people need to come out from behind the fences and start talking with each other. That food and children who know each other from schools would be the vehicle that would bring people together.
I had a sense for the first time of the spiritual battle that is taking place there. I saw and felt the evil that has a hold on some families. The tennis shoes on the telephone wires in front of the drug house. The young man who looked out of it at 8:30 in the morning. The shotgun shell in the gutter.
One person felt if they had a purpose and something to do, that people would come out of their houses on a Saturday morning. Many homes appear to be short of hope.
I walked over a metal cover, about 2'x4' and heard water rushing under it. I felt God say there would be many things I don't see from looking at the outside, but if I listen, I will hear the murmurings of people's hearts. I took that to mean to pay close attention to people. Not everything will be disclosed by looking at the outside, but listening to the underlying things that people say, which reveal their heart. It may be their longings, their passion, their true opinions and values and view of things. This is what I need to respond to, pursue, and cultivate.
It was a great morning, and the weather was much cooler this time. Have a blessed Saturday!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Triangles
We have triangles! I know there must be a technical term for them, but that is the newest step in our journey of our remodel.
Here are a few more examples of triangles. Sitting at the dining room table at my sister-in-law's house, my brother was asking about God. He said he didn't under stand the whole trinity thing, 3-in-one person. My daughter explained it this way. It's like a napkin folded into a triangle. It's still one triangle, but it has 3 corners. It made sense to him.
Another triangle example is triangulation. I never heard this term until a few years ago. It's when one person has an issue with another person, and instead of talking to that person directly, they talk to an uninterested 3rd party, who then goes and talks to that person. It's not a healthy situation and is in opposition to Matthew 18 which talks about talking directly to the person who offended you. It's the way to avoid gossip.
I have no other triangle examples, and have a busy day scheduled, so I must be off. Blessings on this cool, sunny Friday. Prayer walk tomorrow, thanks for praying for it.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Progress
The doors have been ordered, the can lights have started going in, the little wall by the fridge is tacked in, more switch boxes are being added, the sink has been ordered, and we are moving along. Greg will start removing the stucco from the kitchen wall this weekend as well as the stucco on our bedroom wall for the escape window. The electrical is getting nailed down too. The doors and windows should be in next week, so we'll be able to seal off the addition and start removing the bay window in our current dining area. The plastic will go up, the dust will go everywhere, and in a few weeks we'll be eating out of boxes. I think of it like going on vacation and living out of your suitcase. At least I get my own bed, bathroom, and pillows! As for shopping, I looked last night at his/her partner desks on the internet for our new office area. With a pocket door to work around, it will be a bit of a space challenge, but there's always custom. We also need to nail down the design of the kitchen cabinets.
We have the honor of babysitting a chihuahua puppy for a few days as our associate Pastor and his family go camping. Fun! We love puppies.
Got to get ready for the little new arrival. Blessings this beautiful Thursday!
I look forward to reading a little this weekend.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Crave
Last night we got our Netflix of Erwin McManus' DVD Crave. It was only 30 minutes long but had a great story. Greg caught it, I was oblivious. It started with a mom at the kitchen sink, washing her hands after preparing dinner and putting her plain silver wedding band back on. Set in the south at nighttime, a man in his late 20's or early 30's runs through the woods, and comes upon a house. The mom, home alone with her two small children, saw a news report of the escape, you could see the worry come over her. She frantically ran through the house looking for her daughter, who was on the porch playing. The mom stopped abruptly, found her daughter with a man who brought her into the house. At first you think it's the prisoner, but it's her husband.
They sit down for dinner, and hear a noise outside. The husband gets up and looks, comes in and says, "It was just the screen door." Relief sets in until they look up and see him standing in the doorway. You can cut the tension with a knife. He sits down and gobbles dinner with them. I thought, 'What a nice family to be hospitable to this prisoner.' The parents are obviously uncomfortable with this man's presence. They are suspicious of him.
After dinner, they go into the living room. The prisoner says things like, "You have a beautiful family. You must be very proud." You can feel a little envy and sarcasm in his voice. He picks up a picture on the mantle, looks at it, and puts it down. The husband keeps asking him why he escaped. He prisoner coaxes the son to his lap. The mom is uncomfortable, but the dad says it's okay. The boy sits on his lap and tells him to hold on to being 8 years old.
There's a knock on the door. You know it's the police. The husband answers the door. He is asked if he knows about the escape and if he's seen the prisoner. The police also say they are asking him because he is the prisoner's brother and verify that is correct. The husband says he knows about the escape, but hesitates in answering the other questions. All of a sudden the prisoner, with hat and coat on, comes from behind the husband and says, "Here I am", and surrenders to the police. He is handcuffed and put in the back of the police car.
The husband asks if he can talk to his brother, and is given permission. He asks again, "Why? Why did you risk escaping prison, you'll just get more time." He answered that one of them had to make the first move. They were family. He had to set things right. The husband, not understanding fully, goes back to his wife. She had found the picture of her hand with the plain silver wedding band lying face down on the mantle. She picked it up and underneath was a velvet pouch, with her diamond engagement ring in it. She starts to cry, putting the ring on her finger. She goes out to meet her husband on the porch as the police cars drive off.
The prisoner looks straight ahead, knowing the brother didn't know of the gift he had left. The gift he obviously stole and probably wound up in prison for. He paid the price, risking more time, to redeem what was lost. To set things right. They are family. It was worth the sacrifice.
The parallel with Christ. Erwin comes on before and after the story and talks about how we all crave for a better life in the future. There is something inside us yearning for the purpose God created us for. I know I'm not doing it justice, but it was very good. Rent it. Don't let the 2 stars fool you. It's because no one has commented on it yet. He also has Wide Awake on DVD. That's our next one. Can't wait to see it!
Blessings on this gorgeous Wednesday.
They sit down for dinner, and hear a noise outside. The husband gets up and looks, comes in and says, "It was just the screen door." Relief sets in until they look up and see him standing in the doorway. You can cut the tension with a knife. He sits down and gobbles dinner with them. I thought, 'What a nice family to be hospitable to this prisoner.' The parents are obviously uncomfortable with this man's presence. They are suspicious of him.
After dinner, they go into the living room. The prisoner says things like, "You have a beautiful family. You must be very proud." You can feel a little envy and sarcasm in his voice. He picks up a picture on the mantle, looks at it, and puts it down. The husband keeps asking him why he escaped. He prisoner coaxes the son to his lap. The mom is uncomfortable, but the dad says it's okay. The boy sits on his lap and tells him to hold on to being 8 years old.
There's a knock on the door. You know it's the police. The husband answers the door. He is asked if he knows about the escape and if he's seen the prisoner. The police also say they are asking him because he is the prisoner's brother and verify that is correct. The husband says he knows about the escape, but hesitates in answering the other questions. All of a sudden the prisoner, with hat and coat on, comes from behind the husband and says, "Here I am", and surrenders to the police. He is handcuffed and put in the back of the police car.
The husband asks if he can talk to his brother, and is given permission. He asks again, "Why? Why did you risk escaping prison, you'll just get more time." He answered that one of them had to make the first move. They were family. He had to set things right. The husband, not understanding fully, goes back to his wife. She had found the picture of her hand with the plain silver wedding band lying face down on the mantle. She picked it up and underneath was a velvet pouch, with her diamond engagement ring in it. She starts to cry, putting the ring on her finger. She goes out to meet her husband on the porch as the police cars drive off.
The prisoner looks straight ahead, knowing the brother didn't know of the gift he had left. The gift he obviously stole and probably wound up in prison for. He paid the price, risking more time, to redeem what was lost. To set things right. They are family. It was worth the sacrifice.
The parallel with Christ. Erwin comes on before and after the story and talks about how we all crave for a better life in the future. There is something inside us yearning for the purpose God created us for. I know I'm not doing it justice, but it was very good. Rent it. Don't let the 2 stars fool you. It's because no one has commented on it yet. He also has Wide Awake on DVD. That's our next one. Can't wait to see it!
Blessings on this gorgeous Wednesday.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Spiritual Warfare
I look at what the searches are for those who find my blog. Probably 90% of all first-time visitors find me by searching for Spiritual Warfare. I read a book on Spiritual Warfare by Charles Stanley and reported on it several months ago when I was experiencing some heavy artillery. I can't say I am very knowledgeable in this subject, but I do know what it feels like when it's happening and it's awful.
You feel like someone dumped a huge weight on your head and shoulders. You feel sad and hopeless, like everything is going wrong (and it usually is) and you don't see any light or hope in the future. People tell you to look on the bright side, things will get better, and you just don't believe it. You can feel like everyone is against you. You feel like you're being blamed for things you didn't do. Most of all, it's all the negative thoughts running through your head.
Why does the enemy sometimes attack us? I believe it's because he feels threatened in some way. Sometimes it's because we are about to do something great for God and that really bothers Satan. Sometimes it's because God is about to do something great through us, and we may not even know it yet, but it is planned and the enemy knows about it. It's as though the enemy wants to cut us off at our knees so when the call comes, we will have a harder time running to respond to it. Sometimes the enemy knows so far in advance that we don't even realize what is happening. We think maybe that other people are just behaving badly towards us, but it's really the enemy manipulating people in our lives. And yes, he does use Christians to do this. We can be fooled into behaving badly towards others if we're not careful.
God's Word says to resist the devil and he will flee from you. I've seen this happen. Once I realize that it's spiritual warfare I'm dealing with, I start praying for the enemy to leave. Usually the black cloud lifts in a day or two and stays gone for months.
Sometimes when dealing with this and other people are involved, I have to keep reminding myself that my battle is not against flesh and blood, but with the dark forces of this world. It's hard to remember when our normal, fleshy reaction is to react to the words and actions of others. But often, there is a spirit behind them, using them to give into their fleshy responses to sidetrack us. The key is to keep focused on Christ and to look at the situation from 10,000 feet up, a larger perspective, instead of only at the circumstances around us.
Once you can do these things such as ask yourself what good things are in the works with you and God, realize it's spiritual warfare, resist the devil, keep a large perspective, and focus on God, it will dissipate. And keep praying!
Blessings on this cooler, breezy Tuesday!
You feel like someone dumped a huge weight on your head and shoulders. You feel sad and hopeless, like everything is going wrong (and it usually is) and you don't see any light or hope in the future. People tell you to look on the bright side, things will get better, and you just don't believe it. You can feel like everyone is against you. You feel like you're being blamed for things you didn't do. Most of all, it's all the negative thoughts running through your head.
Why does the enemy sometimes attack us? I believe it's because he feels threatened in some way. Sometimes it's because we are about to do something great for God and that really bothers Satan. Sometimes it's because God is about to do something great through us, and we may not even know it yet, but it is planned and the enemy knows about it. It's as though the enemy wants to cut us off at our knees so when the call comes, we will have a harder time running to respond to it. Sometimes the enemy knows so far in advance that we don't even realize what is happening. We think maybe that other people are just behaving badly towards us, but it's really the enemy manipulating people in our lives. And yes, he does use Christians to do this. We can be fooled into behaving badly towards others if we're not careful.
God's Word says to resist the devil and he will flee from you. I've seen this happen. Once I realize that it's spiritual warfare I'm dealing with, I start praying for the enemy to leave. Usually the black cloud lifts in a day or two and stays gone for months.
Sometimes when dealing with this and other people are involved, I have to keep reminding myself that my battle is not against flesh and blood, but with the dark forces of this world. It's hard to remember when our normal, fleshy reaction is to react to the words and actions of others. But often, there is a spirit behind them, using them to give into their fleshy responses to sidetrack us. The key is to keep focused on Christ and to look at the situation from 10,000 feet up, a larger perspective, instead of only at the circumstances around us.
Once you can do these things such as ask yourself what good things are in the works with you and God, realize it's spiritual warfare, resist the devil, keep a large perspective, and focus on God, it will dissipate. And keep praying!
Blessings on this cooler, breezy Tuesday!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Failures
Here's a tidbit from Erwin McManus' book Wide Awake that I liked this weekend.
Several years ago one of the forerunners and leaders in the field of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, wrote a book called Learned Optimism. He observed that certain people have an extraordinary ability to overcome difficulties, obstacles, and even failure. They key, it seems, is that how they relate to failure is dramatically different from those who tend to be overwhelmed and paralyzed by their failures. The optimistic never see failure as personal, permanent, or pervasive, but others are constricted, paralyzed, or controlled by failures.
Lots of things ran through my head when I read that paragraph. First, I don't put a lot of weight on the positive psychology movement, or positive thinking, or prosperity movement, etc. It's where you think it and it will happen. I believe everything we are and everything we have is from God, not because of our own powers to think it into existence. Not to be confused with thinking of what is good and right and pure, which is just healthy, lest we become fearful and paranoid.
I also thought that I must be an optimist according to this description. I look at failures as learning and growth opportunities. Any experience is worth it as long as you learn from it.
If a person becomes paralyzed by their failures, by the end of their life, they will probably be the most ineffective person on the planet. With all the failures we experience in this life, a person wouldn't be doing a thing by the end of their life.
That's not the way God wants us to live. We're running a race, reaching for the goal, doing our best to the end.
I've learned that you just catalog your failure and keep going. There's always something new to do and to try. You can also learn from other's failures, but it's best not to occupy too much of your time doing this, as you can fall into the trap of ineffectiveness and fear again, just by thinking about all the failures of others.
I thought about parenting. If a child refused to learn to be potty trained, or to walk, or to feed themselves with a spoon because they didn't get it right the first time, what kind of world would we live in? We would be extinct, because these kids would never grow up and procreate. A world full of babies. Think about that.
Blessings on this breezy Monday!
Several years ago one of the forerunners and leaders in the field of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, wrote a book called Learned Optimism. He observed that certain people have an extraordinary ability to overcome difficulties, obstacles, and even failure. They key, it seems, is that how they relate to failure is dramatically different from those who tend to be overwhelmed and paralyzed by their failures. The optimistic never see failure as personal, permanent, or pervasive, but others are constricted, paralyzed, or controlled by failures.
Lots of things ran through my head when I read that paragraph. First, I don't put a lot of weight on the positive psychology movement, or positive thinking, or prosperity movement, etc. It's where you think it and it will happen. I believe everything we are and everything we have is from God, not because of our own powers to think it into existence. Not to be confused with thinking of what is good and right and pure, which is just healthy, lest we become fearful and paranoid.
I also thought that I must be an optimist according to this description. I look at failures as learning and growth opportunities. Any experience is worth it as long as you learn from it.
If a person becomes paralyzed by their failures, by the end of their life, they will probably be the most ineffective person on the planet. With all the failures we experience in this life, a person wouldn't be doing a thing by the end of their life.
That's not the way God wants us to live. We're running a race, reaching for the goal, doing our best to the end.
I've learned that you just catalog your failure and keep going. There's always something new to do and to try. You can also learn from other's failures, but it's best not to occupy too much of your time doing this, as you can fall into the trap of ineffectiveness and fear again, just by thinking about all the failures of others.
I thought about parenting. If a child refused to learn to be potty trained, or to walk, or to feed themselves with a spoon because they didn't get it right the first time, what kind of world would we live in? We would be extinct, because these kids would never grow up and procreate. A world full of babies. Think about that.
Blessings on this breezy Monday!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Remodel Update
Last week we got our heating & air ducts installed in the new room. Yeah!
We've ordered the windows, picked out the doors, and ordered the dining room table, chairs, and hutch.
Greg has quite a bit more stucco to take off around the outside of the kitchen and bedroom. We're planning on installing a sub panel and are waiting for the electrician to give us a quote on installing that and running the wire. This week we decide how and where light switches will be and the can lights will be planned over the dining room table.
If it's cool today, I'd like to go for a bike ride. I went for one last week, the first in about a year, and the first mile I thought my legs would just freeze up. The next mile was much better.
Got to get ready for church. Blessings this Lord's day!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
More Good Stuff
I thought I would share a little more from Erwin McMcanus' book, Wide Awake.
Your circumstances do not equal your opportunity, because your opportunity is shaped not simply by your external factors but by the internal factors of who you choose to be and become.
Unless you learn how to adapt to your environment, to your circumstances, and to your challenges, you will continue to use them as an excuse, claiming they are the obstacles that stop you from living the life of your dreams.
There are times when the greatest act of courage and the best evidence of character is the willingness to change.
All of us must choose to reinvent ourselves to face whatever is waiting in front of us. Part of learning to reinvent yourself is learning how to be teachable, resourceful, and flexible.
If you are a sincere follower of Christ, then you are mandated by God to be a voracious, intentional learner. You cannot allow yourself to settle, to be less than your best in whatever field or endeavor you have committed yourself to. You must always strive toward excellence in whatever your pursue.
[Read the story of Esther] Esther learned how to work the system. If you're going to continue to reinvent yourself and allow nothing to stop you from fulfilling the destiny God created you to accomplish, you must be humble enough to remain teachable enough to remain adaptable. You have to learn from anyone and everyone in any and every context. You have to have an open mind ad an open heart and recognize that in every discipline and every field, there is something you can learn that will help you become a better person and advance God's purpose for your life.
That's it for today. I've always said I want to be a better person tomorrow than I am today. That's why I read so much and why I listen more than I speak. How about you? Do you dominate conversations with stories about you or do you ask questions of the other person, showing you're more interested in them than having them learn about you or other things? What do you pour into yourself that you can turn around and pour out to others? What's your passion?
Greg just got home from discipling someone. They meet every other Saturday morning. Greg just loves this kind of stuff. It's his passion to see people grow. What individual(s) are you pouring into? One on one, deeply. I don't mean talking about sports or laundry. I mean talking about things of the heart. Pray about who you can pour into, or who might be good to pour into you. You're learning a lot, you can pass it on. You should. Blessings this gorgeous Saturday! Prayer Walk next Saturday. Be praying!
Your circumstances do not equal your opportunity, because your opportunity is shaped not simply by your external factors but by the internal factors of who you choose to be and become.
Unless you learn how to adapt to your environment, to your circumstances, and to your challenges, you will continue to use them as an excuse, claiming they are the obstacles that stop you from living the life of your dreams.
There are times when the greatest act of courage and the best evidence of character is the willingness to change.
All of us must choose to reinvent ourselves to face whatever is waiting in front of us. Part of learning to reinvent yourself is learning how to be teachable, resourceful, and flexible.
If you are a sincere follower of Christ, then you are mandated by God to be a voracious, intentional learner. You cannot allow yourself to settle, to be less than your best in whatever field or endeavor you have committed yourself to. You must always strive toward excellence in whatever your pursue.
[Read the story of Esther] Esther learned how to work the system. If you're going to continue to reinvent yourself and allow nothing to stop you from fulfilling the destiny God created you to accomplish, you must be humble enough to remain teachable enough to remain adaptable. You have to learn from anyone and everyone in any and every context. You have to have an open mind ad an open heart and recognize that in every discipline and every field, there is something you can learn that will help you become a better person and advance God's purpose for your life.
That's it for today. I've always said I want to be a better person tomorrow than I am today. That's why I read so much and why I listen more than I speak. How about you? Do you dominate conversations with stories about you or do you ask questions of the other person, showing you're more interested in them than having them learn about you or other things? What do you pour into yourself that you can turn around and pour out to others? What's your passion?
Greg just got home from discipling someone. They meet every other Saturday morning. Greg just loves this kind of stuff. It's his passion to see people grow. What individual(s) are you pouring into? One on one, deeply. I don't mean talking about sports or laundry. I mean talking about things of the heart. Pray about who you can pour into, or who might be good to pour into you. You're learning a lot, you can pass it on. You should. Blessings this gorgeous Saturday! Prayer Walk next Saturday. Be praying!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Journey with God
Kristen had her next to the last orthodontist appointment this week. As I waited, I read more of Wide Awake by Erwin McManus. Here's what I highlighted:
If you're going to engage in a journey with God, if you are going to follow the God who created you, if you're going to explore mysterious, dangerous, unknown, uncertain places - then you need to know how to reinvent yourself. You have to learn how to adapt.
One of the amazing things about the Jewish people is that under incredible oppression, under extraordinary difficulty, time and time again in different environments and circumstances (almost always oppressive), they have managed not only to survive but also to thrive. They have found ways in the midst of persecution to accomplish extraordinary things that have guided and shaped the course of human history.
...if you're going to dare to imagine and pursue the dreams God has for your life, if you're going to create the life of your dreams you have to be willing and ready to change.
The skills and competencies and experiences you've had in the past will not be enough for every challenge you will face in the future. They are enough to prepare you, but not enough to sustain you. You must build on the past but live for the future.
All too often we allow ourselves to believe that people who accomplish great things somehow stumble on opportunity or gain an unfair advantage over the rest of us. Yet we find that most often quite the opposite is true. Look at the stories of Daniel and Esther.
You don't get to choose your parents,
your race, or your skin color;
you don't get to choose
you're language or economic condition
when you're born into this world.
You don't get any say about the beginning
of your life journey,
but you have a great deal
to say about
the destination of your journey
and how that journey shapes you.
Your circumstances do not determine your opportunities. The more challenging your circumstances, the greater your opportunity to see God raise you to new levels of living.
Your circumstances do not equal your opportunity, because your opportunity is shaped not simply by your external factors but by the internal factors of who you choose to be and become.
Good stuff, huh? I think of where I am and where I've been. I grew up the child of a suicidal alcoholic. My parents divorced when I was 7 and I was the child of a single mother until I moved out at 18 and put myself through college. Those college years were hungry years. I remember having a budget of $10/week for food. Lots of top ramen, mac & cheese, cream of wheat, and in a good week, peanut butter. My '74 Ford Pinto got me to school my senior year of high school and then the 40 miles each way to college, until I slowly moved closer and closer. I lived in nice apartments and a scary one. I didn't become a Christian until I was 23. At 25 I married. At 27 had a son, at 29 separated and had our daughter. More lean years followed, but God was always faithful. He provided for me when I saw no way to make the ends meet. It's true that you can't pick your circumstances when you're born, but you can make choices as you get older that will change the direction of your life. It's up to you if those choices will improve and degrade your situation. God is faithful.
If you're going to engage in a journey with God, if you are going to follow the God who created you, if you're going to explore mysterious, dangerous, unknown, uncertain places - then you need to know how to reinvent yourself. You have to learn how to adapt.
One of the amazing things about the Jewish people is that under incredible oppression, under extraordinary difficulty, time and time again in different environments and circumstances (almost always oppressive), they have managed not only to survive but also to thrive. They have found ways in the midst of persecution to accomplish extraordinary things that have guided and shaped the course of human history.
...if you're going to dare to imagine and pursue the dreams God has for your life, if you're going to create the life of your dreams you have to be willing and ready to change.
The skills and competencies and experiences you've had in the past will not be enough for every challenge you will face in the future. They are enough to prepare you, but not enough to sustain you. You must build on the past but live for the future.
All too often we allow ourselves to believe that people who accomplish great things somehow stumble on opportunity or gain an unfair advantage over the rest of us. Yet we find that most often quite the opposite is true. Look at the stories of Daniel and Esther.
You don't get to choose your parents,
your race, or your skin color;
you don't get to choose
you're language or economic condition
when you're born into this world.
You don't get any say about the beginning
of your life journey,
but you have a great deal
to say about
the destination of your journey
and how that journey shapes you.
Your circumstances do not determine your opportunities. The more challenging your circumstances, the greater your opportunity to see God raise you to new levels of living.
Your circumstances do not equal your opportunity, because your opportunity is shaped not simply by your external factors but by the internal factors of who you choose to be and become.
Good stuff, huh? I think of where I am and where I've been. I grew up the child of a suicidal alcoholic. My parents divorced when I was 7 and I was the child of a single mother until I moved out at 18 and put myself through college. Those college years were hungry years. I remember having a budget of $10/week for food. Lots of top ramen, mac & cheese, cream of wheat, and in a good week, peanut butter. My '74 Ford Pinto got me to school my senior year of high school and then the 40 miles each way to college, until I slowly moved closer and closer. I lived in nice apartments and a scary one. I didn't become a Christian until I was 23. At 25 I married. At 27 had a son, at 29 separated and had our daughter. More lean years followed, but God was always faithful. He provided for me when I saw no way to make the ends meet. It's true that you can't pick your circumstances when you're born, but you can make choices as you get older that will change the direction of your life. It's up to you if those choices will improve and degrade your situation. God is faithful.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Quarrels
I've had these verses running through my head for about a week, and I'd like to share them. No particular reason other than they've been going through my head almost daily.
James 4:1-3 "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong-you want only what will give you pleasure."
Being a deep thinker, I've been thinking about this and trying to figure out why it keeps coming to mind. I've been thinking, "Am I fighting with anyone? Is anyone offending me? Has anyone offended me to the point where I need to confront them? No. Do I know of anyone who is upset with me now? No, not that I'm aware of. What about in the past? Possibly. So I've thought about those instances where people have been upset with me and thought, "Why?" Could it be they want something I have? Hmmmm. I can't answer that. Only they can. No one know what anyone else is thinking or is like except that person himself. So I take this verse to say that quarrels and fights among us come down to selfish ambition and jealousy. I know selfishness has a huge role to play in marital difficulties a lot of times. It's a horrible thing, and something we all need to work on to rid in our lives. That's why God's word tells us to put others above ourselves and to think of others first.
Blessings on this hot, sunny Thursday.
James 4:1-3 "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong-you want only what will give you pleasure."
Being a deep thinker, I've been thinking about this and trying to figure out why it keeps coming to mind. I've been thinking, "Am I fighting with anyone? Is anyone offending me? Has anyone offended me to the point where I need to confront them? No. Do I know of anyone who is upset with me now? No, not that I'm aware of. What about in the past? Possibly. So I've thought about those instances where people have been upset with me and thought, "Why?" Could it be they want something I have? Hmmmm. I can't answer that. Only they can. No one know what anyone else is thinking or is like except that person himself. So I take this verse to say that quarrels and fights among us come down to selfish ambition and jealousy. I know selfishness has a huge role to play in marital difficulties a lot of times. It's a horrible thing, and something we all need to work on to rid in our lives. That's why God's word tells us to put others above ourselves and to think of others first.
Blessings on this hot, sunny Thursday.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Spiritual Maturity
I just love my Bible. It's a New Living Translation Life Application Bible. It has a lot of great features. One of them is that it gives tables here and there on different things. I found one today in Hebrews that I wanted to share with you.
The Choices of Maturity
Mature Choices / Immature Choices
Teaching Others / just being taught
Developing depth of understanding / struggling with the basics
Self-evaluation / self-criticism
Seeking unity / promoting disunity
Desiring spiritual challenges / desiring entertainment
Careful study and observation / opinions and halfhearted efforts
Active faith / cautious apathy and doubt
Confidence / fear
Feelings and experiences evaluated in the light of God's Word /
experiences evaluated according to
feelings
I really enjoy seeing things in black and white like this. It helps me evaluate where I am. Where are you? Pick an area you're weak in and work on it. It's a constant process, but it's a fun process. Blessings to you this hot (again!)Wednesday.
The Choices of Maturity
Mature Choices / Immature Choices
Teaching Others / just being taught
Developing depth of understanding / struggling with the basics
Self-evaluation / self-criticism
Seeking unity / promoting disunity
Desiring spiritual challenges / desiring entertainment
Careful study and observation / opinions and halfhearted efforts
Active faith / cautious apathy and doubt
Confidence / fear
Feelings and experiences evaluated in the light of God's Word /
experiences evaluated according to
feelings
I really enjoy seeing things in black and white like this. It helps me evaluate where I am. Where are you? Pick an area you're weak in and work on it. It's a constant process, but it's a fun process. Blessings to you this hot (again!)Wednesday.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Poor Kitty
Sputters has been doing better. Kristen is doing a great job force-feeding her to the point she is actually eating on her own out of a bowl, and yesterday she ate a lot. She had a bad medicine time this morning. It made her throw up, but just the medicine came up, so I know she's at least keeping the food down. Yeah!
We worked in the backyard last night cleaning out the side yard so the dogs could be there while the men worked on the house. The garage is just too hot for them and Greg doesn't want them in the house. It's good that it's all cleaned up and they'll have a place to run and be cool, as well as see the guys working. Today it's electrical consulting and heating/air.
We found our dining room and hutch Sunday. Kind of standard for us, it took 17 stores to find my wedding set and probably just as many to find the furniture. God is true to form, if you wait patiently on Him, He will bless it. It's true in every area of your life.
I'm running short on time this morning. I had to rescue a plant we left in the yard last night from the dog. Until tomorrow, blessings on this again, hot, hot Tuesday.
We worked in the backyard last night cleaning out the side yard so the dogs could be there while the men worked on the house. The garage is just too hot for them and Greg doesn't want them in the house. It's good that it's all cleaned up and they'll have a place to run and be cool, as well as see the guys working. Today it's electrical consulting and heating/air.
We found our dining room and hutch Sunday. Kind of standard for us, it took 17 stores to find my wedding set and probably just as many to find the furniture. God is true to form, if you wait patiently on Him, He will bless it. It's true in every area of your life.
I'm running short on time this morning. I had to rescue a plant we left in the yard last night from the dog. Until tomorrow, blessings on this again, hot, hot Tuesday.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Hope
Hope has been a common thread going through this last week. I was at a prayer meeting and one of the members asked for prayer to have hope. In talking with another friend, she told me the most important thing for people to have was hope. I've been thinking a lot about having hope too. I do have hope, and I 'hope' I never lose it. So what makes us lose hope?
Often it is our circumstances. Perhaps through decisions we make the results aren't what we had 'hoped' for. Things look bleak, dismal, like they;ll never change. We begin losing the ability to see our goals we once had, the positive side of things, the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe that light looks more like a train headed straight for us, than the light of God that never burns out. We lose hope.
How do we get it back? By focusing on God. When everything we see, say, and do is within the perspective of God and what he is doing in our lives and what he promises us in His Word, we can't have anything but hope. He is so faithful and never changing, and he makes good on every promise. We can have peace in knowing that what we are going through now is just another season of our lives, and no matter what is going on, God can and will make it all turn out for good.
Another friend felt people were against her and didn't have good intentions towards her. God brought up a verse to my mind immediately and I prayed it for her. If God is for us, who can be against us? What can mere man do to us? (paraphrased) God is bigger than our circumstances and bigger than the enemy who tries to thwart God's plans for us. Have hope. Keep looking at God. Be amazed at what He is accomplishing. Never give up. Blessings on this very hot Monday!
Often it is our circumstances. Perhaps through decisions we make the results aren't what we had 'hoped' for. Things look bleak, dismal, like they;ll never change. We begin losing the ability to see our goals we once had, the positive side of things, the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe that light looks more like a train headed straight for us, than the light of God that never burns out. We lose hope.
How do we get it back? By focusing on God. When everything we see, say, and do is within the perspective of God and what he is doing in our lives and what he promises us in His Word, we can't have anything but hope. He is so faithful and never changing, and he makes good on every promise. We can have peace in knowing that what we are going through now is just another season of our lives, and no matter what is going on, God can and will make it all turn out for good.
Another friend felt people were against her and didn't have good intentions towards her. God brought up a verse to my mind immediately and I prayed it for her. If God is for us, who can be against us? What can mere man do to us? (paraphrased) God is bigger than our circumstances and bigger than the enemy who tries to thwart God's plans for us. Have hope. Keep looking at God. Be amazed at what He is accomplishing. Never give up. Blessings on this very hot Monday!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Exporing
Here are a few cool things I enjoyed from reading yesterday. They're from Wide Awake by Erwin McManus.
You have to start making yourself flexible and pliable again, because if you stop learning, you will stop growing and will never create a life beyond the one you have right now.
When you are called out by God, you have to take on a learning mode that recognizes you are called by God to explore unknown territories and go to uncertain environments. To some of you, God is literally saying, 'You need to leave your country, your relatives, your house and go to a place you've never known if you are gong to live the life of your dreams.'
The question remains, though: are you living up to your calling? Are you maximizing your God-given opportunities? Abram was called out to greatness, and it changed not only his life but the lives of generations to come. Ironically, those who don't have the opportunity to live a life worth dreaming of need you to pursue great dreams for them. They need you to live up to your opportunity so they might have one. So you have a ob? Great. It's the job you have, not the job you want. But the job you have is better than the job you don't have, so you settle for the job even though you don't want it. You just settle there, and you're miserable. But you're paralyzed by fear because you stopped growing, you stopped learning, you stopped exploring, you stopped discovering, and you stopped dreaming.
I wonder if some of you need to move to Tibet or maybe India or South America. Or maybe you need to find a way to deal with the issue of AIDS in Africa. Is it possible that to create the life of your dreams, you need to get up and leave what you know and relinquish the security of what you have in order to discover what you only see in your imagination? Remember, there is always a hero within you waiting to be awakened - the hero is the explorer.
Sometimes we think that if we leave everything we know, it's going to get worse from there. But it is possible you'll never find greater contentment or joy or exhilaration until you're willing to give up what you know and what you have for what awaits and exists int he unknown.
The tension here, of course, is that a part of the wonder and power of a childlike imagination is that children have to fear of being wrong. And for us to grow and thrive we must be willing to fail.
That's good for today. I know the last paragraph doesn't really fit with the rest, it was several pages from the first section. He was talking about having a childlike curiosity and imagination, we usually lose ours when we strive to become a grown-up. That's a shame. God has been encouraging me lately to ask Him questions. I like the answers! So, ask questions of God and of the people and things around you. Explore, create, dream. Blessings on this hot Lord's day.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
A 4th Unlike Any Other
You know your kids are growing up when they don't want to buy fireworks. We've hit that mark. When my kids were little, a co-worker who had older kids said, "As they grow up they're less work physically, but more work emotionally. There are fewer gifts to buy at Christmas, but they cost more." That is so true. They want less, but what they want is more expensive, from shoes to electronics. Even last night. We used to budget $50 for fireworks, but Mark wanted instead to go out to dinner at Cool Hand Luke's to try them out. $100 later, we had a great meal.
We were blessed to run into Mark's babysitter from when he was 2-3 years old, her family, and their friends at the restaurant. Her daughter had a baby girl 2 weeks ago. It was great seeing them.
We spent the day working around the house. I did all the floors, even cleaned the garage floor. Greg pulled the rest of the stucco off outside. After dinner, Greg and I took our mile walk, then the four of us hit the patio. Greg and I pulled all the rest of the nails out of the beams and walls while the kids carted off the stucco and wire. I finished by vacuuming the patio clean while they picked up debris in the yard. All ready for Jim next week.
We watched a little of the Olympic trials on tv then the NY fireworks. It was so nice not having to drive somewhere and hit the traffic of the fireworks watchers. It almost felt like New Year's Eve, just hanging out with the family watching the festivities on the tv.
An update on the cat. She was still throwing up so we took her to the vet last week. He thought it might be her thyroid, so he did more blood work. The lab's machine broke down and we had to have her there for two days waiting for the results. It's not her thyroid. She's lost more weight, only 6.5 pounds when we took her in, she seems thinner now. He switched her food to a high calorie canned food, which she ate a lot of at the vet, but not much here at home. He gave her fluids and antibiotics there and sent her home with Amoxicillan and Flagyl. He's 90% sure it's a bacteria in her stomach common to ferrets. Other small animals have done well on the Flagyl with this bacteria, so we're hoping that will fix it. She's mostly sleeping and purring. She did throw up Thursday night after we got her home but not since. Please pray for her.
Blessings on this clear, blue, Saturday.
We were blessed to run into Mark's babysitter from when he was 2-3 years old, her family, and their friends at the restaurant. Her daughter had a baby girl 2 weeks ago. It was great seeing them.
We spent the day working around the house. I did all the floors, even cleaned the garage floor. Greg pulled the rest of the stucco off outside. After dinner, Greg and I took our mile walk, then the four of us hit the patio. Greg and I pulled all the rest of the nails out of the beams and walls while the kids carted off the stucco and wire. I finished by vacuuming the patio clean while they picked up debris in the yard. All ready for Jim next week.
We watched a little of the Olympic trials on tv then the NY fireworks. It was so nice not having to drive somewhere and hit the traffic of the fireworks watchers. It almost felt like New Year's Eve, just hanging out with the family watching the festivities on the tv.
An update on the cat. She was still throwing up so we took her to the vet last week. He thought it might be her thyroid, so he did more blood work. The lab's machine broke down and we had to have her there for two days waiting for the results. It's not her thyroid. She's lost more weight, only 6.5 pounds when we took her in, she seems thinner now. He switched her food to a high calorie canned food, which she ate a lot of at the vet, but not much here at home. He gave her fluids and antibiotics there and sent her home with Amoxicillan and Flagyl. He's 90% sure it's a bacteria in her stomach common to ferrets. Other small animals have done well on the Flagyl with this bacteria, so we're hoping that will fix it. She's mostly sleeping and purring. She did throw up Thursday night after we got her home but not since. Please pray for her.
Blessings on this clear, blue, Saturday.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Dreams Continued
Boy this is a great chapter. I'd like to share a little more from Wide Awake by Erwin McManus. It starts with the story of Joseph. He tells his jealous older brothers of the dreams he has had. One was that wheat bowed down to him which made them resent him even more. Another was that the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him. That really made them angry. But those were the dreams God gave Joseph. Enter Erwin:
"God gives God-sized dreams to people with God-shaped hearts. I think Joseph made a terrible mistake telling his brothers. His immaturity created a relational divide and provoked huge jealousy. But that doesn't discount that God was the one giving Joseph the dream. Part of the way God works in us is he begins to give us dreams of the lives we could live or the people we could become if we would trust him and live courageously. While his brothers despised Joseph and did everything they could to destroy his dreams, we find in his story the reminder that once you have a dream from God and refuse to relinquish it, that dream is going to come to pass no matter what opposition you face.
Sometimes the life God dreams
for us takes a lifetime to come to pass.
Great lives that are born out of great dreams
often come through great sacrifice and great suffering.
Our dreams, the ones God places inside us, are a foretaste of our destiny. God will never sacrifice who you are for what you can accomplish.
The way you begin to live out your God-given dreams is to become the person God desires you to be.
There's more to you than you know. There's more available to you than you can imagine. There's an extraordinary life awaiting you if you would trust me.
You cannot even begin to live the dream God has for you until you stop caring about only yourself."
Don't you just love that? Erwin has such a way with communicating the heart of God to us, smack dab between the eyes. Love the challenge, love the confirmation. Blessings to you this star-spangled 4th of July!
"God gives God-sized dreams to people with God-shaped hearts. I think Joseph made a terrible mistake telling his brothers. His immaturity created a relational divide and provoked huge jealousy. But that doesn't discount that God was the one giving Joseph the dream. Part of the way God works in us is he begins to give us dreams of the lives we could live or the people we could become if we would trust him and live courageously. While his brothers despised Joseph and did everything they could to destroy his dreams, we find in his story the reminder that once you have a dream from God and refuse to relinquish it, that dream is going to come to pass no matter what opposition you face.
Sometimes the life God dreams
for us takes a lifetime to come to pass.
Great lives that are born out of great dreams
often come through great sacrifice and great suffering.
Our dreams, the ones God places inside us, are a foretaste of our destiny. God will never sacrifice who you are for what you can accomplish.
The way you begin to live out your God-given dreams is to become the person God desires you to be.
There's more to you than you know. There's more available to you than you can imagine. There's an extraordinary life awaiting you if you would trust me.
You cannot even begin to live the dream God has for you until you stop caring about only yourself."
Don't you just love that? Erwin has such a way with communicating the heart of God to us, smack dab between the eyes. Love the challenge, love the confirmation. Blessings to you this star-spangled 4th of July!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Dreams
Before I get to dreams, we have walls! Last night Mark and one of his friends took out our mow strip. That means all the concrete is out except for the slab with
Mark's hand and foot prints from when he was 18 mos. old. I'm anxious to get the pile out of the backyard. Jim (our contractor) put up walls yesterday. Yeah!
So, dreams. I was reading my Wide Awake book by Erwin McManus yesterday and came across a story that grabbed and inspired me. The story was about Erwin, age 19, getting a ride to work the day after his car broke down. His aunt pulled over, rather than take the exit ramp. Erwin got out, and headed across the freeway. He saw a UPS truck coming and knew he could outrun it. He sprinted. He didn't see the Monte Carlo passing the truck on the left. He heard screeching brakes, jumped in the air to clear the car, tucked and rolled, hit the windshield and hit the asphalt. He layed there paralyzed from the waist down. The ambulance drivers argued about who would take him, as he was on the county/city line and each ambulance represented one jurisdiction. They asked him where he wanted to go and he said the cheapest hospital, so they took him to county.
In the emergency room, they x-rayed him, poked him and determined more tests were necessary. At one point he had to go to the bathroom and asked if someone could get him there. They told him, no, they couldn't move him and gave him a 'kidney-shaped thing'. He's very private and asked if everyone would give him privacy. They pulled the curtain and waited on the other side. He asked if they would leave the room, they did. After yelling for them to also shut the door, he layed there thinking "I'm not going to go in this thing." He rocked and rocked until he fell off the very high gurney onto the cold floor. He didn't feel anything from the waist down, so that was good. He dragged himself down hallways to the bathroom, and no one noticed him. He pulled himself onto the toilet and sat there. Then he realized he couldn't get up. (Here's his story from that point on).
"So I sat there for a while, and then I started pushing on the toilet, and then I stood up, and I walked out.
I never fully understood what happened that day except to realize that long before I was looking for God, he was looking out for me.
I've looked back and wondered many times, if I hadn't been so stubborn, so determined, so desperate to go to the bathroom on my own terms, how long would I have lain on that bed? Now, I'm not saying that everyone who is lying on a bed or sitting in a wheelchair could get up and walk, but I am saying this: sometimes the limitations you are willing to accept establish the boundaries of your existence.
The doctors couldn't see me getting out of that bed, and I couldn't see myself staying in that bed. You ever notice that sometimes your desire to accomplish something can pull you through? Ever notice that people who refuse to give up seem to succeed the most? Ever notice that people who expect great things seem most likely to accomplish great things? If your dreams are supposed to be bigger than your life, then your life will always be limited by the size of your dreams.
Sometimes getting up and walking is more about your head than your legs."
How inspiring is that? Limited by our heads. Yep. Dream Big! God bless you on this sunny Thursday.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Progress
Everyday there is another new step. Here's the framing of the doors and windows that took place yesterday.
As I walked out onto the patio yesterday, the smell of the wood hit me. They way the light broken through the 2x4s reminded me of 20 years ago when the house was being built. The excitement was overwhelming. I love watching things be built, seeing how things fit together, to make something brand new.
When Greg spoke at the Turlock Gospel Mission a few weeks ago, he told everyone that he was going to keep it short. He said later that when God gives you a lot, you speak alot, when He gives you a little, you speak a little. God's not giving me a whole lot to say right now, so I'm going to close. Have a truly blessed day!
As I walked out onto the patio yesterday, the smell of the wood hit me. They way the light broken through the 2x4s reminded me of 20 years ago when the house was being built. The excitement was overwhelming. I love watching things be built, seeing how things fit together, to make something brand new. When Greg spoke at the Turlock Gospel Mission a few weeks ago, he told everyone that he was going to keep it short. He said later that when God gives you a lot, you speak alot, when He gives you a little, you speak a little. God's not giving me a whole lot to say right now, so I'm going to close. Have a truly blessed day!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A Father's Love
I haven't posted a video in a while, so I thought I would share this one I found on Godtube. Grab a Kleenex and enjoy!
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