I struggle to trust that when I ask God for something He will give it to me...I know this is wrong. Just being honest.
Why would he give me the things I ask for when so many around the earth are praying for life itself? Praying just for daily bread? One of the mysteries of God. He says to ask.
So I have.
There is an opportunity I have (nothing that important, just something I want to do), and it doesn't appear that it will happen. So, I asked God to show me if He wants it for me or whether I do not need it. He has 2 weeks.
Do you struggle to ask for things that may seem trivial in light of the struggles around you?
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
my family
Lunch with our son before his band was off to play again, was a blessing that comes less and less often these days. We treasure any time we get to be with him! And, he LOVES his grandparents, so we somehow got everyone together for a last minute early-afternoon lunch today! So fun!!
We enjoyed the rest of our afternoon and then later another great thing happened...
My husband cooked me dinner and served it on the deck overlooking his newly mowed lawn...possibly my favorite place in the world! Not too many more evenings to sit outside! It is a blessed evening when you can sit with someone you love and enjoy the great taste of a meal full of the offerings of summer, and also take in the beauty not only of nature but of peace.
I drink deeply of this peace when it comes.
All week we have gotten calls of friends' lost loved ones to illness, lost relationships and wayward children. When peace comes we value it highly and thank our God for the moments...
a taste of heaven for sure! Enjoy one another on this long Labor Day weekend!
I Corinthians 4
I love this - it gives me hope when people act unkindly
"But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you..."
I don't intend to take this out of context, but for some reason out of this whole chapter, this phrase caught my attention and I read it over and over...
it is a very small thing to be examined by you - I need to stay focused on Christ and treat criticism and unexpected set-backs this way. Just stay focused!! Cool!
"But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you..."
I don't intend to take this out of context, but for some reason out of this whole chapter, this phrase caught my attention and I read it over and over...
it is a very small thing to be examined by you - I need to stay focused on Christ and treat criticism and unexpected set-backs this way. Just stay focused!! Cool!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
people are searching
It will always amaze me how all people search. They are born with that longing and they fill that longing with many different things. How sad...
Today we laughed and laughed as we watched some possible video options for a teaching on evangelism that is coming up soon. They were videos making fun of how silly we are about sharing our faith with others. Funny, but so true!
My hubby and I got c
offee at a local book store tonight, and I walked through aisle after aisle of books trying to fill that empty space in each of us. God fills that place and He is the only one that can.
Watch carefully for any opportunity this week to speak of God's love with someone who is searching, you may be the only one who knows what they are searching for!
Today we laughed and laughed as we watched some possible video options for a teaching on evangelism that is coming up soon. They were videos making fun of how silly we are about sharing our faith with others. Funny, but so true!
My hubby and I got c
offee at a local book store tonight, and I walked through aisle after aisle of books trying to fill that empty space in each of us. God fills that place and He is the only one that can.Watch carefully for any opportunity this week to speak of God's love with someone who is searching, you may be the only one who knows what they are searching for!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
mentors: where are they?
I have heard about many programs that involve mentors. I have never participated in one. I have never had a woman mentor in my field of work.
I was thinking about this and realized I don't know anyone older than me that does what I do. That could be for one of two reasons, either I'm really old (no comments please), or my position is too new and no one older than me does what I do. Isn't that weird?
So, how do I learn? Reading, searching the web, talking to other ministries, whatever it takes to get information and new ideas!
Guess I just need to begin a group for the creatives of Mansfield, hmmm, we shall see. There have to be others out there somewhere!!
I was thinking about this and realized I don't know anyone older than me that does what I do. That could be for one of two reasons, either I'm really old (no comments please), or my position is too new and no one older than me does what I do. Isn't that weird?
So, how do I learn? Reading, searching the web, talking to other ministries, whatever it takes to get information and new ideas!
Guess I just need to begin a group for the creatives of Mansfield, hmmm, we shall see. There have to be others out there somewhere!!
I Corinthians 2
vs 8
the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has
understood; for if they had understood they would
not have crucified Him.
vs. 9
but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him."
God is a mysterious God, his teachings and the way we chose to live as His sons and daughters seem foolish to the world. We should not be surprised or discouraged when the world gives us a hard time about our walk with the Lord. They really don't get it, they are blinded from understanding because they are not His children.
And then to know even for His children, there are many surprises waiting for us!! I LOVE surprises!
What did you learn from the second chapter of Corinthians? Please share!
Chapter 3 tomorrow.
the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has
understood; for if they had understood they would
not have crucified Him.
vs. 9
but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him."
God is a mysterious God, his teachings and the way we chose to live as His sons and daughters seem foolish to the world. We should not be surprised or discouraged when the world gives us a hard time about our walk with the Lord. They really don't get it, they are blinded from understanding because they are not His children.
And then to know even for His children, there are many surprises waiting for us!! I LOVE surprises!
What did you learn from the second chapter of Corinthians? Please share!
Chapter 3 tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
what I learned today
Aaaaa time to breathe, God is good.
Today I picked up my Inductive Study Bible and decided to use it to read through I Corinthians. I had forgotten how cool it is to study this way. For those of you who may have never done this before, at the beginning of each chapter it tells you key phrases to look for, to mark the author of the book with one color and the recipients with another, what verses contain the reason for the writing of each book of the Bible and on and on. In the end there are areas in the back to write the 'theme' of each passage and what you took away from it so that in years to come, you can look back and at a glance see what you learned from each book of the Bible that you study. Very cool.
As always God was waiting on me to get there and revealed things I had either forgotten or never known, I LOVE learning new things about God and the struggles of the past. It makes me have hope for the future and for our fallen culture!!
The Corinthians basically worshiped Aphrodite (the goddess of love) - how convenient! Their culture bred such blatant immorality throughout Corinth that the Greek verb translated "to Corinthianize" meant to practice sexual immorality. (Maybe America translates the same way??) This was a pretty ugly openly sinful place for sure.
The Corinthians ate well, satisfied their sexual urges without condemnation, flirted with the wisdom of men, and did all they could to keep their bodies as beautiful as those of the Greek gods. What they needed was to know the Savior! And Paul was chosen as the guy to bring Him to them.
As I studied this first chapter I was reminded again that God is a God of opposites. He moves time after time through the most unlikely circumstances and people. Vs 25 says, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." and then in Vs 27 it says,"God has chosen the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,"
I find this very encouraging and I love how over and over God slams pride, vs 29 "...so that no man may boast before God." Can you just see the very important people of earth standing before the thrown of God some day shocked that there is nothing worth boasting about? This is the sin in our lives that I tolerate the least, I know all sin is the same in God's eyes, and I know God despises arrogance. Any earthly arrogance is ridiculous really.
Maybe my sensitivity in this particular area stems out of watching all the fallen church leaders I have known along the way. In every single instance I personally experienced as a child in the church to this very day, when a leader begins to struggle it can be traced right back to pride. They want to do something their way, their position makes them prideful, they begin to take scripture and God's mandates out of context to suit themselves, it is very sad that arrogance can exist even among God's chosen. Pride seems to precede every fall from leadership!
In my most confident times, as I experience even a taste of success it doesn't take long before I mess up and have to laugh at the myself, usually out loud! (Ron's always giving me funny looks!)
I pray to God to maintain a discerning spirit toward pride, both in myself and with the teams I lead. Arrogance is something especially common in any performance related experience. That is what blesses me weekly as I see the humbleness of our Crossroads teams serving their God. Many having come out of secular musical experience, they are the ones that realize the most there is no lasting satisfaction in performance. I sometimes prefer those musicians because they have 'gotten it out of their system' so to speak and are very ready to invest in eternal things!
The first chapter of Corinthians is fascinating! Paul himself was once a man of earthly position and walked away from all the things he once held dear to follow God and tell others about Him!
Join me as I read through I Corinthians - tomorrow chapter 2!
Today I picked up my Inductive Study Bible and decided to use it to read through I Corinthians. I had forgotten how cool it is to study this way. For those of you who may have never done this before, at the beginning of each chapter it tells you key phrases to look for, to mark the author of the book with one color and the recipients with another, what verses contain the reason for the writing of each book of the Bible and on and on. In the end there are areas in the back to write the 'theme' of each passage and what you took away from it so that in years to come, you can look back and at a glance see what you learned from each book of the Bible that you study. Very cool.
As always God was waiting on me to get there and revealed things I had either forgotten or never known, I LOVE learning new things about God and the struggles of the past. It makes me have hope for the future and for our fallen culture!!
The Corinthians basically worshiped Aphrodite (the goddess of love) - how convenient! Their culture bred such blatant immorality throughout Corinth that the Greek verb translated "to Corinthianize" meant to practice sexual immorality. (Maybe America translates the same way??) This was a pretty ugly openly sinful place for sure.
The Corinthians ate well, satisfied their sexual urges without condemnation, flirted with the wisdom of men, and did all they could to keep their bodies as beautiful as those of the Greek gods. What they needed was to know the Savior! And Paul was chosen as the guy to bring Him to them.
As I studied this first chapter I was reminded again that God is a God of opposites. He moves time after time through the most unlikely circumstances and people. Vs 25 says, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." and then in Vs 27 it says,"God has chosen the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,"
I find this very encouraging and I love how over and over God slams pride, vs 29 "...so that no man may boast before God." Can you just see the very important people of earth standing before the thrown of God some day shocked that there is nothing worth boasting about? This is the sin in our lives that I tolerate the least, I know all sin is the same in God's eyes, and I know God despises arrogance. Any earthly arrogance is ridiculous really.
Maybe my sensitivity in this particular area stems out of watching all the fallen church leaders I have known along the way. In every single instance I personally experienced as a child in the church to this very day, when a leader begins to struggle it can be traced right back to pride. They want to do something their way, their position makes them prideful, they begin to take scripture and God's mandates out of context to suit themselves, it is very sad that arrogance can exist even among God's chosen. Pride seems to precede every fall from leadership!
In my most confident times, as I experience even a taste of success it doesn't take long before I mess up and have to laugh at the myself, usually out loud! (Ron's always giving me funny looks!)
I pray to God to maintain a discerning spirit toward pride, both in myself and with the teams I lead. Arrogance is something especially common in any performance related experience. That is what blesses me weekly as I see the humbleness of our Crossroads teams serving their God. Many having come out of secular musical experience, they are the ones that realize the most there is no lasting satisfaction in performance. I sometimes prefer those musicians because they have 'gotten it out of their system' so to speak and are very ready to invest in eternal things!
The first chapter of Corinthians is fascinating! Paul himself was once a man of earthly position and walked away from all the things he once held dear to follow God and tell others about Him!
Join me as I read through I Corinthians - tomorrow chapter 2!
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