Thursday, March 26, 2009

Praise the Lord

I just have to say thanks Lord for being with me today, for revealing to me my wrong thoughts and understanding and revealing truth to me!
I can change when I see You holding up the the mirror of Your truth and setting me straight! What a gift from the Giver of all good things. I love God more each day! Thank You for Your promises.

"They that wait on the Lord on the LORD will renew their strength, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not grow faint."

Monday, March 23, 2009

Hobbling Monday

This weekend was filled with a whirl of activity due to attending a continuing education conference I had to attend and working on taxes etc. We have been busy being responsible adults but I had to share a funny story. ;-)
We went to the park yesterday afternoon for a little break and played some 2 on 2 soccer with my brother and his girlfriend. The 2 girls guarded each other and the 2 guys. While the boys certainly had more skills, we girls made up for it in aggression. I knocked over my opponent lots and we both have huge gigantic bruises on our shins and calves. Then both of us rolled our ankles and I was bowled over- head over heels- by my own loving husband and team-mate (I guess we both wanted the ball). By the time we hobbled home (with the dog leading the way), we could only laugh in utter dismay at our legs! While the men swore we wouldn't be allowed to play anymore since we were obviously bent on self-destruction. This morning I can barely walk with my ankle but it sure was fun! God must be laughing even more than we are!!!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Re-thinking worldviews

I have been mulling over a powerful and convicting thought this week- judging others because of their sin and false worldviews. I am not sure I have final thoughts on it yet but I wanted to share where I am and what God is doing! After all it is all about bringing Him glory!
Personally I struggle with a judgemental black and white perspective when looking out at the rest of the world. It is very hard for me to separate the sinner from the sin and I have been becoming more and more aware of this. I think I am more like the older brother in the story of the prodigal son than I ever want to be. It is hard for me to see beyond the choices that someone makes- the sin they commit.
Then God brings the world crashing back in on me by showing me my own sin and judgmental heart. This time it was the passage in Matthew 18 about the unmerciful servant who was forgiven his debts and then held a fellow servant who owed little accountable to a higher standard than he personally met. I have done this very thing and it hit me hard. God forgives all of us so who am I to hold my fellow human to a level I can't reach?
With all my thoughts and learning about biblical worldview over the last few years, I have learned why other worldviews don't make sense and why they lead to deception and destruction of many lives. But at the same time, I have to remember that we are all on a journey and God is drawing us to Himself. My heart and mind are being renewed and brought back to the way God created them to be and only when I finish my journey at home with Him will I be complete.
So back to all the other worldviews and the people that hold them. I have to separate how I see people from the way they operate in the world. If someone has not found Christ, they are only operating in the way that they know how- themselves. If someone has found Christ, they are like me, still learning and being transformed. Suddenly, the person comes back to the forefront of my view and not the sin. I can begin to see a glimmer of how Christ looks at the world.
I have to let go of the need to be right and see the fault in others and just love the person. After all the essence of a biblical worldview is seeing the world through God's perspective and that begins and ends with love. I am praying that God will grow my love for others and help me be more winsome in sharing His worldview. God brought a fantastic verse to my attention that really helps me and that is what I am memorizing for this time.
Acts 26:17-18 NIV
I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'


March 15th verse

Acts 26:17-18 NIV
I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Are you communicating???

Sorry I haven't been very faithful about posting of late. Work has been a little nutty and I have been doing lots of other stuff, not that this is a good excuse.
I had dinner with a friend from grade school last night. We stay in touch and try to see each other regularly. As we were sitting at dinner last night we were talking about funny moments with technology. Both of us had funny stories about texting and e-mail miscommunication. Then we were also talking about how our parents use technology and how we have relate to them through it. My parents are not the best at staying in touch so I have found that I do best if I take responsibility for that. I send e-mails and call them regularly. But sometimes I will contact them and they never get the message or don't know how to respond. That always makes me laugh. Then I think "If I have kids some day, how are they going to laugh at me about technology?" We are constantly inventing more methods to interact and stay in touch but are we succeeding? With more and more ways to communicate, am I really listening and growing with those around me?
This got me to thinking about how God must feel communicating with us sometimes. With my generation, I think we don't stop long enough to hear him (not that he is can't speak to us through ways we hear) or use methods that truly connect with him. For example- I have this calendar that I change daily that has a scripture verse on it. I read it daily and then go on to the next thing. I really appreciate the scriptures and they speak to me but often I don't take the time to truly read, dwell or meditate on what the verse is saying.
I know we all know the verse "Be Still and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10) but I did some digging into the root meanings of this verse today to deepen my understanding and challenge myself to get back in touch with God. Still is the Hebrew word- raphah- some of the meanings are: sink down, relax, be quiet, let go, let alone. Know is the Hebrew word- Yada'- some of the meanings are: to know by experience, perceive, distinguish, recognise, admit, confess, be acquainted with. So plugging in these deeper meanings, suddenly this verse takes on a new depth.
Psalm 46:10a
Be still (sink down, relax, let go and let alone) and know (perceive, recognise, admit, confess, be acquainted with, know by experience) that I am God;
WOW! I am challenged to do this today! How about you?
Father, help me to be still and to know you by experience. Draw my heart to yours so that you become all that I desire!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

March 1st Verse

It is the 1st of the month and that means a new verse (or verses in this case).
Eph 6:14-17 NIV
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.