Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will!...Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:2-3
I just finished reading a book with Abby called Fahrenheit 451 for a school project. Although it was strange, dark and disturbing, Abby and I both realized some things about ourselves and our family!
The book was about a technological society that became disassociated with reading and seeking knowledge. They were into listening to the radio and television until one day, they became so consumed with media, that they no longer thought for themselves. They began to burn books to discourage people from gaining new knowledge and they encouraged ignorance. I thought it was ironic that this book was written around 1952.
Look what has happened to our society in the past 60 years. This author was correct in his assessment to a point. Look at the generations of our kids. They want to watch tv, you tube videos, play video games. I can't tell you how many times I see kids wearing Ipods in their ears to and from school instead of conversing with their parents. Kids get in the car and instead of talking to each other they are texting. There are times when kids would rather play their Xbox than go outside and play sports or ride their bikes. We are raising generations who lack basic communication skills or working out relationship issues.
There are very few individuals that dare to be different, that challenge the political system that we live in. The media feeds a story and instead of people checking into the facts from other sources, everyone believes what they hear. We are losing freedoms by the day from our politicians because no one wants to stand up and make a difference. Television shows have become more sleezy, movies have become more violent. We are a society that just goes along with the flow of what comes our way without saying anything.
What about those whom we go to for advice or spiritual guidance? Do you take your Bible to church and compare what the pastor is saying to Scripture? Do you carry your bible with you to Bible study to see if what people are saying matches what God says? If you seek counseling services do you compare what the counselor says to what the Bible says? If a friend gives you advice, do you compare it to Scripture? Do you just blindly listen and apply what anyone says without questioning or challenging their opinions? Do you have your own thoughts and opinions and do you know why you believe what you believe?
I look back on our life and see that we haven't always fit in with others because we don't follow the crowd. When we were first married, we attended a small bible study with other couples. The topic of conversation was always about having babies, most of them had only been married a year or two. We thought it was better to wait awhile. We were different! We attended the same church for many years and had a different philosophy than the church did. We believed in the Grace of God, but we also believe in the accountability of man to live a Christ-like life. People gave us a hard time at times for being different. When one of our friends, began to make sinful choices, we took the road of loving the sinner and not the sin. It was an unpopular stance and we received flack for our stand.
The most poignant example of someone who dared to be different was Jesus. He was challenged and ostracized because he didn't go a long with the crowd. He thought for Himself. It didn't bother Him that He didn't walk and talk and follow all the hollow rituals like all the other religious leaders. He hung out with the rough crowd, the poor, the lame, the sick, not the elite spiritual leaders of the day.
I don't want to live in a comfort zone. God created each and every one of us with a brain. He gave us access to books and now even the internet to gain information and knowledge, but best of all He gave us His Holy Word! Even churces are guilty of conforming to the world. You can go to churches across America, and many look alike, most have bands with everyone looking trendy and hip. There is media on the video screens and a hip looking pastor. Many pastors want to preach what the congregation wants to hear, giving them a "feel good message", surely not wanting to step on anyone's toes or calling a spade a spade. The question you have to ask when you go and call it home is this: are they preaching God's Word, do you see Jesus in the people who go there and are lives being transformed? If a church is all about programs not having a deep love for Jesus and wanting to follow His commandments, then the church as an institution is no different than the world.
The best way to become different is to study the life of Jesus in the New Testament. His life was everything contrary to popular culture. His message made many people uncomfortable, making many people look in the mirror and address their sins. He challenged people to change their old ways of thinking and behaving. The best part was though, that his actions matched his message. He didn't just talk about loving your neighbor or helping those in need, he actually healed people physically as well as spiritually!
Do you look at things with a critical eye? Do you make decisions for your family so you will fit in with your friends? There comes a time when people have to mature, not only as individuals but also spiritually. The only way that you can grow up is to study the Word of God for yourself and then, observe, observe, observe! We are so concerned as a society to be politically correct, to not offend anyone else with our beliefs. Really, do those who don't believe in God worry about offending those who love Jesus or taking away their rights or beliefs, I don't think so! When you see an injustice or you see something that is just absolutely incorrect, dare to be different, speak up! We still have freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Someday in the future, we won't! So for now, make a difference, in not just the life of your family but also in the life of those around you! Dare to be different!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Alive
This year I have learned a lot about Passover from friends who are Jewish. Last Friday, our bible study group had a Sedor dinner. It was the first time I had ever shared in the experience. Without the Passover dinner, our Christian view of Easter is incomplete. Without our view of the New Testament, the Jewish holiday is incomplete.
There are many who say that the Old Testament was for then, we now live by the New Covenant. However, the God of the Old Testament has not changed from then to now. Much of Scripture in the Old Testament prophesies what would be to come in the future. The message is simple from the beginning of time until now. If you do not study and read the Old Testament you have an incomplete picture of the history leading up to why Jesus would have to come to earth. Man sinned, he could no longer have a relationship with God. Throughout the Old Testament, man had a High priest to offer up sacrifices for forgiveness of their sins. Man could not go directly to God, because man was unclean. The laws and rituals became so long and cumbersome that God had a plan for man to be restored to Him. The bottom line is that God loved His creation so much, He didn't like the distance, He wants a relationship with us.
In order for the relationship to be restored, He sent His Only Son as a "Perfect sacrifice" on ALL of our behalf because there is no one who is without sin. So Christ took on the form of a human baby, lived and ministered here on earth. On Friday, He was mocked and beaten and hung on a cross. The moment that he died, there was a huge curtain in the temple that was ripped in two and no longer was man separated from God. They took His body and laid Him in a tomb. For three days his body laid there. On Sunday, when Mary and His disciples went to visit the tomb He was missing. He had rose from the dead.
Easter is more than Easter Egg hunts, bunny rabbits, and Easter Baskets. Everyone makes Christianity so complicated. God doesn't. The Good News is simple: Man Sinned, Christ Died for us, He was buried. After 3 days He rose from the dead. He lives today! We have a choice, if we want a relationship with God who is living, ask him for forgiveness and accept His love for you. This is the true meaning of Easter!
There are many who say that the Old Testament was for then, we now live by the New Covenant. However, the God of the Old Testament has not changed from then to now. Much of Scripture in the Old Testament prophesies what would be to come in the future. The message is simple from the beginning of time until now. If you do not study and read the Old Testament you have an incomplete picture of the history leading up to why Jesus would have to come to earth. Man sinned, he could no longer have a relationship with God. Throughout the Old Testament, man had a High priest to offer up sacrifices for forgiveness of their sins. Man could not go directly to God, because man was unclean. The laws and rituals became so long and cumbersome that God had a plan for man to be restored to Him. The bottom line is that God loved His creation so much, He didn't like the distance, He wants a relationship with us.
In order for the relationship to be restored, He sent His Only Son as a "Perfect sacrifice" on ALL of our behalf because there is no one who is without sin. So Christ took on the form of a human baby, lived and ministered here on earth. On Friday, He was mocked and beaten and hung on a cross. The moment that he died, there was a huge curtain in the temple that was ripped in two and no longer was man separated from God. They took His body and laid Him in a tomb. For three days his body laid there. On Sunday, when Mary and His disciples went to visit the tomb He was missing. He had rose from the dead.
Easter is more than Easter Egg hunts, bunny rabbits, and Easter Baskets. Everyone makes Christianity so complicated. God doesn't. The Good News is simple: Man Sinned, Christ Died for us, He was buried. After 3 days He rose from the dead. He lives today! We have a choice, if we want a relationship with God who is living, ask him for forgiveness and accept His love for you. This is the true meaning of Easter!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Transformed
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
II Corinthians 5:17
Do you remember what your life looked like before you became a follower of Jesus? I have many memories of who I was. I acknowledged that I wanted to follow God at the age of 5. I don't have tales like some who walked without God their entire life. But I do have memories of times when I lived out of His will and lived according to my own desires.
I think back to the time when we first got married, out of college. We went to church but were Sunday believers. At work, I just wanted to fit it in, to be like everyone else. All my childhood I was known as the "goody two shoes", the pastor's daughter. I lived under a microscope, while constanstly being watched to see if I would stumble and tarnish my parent's good name in some way. It was the best feeling just sitting in the back row, no one even knowing our name. While some of the volumes of Scripture that I had memorized through my childhood lingered in the back of my mind, I was trying to figure out if I really believed all that it had to say, or if it was good for my parents and not necessarily for me.
I asked God to forgive my sins and come into my heart many times over the years. When I went to church activities and camps, I often wanted to make sure that it was for real, that I truly was a follower. My life didn't radically change though until I started having kids. All of a sudden it occured to me that I would have someone watching my every word and deed and now I would be responsible for molding and shaping the life of someone else. Every word that came out of my mouth would some day be repeated. My habits and perceptions of others would form the fabric of how my child would see life.
In essence, I finally understood the importance and the need to give all of my life to Christ, to put away my old life and become a new creation. No longer was I going to church because I had to, or out of religious duty, now I was going to church to be a part of others, to serve, to worship the one who created me.
Everything about me was changing. I started listening to different music. I became convicted about what tv shows I watched. The movies that I watched began to have less language, less violence, less everything. It wasn't that I was following a list of the do's and don'ts that my parents had reiterated again and again. I just didn't have the desire to do what I once did. My greatest desire now became to please God. I once lived a life of fear, living in shame for all the ways I had dishonored God and for all of what I had done. After confessing to Him, it was in the past. Hebrews 8:12 says, "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more". He doesn't hold the past over our heads. Once we ask Him to forgive us, it is gone forever. We are the ones that keep bringing it up, always looking back.
The best word picture I compare myself to is a butterfly. A caterpillar is kind of dull and spiky looking. For awhile, it stays in a very dark place. While he is in the cocoon, he is slowly growing. When He emerges he is completely different, he is a new creature. Actually, he isn't stuck moving at such a slow pace now, now he has the freedom to fly.
It takes a lot of time and work at times on our part to grow. It takes discipline to attend bible studies and do the homework. It takes self discipline to study the Word. It takes effort at times to go to church or a fellowship with other believers when you don't feel like it. At times, all of these things are easy to do, we want to go, we want to learn, we want to be with others. And then, there are others, life seems a little more dry, and yet, doing these things helps us to become more like Him. In order to grow, to become like new, we need the help of Jesus to continue the work that He started in us, but we also must do our part and seek Him.
When we read the Bible and we just do what it says, life becomes so much more simple. By following Him, there is more freedom, freedom to be who He created us to be. People have said to me more than once, "You seem so different then when I knew you back then." Transformation occurs when we seek to follow Jesus, we just can't help but become different.
Are you the same as you have always been? Do people see a difference in who you are, what you say and how you act since you met Him?
II Corinthians 5:17
Do you remember what your life looked like before you became a follower of Jesus? I have many memories of who I was. I acknowledged that I wanted to follow God at the age of 5. I don't have tales like some who walked without God their entire life. But I do have memories of times when I lived out of His will and lived according to my own desires.
I think back to the time when we first got married, out of college. We went to church but were Sunday believers. At work, I just wanted to fit it in, to be like everyone else. All my childhood I was known as the "goody two shoes", the pastor's daughter. I lived under a microscope, while constanstly being watched to see if I would stumble and tarnish my parent's good name in some way. It was the best feeling just sitting in the back row, no one even knowing our name. While some of the volumes of Scripture that I had memorized through my childhood lingered in the back of my mind, I was trying to figure out if I really believed all that it had to say, or if it was good for my parents and not necessarily for me.
I asked God to forgive my sins and come into my heart many times over the years. When I went to church activities and camps, I often wanted to make sure that it was for real, that I truly was a follower. My life didn't radically change though until I started having kids. All of a sudden it occured to me that I would have someone watching my every word and deed and now I would be responsible for molding and shaping the life of someone else. Every word that came out of my mouth would some day be repeated. My habits and perceptions of others would form the fabric of how my child would see life.
In essence, I finally understood the importance and the need to give all of my life to Christ, to put away my old life and become a new creation. No longer was I going to church because I had to, or out of religious duty, now I was going to church to be a part of others, to serve, to worship the one who created me.
Everything about me was changing. I started listening to different music. I became convicted about what tv shows I watched. The movies that I watched began to have less language, less violence, less everything. It wasn't that I was following a list of the do's and don'ts that my parents had reiterated again and again. I just didn't have the desire to do what I once did. My greatest desire now became to please God. I once lived a life of fear, living in shame for all the ways I had dishonored God and for all of what I had done. After confessing to Him, it was in the past. Hebrews 8:12 says, "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more". He doesn't hold the past over our heads. Once we ask Him to forgive us, it is gone forever. We are the ones that keep bringing it up, always looking back.
The best word picture I compare myself to is a butterfly. A caterpillar is kind of dull and spiky looking. For awhile, it stays in a very dark place. While he is in the cocoon, he is slowly growing. When He emerges he is completely different, he is a new creature. Actually, he isn't stuck moving at such a slow pace now, now he has the freedom to fly.
It takes a lot of time and work at times on our part to grow. It takes discipline to attend bible studies and do the homework. It takes self discipline to study the Word. It takes effort at times to go to church or a fellowship with other believers when you don't feel like it. At times, all of these things are easy to do, we want to go, we want to learn, we want to be with others. And then, there are others, life seems a little more dry, and yet, doing these things helps us to become more like Him. In order to grow, to become like new, we need the help of Jesus to continue the work that He started in us, but we also must do our part and seek Him.
When we read the Bible and we just do what it says, life becomes so much more simple. By following Him, there is more freedom, freedom to be who He created us to be. People have said to me more than once, "You seem so different then when I knew you back then." Transformation occurs when we seek to follow Jesus, we just can't help but become different.
Are you the same as you have always been? Do people see a difference in who you are, what you say and how you act since you met Him?
Monday, April 18, 2011
Hope
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me and find we when you seek me with all of your heart. Jer 29:11-12
This is a verse that I have gone back to over and over in my life the past eight years. I wish I could etch it onto my heart so that I wouldn't forget the promises found in these verses when I am in a dark place. Although I always go to him with my deepest thoughts and feelings, it always seems as if He isn't there, like He doesn't hear my cries. I think these thoughts are voices from Satan, trying to make me doubt that God even cares about me. When I go to that place, things seem so hopeless, like I am going to be trapped in that tunnel forever. These thoughts according to these verses are a lie. There is no truth in any of those statements!
We have to remember that the enemy's plans for us is to capture and destroy our hearts. If he can rob us of our joy, capture us in depression, make us believe there is no hope, and make us believe as if we are completely abandoned then in the end, we will lack trust in God. If we doubt who God is or doubt His promises to us, then we will start living and making decisions based on our own logic and emotions. When we do that, we will wander far from God's plan for our lives. When we wander from God and His Word, we will end up sinning. When we end up sinning, there are all kinds of consequences.
There is no worse place than to be isolated. Often when we are in a dark place, we remove ourselves from friends, family, people who love us. We don't want others to see us in a vulnerable place, a place of pain.
I think often about an eighth grade boy who lived in our community that has died this past month. He was so isolated, living in a dark place alone. His pain was so deep and his suffering so great that he thought that if he left this earth, it would give him a better life than what he had here. He had lost all hope, thinking he would never have a future. This picture sends me back to this verse.
There are five promises in these two verses: I will prosper you, I will give you hope, I will give you a future, I will listen, and You will find me. What do I need to do to receive these promises? He has already given us the first three without any action from us! He will make us prosper, He will give us hope and a future. Because of His provision, He wants us to call out to him with our suffering, come to Him, pray to Him, seek Him. When we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him and He is listening.
So what if you are so sad, you don't even know how to pray? In the same way, the Spirit (Holy Spirit) helps us in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searces our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to God's will. Romans 8:26-27
Ok, now you are saying you lost me along the way. If you are a follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in you. He is a comforter, counselor, one who convicts. But he has another job, He intercedes on our behalf to God, telling him what pain lies within us even when we don't know how to pray. When I lost my dad, there were no words to say for months about how much pain I felt when I lost him. There were times when I couldn't even pray because I didn't know what to say. There have been other times when I have been deeply hurt and there were no words. The Holy Spirit speaks on my behalf. God has made a way for us in our suffering, not only in His promises but also as a helper when we find ourselves in the valleys.
This is a verse that I have gone back to over and over in my life the past eight years. I wish I could etch it onto my heart so that I wouldn't forget the promises found in these verses when I am in a dark place. Although I always go to him with my deepest thoughts and feelings, it always seems as if He isn't there, like He doesn't hear my cries. I think these thoughts are voices from Satan, trying to make me doubt that God even cares about me. When I go to that place, things seem so hopeless, like I am going to be trapped in that tunnel forever. These thoughts according to these verses are a lie. There is no truth in any of those statements!
We have to remember that the enemy's plans for us is to capture and destroy our hearts. If he can rob us of our joy, capture us in depression, make us believe there is no hope, and make us believe as if we are completely abandoned then in the end, we will lack trust in God. If we doubt who God is or doubt His promises to us, then we will start living and making decisions based on our own logic and emotions. When we do that, we will wander far from God's plan for our lives. When we wander from God and His Word, we will end up sinning. When we end up sinning, there are all kinds of consequences.
There is no worse place than to be isolated. Often when we are in a dark place, we remove ourselves from friends, family, people who love us. We don't want others to see us in a vulnerable place, a place of pain.
I think often about an eighth grade boy who lived in our community that has died this past month. He was so isolated, living in a dark place alone. His pain was so deep and his suffering so great that he thought that if he left this earth, it would give him a better life than what he had here. He had lost all hope, thinking he would never have a future. This picture sends me back to this verse.
There are five promises in these two verses: I will prosper you, I will give you hope, I will give you a future, I will listen, and You will find me. What do I need to do to receive these promises? He has already given us the first three without any action from us! He will make us prosper, He will give us hope and a future. Because of His provision, He wants us to call out to him with our suffering, come to Him, pray to Him, seek Him. When we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him and He is listening.
So what if you are so sad, you don't even know how to pray? In the same way, the Spirit (Holy Spirit) helps us in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searces our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to God's will. Romans 8:26-27
Ok, now you are saying you lost me along the way. If you are a follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in you. He is a comforter, counselor, one who convicts. But he has another job, He intercedes on our behalf to God, telling him what pain lies within us even when we don't know how to pray. When I lost my dad, there were no words to say for months about how much pain I felt when I lost him. There were times when I couldn't even pray because I didn't know what to say. There have been other times when I have been deeply hurt and there were no words. The Holy Spirit speaks on my behalf. God has made a way for us in our suffering, not only in His promises but also as a helper when we find ourselves in the valleys.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Marriage: Making Deposits and Withdrawals
Marriage is full of gives and takes, compromises and sacrifices. I have one of the best examples to follow just 15 minutes away. My grandparents have been married for 70 years! Yes, you read that correctly 70! That is almost an eternity, I don't know anyone else who has been married 70 years do you? So the first question that may come to your mind with 50% of all marriages ending in divorce is how in the heck have they done this...
Grandpa has said his entire life, men will always get the last word in if he just says "Yes dear!" I have always thought certain things about this statement. First of all, was he always the one to compromise? Second, was he always the one who was watching over grandma or did she give in return? I think they learned the art of give and take.
What is a deposit? The dictionary says to place for safe-keeping or in trust. In this context I think you can make all kind of deposits in the life of your spouse. These deposits might be: allowing your spouse to be their own person and doing the things that interest them most. You can give them time alone with their friends, or allow them to purchase things within agreed upon amounts or within the resources that are alloted that make them happy. Sometimes it is important to do tasks that are important to them or run errands for them. Make them feel important by setting time for special dates alone without family or friends. Be available!
Emotional deposits might be: saying I love you, holding hands, having more sex, giving compliments or words of respect or appreciation. Talk about them with high regard to others in their presence or even in their absence. Back up their decisions with regards to child rearing when kids play one parent against the other. Encourage your spouse to dream big dreams and help them achieve future goals. Anything that allows the other person to be as God created them to be, that inspires them to love others, and that allows them to continue to grow and encourages the other to grow closer in their marriage as one is a deposit.
A withdrawal means...the art of taking something back or away, separation, emotional detachment. Withdrawals can be unkind words, disrespectful looks, silence, indifference, lack of attention or compliments, lack of honesty or breaking a confidence. Many people think that intimacy is sex alone. Intimacy is defined as the feeling of being in close personal association and belonging together. Belonging together is...sharing life experiences, memories, daily routines, enjoying each other's company, having things in common, expressing to your spouse they are loved and secure is intimacy.
I think after 70 years there is more binding my grandparents together than just the physical bond. Although the family will tell you that their's wasn't a perfect life, the two of them, they learned the art of belonging together. My grandpa has told me over and over in the past five years, as he has brushed past death's door on more than one occasion, that he has remained here on earth to watch over my grandma. They have learned the art of intimacy, although they aren't dreaming new dreams or planning what they will do in the future, they talk about leaving this earth together and getting new bodies, being reunited with family and friends that have left this earth before them.
When you think about your spouse, how do you view your relationship? Do you make more deposits or withdrawals? Do you see your relationship as a valuable asset? Do you take responsibility for your own liabilities or do you blame your spouse when you think life could be better? What will it take for your relationship to last 70 years? If you want it to last 70 years, what quality will your relationship be if both of you just make withdrawals? What kind of deposits need to be made for it to be a fulfilling relationship if you live that long?
Grandpa has said his entire life, men will always get the last word in if he just says "Yes dear!" I have always thought certain things about this statement. First of all, was he always the one to compromise? Second, was he always the one who was watching over grandma or did she give in return? I think they learned the art of give and take.
What is a deposit? The dictionary says to place for safe-keeping or in trust. In this context I think you can make all kind of deposits in the life of your spouse. These deposits might be: allowing your spouse to be their own person and doing the things that interest them most. You can give them time alone with their friends, or allow them to purchase things within agreed upon amounts or within the resources that are alloted that make them happy. Sometimes it is important to do tasks that are important to them or run errands for them. Make them feel important by setting time for special dates alone without family or friends. Be available!
Emotional deposits might be: saying I love you, holding hands, having more sex, giving compliments or words of respect or appreciation. Talk about them with high regard to others in their presence or even in their absence. Back up their decisions with regards to child rearing when kids play one parent against the other. Encourage your spouse to dream big dreams and help them achieve future goals. Anything that allows the other person to be as God created them to be, that inspires them to love others, and that allows them to continue to grow and encourages the other to grow closer in their marriage as one is a deposit.
A withdrawal means...the art of taking something back or away, separation, emotional detachment. Withdrawals can be unkind words, disrespectful looks, silence, indifference, lack of attention or compliments, lack of honesty or breaking a confidence. Many people think that intimacy is sex alone. Intimacy is defined as the feeling of being in close personal association and belonging together. Belonging together is...sharing life experiences, memories, daily routines, enjoying each other's company, having things in common, expressing to your spouse they are loved and secure is intimacy.
I think after 70 years there is more binding my grandparents together than just the physical bond. Although the family will tell you that their's wasn't a perfect life, the two of them, they learned the art of belonging together. My grandpa has told me over and over in the past five years, as he has brushed past death's door on more than one occasion, that he has remained here on earth to watch over my grandma. They have learned the art of intimacy, although they aren't dreaming new dreams or planning what they will do in the future, they talk about leaving this earth together and getting new bodies, being reunited with family and friends that have left this earth before them.
When you think about your spouse, how do you view your relationship? Do you make more deposits or withdrawals? Do you see your relationship as a valuable asset? Do you take responsibility for your own liabilities or do you blame your spouse when you think life could be better? What will it take for your relationship to last 70 years? If you want it to last 70 years, what quality will your relationship be if both of you just make withdrawals? What kind of deposits need to be made for it to be a fulfilling relationship if you live that long?
Monday, April 11, 2011
Laughter: Medicine for the Soul
A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:13
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad consider: God has made one as well as the other. Ecclesiastes 7:14
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:...a time to weep and a time to laugh. Eccl. 3:1-4
There is so much in life around us that is sad. When I was a child, life was so carefree. I ate meals, went to school, came home rode bikes outside and caught fireflies by night in the summer time, barefoot without much knowledge of what was happening in the world around me. For years as a family, our kids did not know what happened 9/11, until just two years ago when they talked about it in school. I wanted my kids to be carefree, not knowing about murders and famines and all the injustices of the world. I wanted them to enjoy a life of innocence.
It is very difficult for me to make my family laugh. I have always been such a serious person. One of my favorite shows growing up was the Three Stooges. I know, I have a warped sense of humor, people tripping and falling. The other night we were watching old clips of Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live and Abby I were laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. It isn't often that I laugh that hard.
I believe one of the reasons that Dylan was born into our family was to help us lighten up. He thrives on being a clown; at school, at church, at the dinner table. He is full of exaggerated stories, faces and has always tried to enterain everyone since he was a toddler. He lives for the thrill of making someone laugh. It is a gift I believe, not everyone has that ability to make someone else laugh. Our challenge is to teach the principle of "there is a time for everything", all of his teachers don't always see that it is a gift for someone to be able to entertain and make others laugh!
So many Christians walk around looking like they have just eaten a large lemon. If you read the New Testament, most of Jesus' words are telling a story to get his point across. I picture Him laid back with a smile on His face most of the time. He must have been so intriguing that people walked for miles to follow what He had to say going from place to place to be with Him. He must have been so entertaining that He was a people magnet drawing crowds everywhere he went. Even the children wanted to sit in His lap.
Are you one who enjoys the moment, enjoying life whether you are at work or at play? Are people drawn to you? Do you look like you have eaten a lemon or do people walk away after your time together feeling better about themselves?
So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of life God has given him under the sun. Eccl. 8:15
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad consider: God has made one as well as the other. Ecclesiastes 7:14
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:...a time to weep and a time to laugh. Eccl. 3:1-4
There is so much in life around us that is sad. When I was a child, life was so carefree. I ate meals, went to school, came home rode bikes outside and caught fireflies by night in the summer time, barefoot without much knowledge of what was happening in the world around me. For years as a family, our kids did not know what happened 9/11, until just two years ago when they talked about it in school. I wanted my kids to be carefree, not knowing about murders and famines and all the injustices of the world. I wanted them to enjoy a life of innocence.
It is very difficult for me to make my family laugh. I have always been such a serious person. One of my favorite shows growing up was the Three Stooges. I know, I have a warped sense of humor, people tripping and falling. The other night we were watching old clips of Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live and Abby I were laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. It isn't often that I laugh that hard.
I believe one of the reasons that Dylan was born into our family was to help us lighten up. He thrives on being a clown; at school, at church, at the dinner table. He is full of exaggerated stories, faces and has always tried to enterain everyone since he was a toddler. He lives for the thrill of making someone laugh. It is a gift I believe, not everyone has that ability to make someone else laugh. Our challenge is to teach the principle of "there is a time for everything", all of his teachers don't always see that it is a gift for someone to be able to entertain and make others laugh!
So many Christians walk around looking like they have just eaten a large lemon. If you read the New Testament, most of Jesus' words are telling a story to get his point across. I picture Him laid back with a smile on His face most of the time. He must have been so intriguing that people walked for miles to follow what He had to say going from place to place to be with Him. He must have been so entertaining that He was a people magnet drawing crowds everywhere he went. Even the children wanted to sit in His lap.
Are you one who enjoys the moment, enjoying life whether you are at work or at play? Are people drawn to you? Do you look like you have eaten a lemon or do people walk away after your time together feeling better about themselves?
So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of life God has given him under the sun. Eccl. 8:15
Saturday, April 9, 2011
In A Frenzy
Cast all of your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you. I Peter 5:7
Have you ever had someone in your life who makes mountains out of molehills? Everything little thing in life is a major catastrophe! There are people in our life who are just a bundle of nerves. They are anxious, gittery, carrying all of their burdens in their backpack like a ton of bricks. Anxiety makes them miserable and sometimes us too when we come across them.
We came across a stranger such as this the other day. Dylan was walking our bigger dog Chloe after school. He fell on the curb and lost a hold of Chloe's leash. A stranger was walking her little dog across the street when Chloe ran up to her. She didn't jump, which is abnormal for her, nor did she bark. She then ran around the corner into our friend's garage.
I wasn't aware of the situation until a woman rang the doorbell and was in frenzied state. Her story went that Dylan had let go of Chloe and Chloe took a big chunk out of her dog's tail. I didn't see any sign of blood but what was evident was a dog that was shaking and a woman in a panic stricken state.
After she left, according to some kids that were with Dylan, they confirmed his side of the story. As the stranger picked her little dog up quickly, her dog took a bite out of Chloe. She proceeded to yell profanities at Chloe and the kids. When she came to my front door, the story she told me was quite different from that of the kids. She was screaming at me about how irresponsible I was. I calmly spoke to her and apologized profusely before hearing the other side. My biggest concern was the fact that she was hyperventilating so hard that I was worried she was going to pass out and I was going to have to call the ambulance.
I have to say that I am guilty from time to time about being anxious about things. To others I appear a little more calm than the frenzied stranger, but there are times when I don't sleep at night because I am carrying burdens that I have no control of. So what can I do in those situations?
Philippians 4:6 says it best, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." The relief of carrying such a heavy backpack comes next..."And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
I have a choice, I can either lie awake at night pondering and playing scenarios over and over in mind, waking up in the morning feeling like I have never slept or I can ask God to carry my anxieties for me and He will grant me peace in my heart and mind. If I can only remember that I don't have to do this alone, He truly cares about me and my state of mind.
Have you ever had someone in your life who makes mountains out of molehills? Everything little thing in life is a major catastrophe! There are people in our life who are just a bundle of nerves. They are anxious, gittery, carrying all of their burdens in their backpack like a ton of bricks. Anxiety makes them miserable and sometimes us too when we come across them.
We came across a stranger such as this the other day. Dylan was walking our bigger dog Chloe after school. He fell on the curb and lost a hold of Chloe's leash. A stranger was walking her little dog across the street when Chloe ran up to her. She didn't jump, which is abnormal for her, nor did she bark. She then ran around the corner into our friend's garage.
I wasn't aware of the situation until a woman rang the doorbell and was in frenzied state. Her story went that Dylan had let go of Chloe and Chloe took a big chunk out of her dog's tail. I didn't see any sign of blood but what was evident was a dog that was shaking and a woman in a panic stricken state.
After she left, according to some kids that were with Dylan, they confirmed his side of the story. As the stranger picked her little dog up quickly, her dog took a bite out of Chloe. She proceeded to yell profanities at Chloe and the kids. When she came to my front door, the story she told me was quite different from that of the kids. She was screaming at me about how irresponsible I was. I calmly spoke to her and apologized profusely before hearing the other side. My biggest concern was the fact that she was hyperventilating so hard that I was worried she was going to pass out and I was going to have to call the ambulance.
I have to say that I am guilty from time to time about being anxious about things. To others I appear a little more calm than the frenzied stranger, but there are times when I don't sleep at night because I am carrying burdens that I have no control of. So what can I do in those situations?
Philippians 4:6 says it best, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." The relief of carrying such a heavy backpack comes next..."And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
I have a choice, I can either lie awake at night pondering and playing scenarios over and over in mind, waking up in the morning feeling like I have never slept or I can ask God to carry my anxieties for me and He will grant me peace in my heart and mind. If I can only remember that I don't have to do this alone, He truly cares about me and my state of mind.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Blowing Your Top!
Anger: A Powerful Emotion
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29:11
An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. Proverbs 29:22
No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in God's likeness. James 3:8-9
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. For man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:19-20
God has created us with the capacity to feel many emotions. Anger can be used for the positive but in many cases it is used in a negative manner. Jesus felt a righteous anger because men were using the temple to make a profit by cheating people by selling animals used to sacrifice at inflated prices. He overturned their tables and money went flying everywhere. But what he didn't do was yell at them or call them names. He confronted them so they would stop what they were doing. This story is found in Matthew 21.
When we feel we have been taken advantage of, not given the credit or respect that we deserve, we act in less than loving ways. Instead of walking away until we can calmly address the person and the subject, we act in less than appropriate ways, in essence, in our anger we sin. Ephesians 4:26
We sometimes yell at those in harms way and don't take seriously the power of our tongue to hurt. Once our words are said, they cannot be taken back. They can be forgiven, but they are permanently written in the memory of the receiver!
We find fault with others to make ourselves feel more superior. Blaming without asking questions or asking for facts before coming to a conclusive decision imposes guilt and shame that might not be warranted. When a fight occures between our kids, before I jump to conclusions about who will receive the punishment, I ask both kids their side of the story. Often if I have not been a witness and I hear yelling and fighting from both of them, I find they are both deemed guilty! Put downs can occur with just a condescending tone, but talking down to the other person makes them feel small or insignificant.
Often we get angry because things have not been done our way. We are called to put the best interests of others ahead of our own, yet sometimes we want to get even. Sometimes when we suffer embarrassment, witness misbehavior, lose an important possession, or miss an opportunity, we want the other person to suffer for the fact that we are disappointed.
The best example to follow so that you don't cross the line with anger is found in I Corinthians 13...
Love is:
Patient...Are the words that I am speaking without thought as to how they will impact the receiver?
Kind...Are my words unkind?
Love is not:
Proud...Am I speaking words to build myself up?
Rude...Are my words coming across disrespectful, am I willing to listen to the other point of view?
Self-Seeking...Am I trying to get my own way, or am I justifying my emotions at someone else's expense?
Easily angered...Are my words hostile, am I exasperating the other person?
Love does not:
Envy...Am I trying to control the other person by what I am saying?
Boast...Are these words bragging and making me feel superior?
Delight in evil...Are these words destroying the other person?
Love always:
Protects...Am I attacking someone I love?
Trusts...Am I causing the other person to question my love for them or putting doubt in their mind about whether the relationship is secure?
Hopes...Am I causing despair and lack of hope for the future?
Perseveres...Do my words lessen the other's motivation to be their best, do they know that I will care about them no matter what?
Keeps no records of wrongs...Do my words come from past unresolved issues or hurts?
Rejoices with the truth...Do these words reflect truth to motivate constructive change or are they based on emotion that might not hold any truth?
Never fails...Do these words reflect loss of love and respect for the receiver?
I tell you the truth that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12:36-37
Before speaking or yelling in haste, in the impulse of the moment ask these questions:
How does the person I am unloading on feel when I am venting without thought or reason?
Am I displaying anger in an appropriate manner that I want kids to adapt in their future relationships and families?
Am I seeking to restore the relationship through conflict?
Will this outburst encourage future trust to share personal thoughts and feelings or impair the relationship?
Am I committed to meeting the needs of the other person or am I looking out for myself?
Do I have an exit strategy when I feel like I am going to explode?
Would Jesus speak to me or treat me in this manner when I fall short of His expectations for me?
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint and a man of understanding is even tempered".
Proverbs 17:27
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
On Bended Knee
Surrender
It is written: As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:11-12
One of the first original sins that drove Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit was that she wanted to be JUST LIKE GOD! She wanted to do her own thing, and that she did! What did it get her? It got her butt thrown out of the garden and numerous other curses thrown upon her and Adam for their disobedience. They had complete freedom, they just couldn't eat from that one tree but they couldn't follow that one rule!
There are a few friends of mine that I have prayed for years. I have prayed and contemplated why they have never surrendered their lives to Christ. I can only come up with one thing...They are so accustomed to handling life alone, in their own way, they don't want to lose control of letting go of their old life and their old way of doing things! I often think that it is most difficult for men to surrender their lives to Christ. He created men to provide for their families, to be problem solvers, to handle many situations of crisis. By surrendering and saying, "Christ, I am a sinner, please forgive me. I give you every aspect of my heart and my life to do as you will." By saying these things, you have to trust and let go. The first act of surrender is a bent knee, acknowledging that there is only one God, that Jesus Christ is Lord, Lord of all the earth and Lord of my life.
Surrender is a journey. It is a never ending relinquishing of my rights and my wants. There are times that I want to hold back bits and pieces thinking that I can control certain events, certain people, I can change the outcome of the lives around me.
Even when I see weaknesses in my own character, like a consistent eating and exercise plan, I try to do these things in my own power and knowledge. I fail miserably time and time again. He wants even these parts of me. He wants me to ask for His help in being victorious. Recently, I decided to give up the fight. Apart from Him, I can't fight this current battle so I give up, I've given it to Him!
What do you hold back and have a difficult time surrendering? Is it your entire life? Is it your wants and desires? Is it a person that you love that you know is not God's best for you?
The word picture that I keep in the front of my mind is my hand. A closed fist reminds me that I choose to choose my own way. An open hand reminds me that I release all of my life to Him, allowing Him to guide me and my future.
It is written: As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:11-12
One of the first original sins that drove Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit was that she wanted to be JUST LIKE GOD! She wanted to do her own thing, and that she did! What did it get her? It got her butt thrown out of the garden and numerous other curses thrown upon her and Adam for their disobedience. They had complete freedom, they just couldn't eat from that one tree but they couldn't follow that one rule!
There are a few friends of mine that I have prayed for years. I have prayed and contemplated why they have never surrendered their lives to Christ. I can only come up with one thing...They are so accustomed to handling life alone, in their own way, they don't want to lose control of letting go of their old life and their old way of doing things! I often think that it is most difficult for men to surrender their lives to Christ. He created men to provide for their families, to be problem solvers, to handle many situations of crisis. By surrendering and saying, "Christ, I am a sinner, please forgive me. I give you every aspect of my heart and my life to do as you will." By saying these things, you have to trust and let go. The first act of surrender is a bent knee, acknowledging that there is only one God, that Jesus Christ is Lord, Lord of all the earth and Lord of my life.
Surrender is a journey. It is a never ending relinquishing of my rights and my wants. There are times that I want to hold back bits and pieces thinking that I can control certain events, certain people, I can change the outcome of the lives around me.
Even when I see weaknesses in my own character, like a consistent eating and exercise plan, I try to do these things in my own power and knowledge. I fail miserably time and time again. He wants even these parts of me. He wants me to ask for His help in being victorious. Recently, I decided to give up the fight. Apart from Him, I can't fight this current battle so I give up, I've given it to Him!
What do you hold back and have a difficult time surrendering? Is it your entire life? Is it your wants and desires? Is it a person that you love that you know is not God's best for you?
The word picture that I keep in the front of my mind is my hand. A closed fist reminds me that I choose to choose my own way. An open hand reminds me that I release all of my life to Him, allowing Him to guide me and my future.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Faithful
The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all he has made. Psalm 145:13
Over the past 10 years I have come to understand so much about God's faithfulness. Time and time again in the Bible He makes a promise to a person or nation and is faithful in keeping His Word.
I remember best by word pictures. If I can see the picture in my mind I don't ever forget the principle. Several years ago I was going through a very dark place in my life. The kids were young and we were going to the library that day. There was such a drastic picture for me, right before my very eyes. The previous day I kept asking the Lord where He was in my life, I felt like He had abandoned me and that I was all alone. As we were driving eastbound I was driving in the sunlight.
About five miles in front of me was the blackest sky over the top of the mountains. I have seen that scene many times for often it rains over those mountains but we don't even get a drop of rain less than two miles away. What was most unusual was in front of the blackest sky was one of the most brilliant double rainbows I have ever seen with all of the colors. It wasn't a partial rainbow but you could see the entire rainbow from one end to the other. I have heard people over the years say "Oh, look at that pretty rainbow." From that day on, I have instilled in my children that rainbows are a gift from God to us, a fulfillment of a promise. He was there with me, He had never left!
In Genesis 6 we learn the story of Noah. It says in verse 5 that "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air for I am grieved that I made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."
So Noah and his family and 2 of every kind of species floated in a gigantic boat while all of life was wiped off of earth because of man's sinfulness. So after everything was covered in water and they were on dry land God said to Noah and his sons, "I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all of life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant."
Look around you, wars and rumors of wars, spouses leaving behind their families for another, murders, robberies, gossip and malice, envy and "keeping up with the Jones"! His tolerance for sin has never changed. It says that the Lord was grieved by all of the sin that He saw man committing. He was even sorry He had ever created man. The Bible says God is the same yesterday, today and forever. So why are we still here? Because back then He made a promise to all of mankind, that He wouldn't wipe us off the planet for the sins we commit.
There are hundreds of promises in Scripture, many if then statements; if you do this, you will reap this blessing, if you don't follow this command, then this consequence will occur. God doesn't change, His Word doesn't change, His faithfulness to us and what He promises doesn't change. It is the only security we have in this lifetime!!!
Do you know His promises well enough to stand on them when life seems uncertain?
Over the past 10 years I have come to understand so much about God's faithfulness. Time and time again in the Bible He makes a promise to a person or nation and is faithful in keeping His Word.
I remember best by word pictures. If I can see the picture in my mind I don't ever forget the principle. Several years ago I was going through a very dark place in my life. The kids were young and we were going to the library that day. There was such a drastic picture for me, right before my very eyes. The previous day I kept asking the Lord where He was in my life, I felt like He had abandoned me and that I was all alone. As we were driving eastbound I was driving in the sunlight.
About five miles in front of me was the blackest sky over the top of the mountains. I have seen that scene many times for often it rains over those mountains but we don't even get a drop of rain less than two miles away. What was most unusual was in front of the blackest sky was one of the most brilliant double rainbows I have ever seen with all of the colors. It wasn't a partial rainbow but you could see the entire rainbow from one end to the other. I have heard people over the years say "Oh, look at that pretty rainbow." From that day on, I have instilled in my children that rainbows are a gift from God to us, a fulfillment of a promise. He was there with me, He had never left!
In Genesis 6 we learn the story of Noah. It says in verse 5 that "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air for I am grieved that I made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."
So Noah and his family and 2 of every kind of species floated in a gigantic boat while all of life was wiped off of earth because of man's sinfulness. So after everything was covered in water and they were on dry land God said to Noah and his sons, "I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all of life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant."
Look around you, wars and rumors of wars, spouses leaving behind their families for another, murders, robberies, gossip and malice, envy and "keeping up with the Jones"! His tolerance for sin has never changed. It says that the Lord was grieved by all of the sin that He saw man committing. He was even sorry He had ever created man. The Bible says God is the same yesterday, today and forever. So why are we still here? Because back then He made a promise to all of mankind, that He wouldn't wipe us off the planet for the sins we commit.
There are hundreds of promises in Scripture, many if then statements; if you do this, you will reap this blessing, if you don't follow this command, then this consequence will occur. God doesn't change, His Word doesn't change, His faithfulness to us and what He promises doesn't change. It is the only security we have in this lifetime!!!
Do you know His promises well enough to stand on them when life seems uncertain?
Monday, April 4, 2011
The Simple Things
Taking Things for Granted
You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. Psalm 65:9-12
We live in the desert. Every summer the mountains and the plants turn brown and everything looks dead. Scrubby bushes along the road look like dead weeds. Spring is definitely here in Arizona. The plants and bushes that appear as weeds are filled with wildflowers of every color. We aren't blessed with much rain here, but when it comes, it is welcome by all who live here.
What would it be like to be a girl from our church, whom at 3, discovered she wasn't developing because she couldn't hear? They gave her hearing aids and she was able to hear 40%. Two years ago as a high schooler she had an implant and her hearing has been restored to 90% in one ear. How her life has been transformed to be able to hear the birds singing and music from her ipod! What if we lived in a world of entire silence?
As I was at the gym today it dawned on me how blessed I am that my legs are useful enough to be able to workout. This weekend we went bike riding with the kids and it was such a nice ride! Why is it that I don't use them more often? What if something happened and I no longer had the use of them like I once did? What if I couldn't do things with my kids like bike, hike, ski because I was confined to a wheel chair?
Who causes the beautiful waterfalls to flow in Hawaii and Colorado? Who supplies the waters in the many lakes of Minnesota and Michigan? Who send the rains to the crops in the midwest that supply all of our food for us and the animals to consume? Who gives the farmers success in their crops year after year? Who keeps us from famine?
Who has created so many places on earth that reflect how beautiful the original garden looked like? Why would He create such beauty? I think because He loves beauty Himself. He has created so many variations of flowers and trees. There are so many different species of animals, birds and fish, all for us to enjoy!
How many times to do we just sit on our chairs outside and stop to listen the birds singing, enjoying the sun on our faces, the clouds in the sky, the rabbits running playfully across the grass? Today I stopped to say thank you for the simple things like my hearing, sight and the ability to use my legs. What simple things are you thankful for? Take the time to enjoy the simple things in life and acknowledge that is God who gives us those things!
You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. Psalm 65:9-12
We live in the desert. Every summer the mountains and the plants turn brown and everything looks dead. Scrubby bushes along the road look like dead weeds. Spring is definitely here in Arizona. The plants and bushes that appear as weeds are filled with wildflowers of every color. We aren't blessed with much rain here, but when it comes, it is welcome by all who live here.
Last week after having watered all of my plants and pulling weeds, I took about 20 minutes to just sit on the patio with the ceiling fans blowing a gentle breeze. I sat quietly with the dogs on either side of me in silence. I heard birds singing all around me and a dark green hummingbird came to say hello to us. I was admiring the brilliant color of my petunias and geraniums blooming and I began to think what it would be like to be someone like Scott McIntyre. He attends the church we used to attend and was an American Idol contestant last year. Scott is an amazing musician, has a great voice and an accomplished pianist. What would it be like to never be able to see the brilliant flowers or the views of our mountains that surround us, turning green from all of the vegetation in the spring?
What would it be like to be a girl from our church, whom at 3, discovered she wasn't developing because she couldn't hear? They gave her hearing aids and she was able to hear 40%. Two years ago as a high schooler she had an implant and her hearing has been restored to 90% in one ear. How her life has been transformed to be able to hear the birds singing and music from her ipod! What if we lived in a world of entire silence?
As I was at the gym today it dawned on me how blessed I am that my legs are useful enough to be able to workout. This weekend we went bike riding with the kids and it was such a nice ride! Why is it that I don't use them more often? What if something happened and I no longer had the use of them like I once did? What if I couldn't do things with my kids like bike, hike, ski because I was confined to a wheel chair?
Who causes the beautiful waterfalls to flow in Hawaii and Colorado? Who supplies the waters in the many lakes of Minnesota and Michigan? Who send the rains to the crops in the midwest that supply all of our food for us and the animals to consume? Who gives the farmers success in their crops year after year? Who keeps us from famine?
Who has created so many places on earth that reflect how beautiful the original garden looked like? Why would He create such beauty? I think because He loves beauty Himself. He has created so many variations of flowers and trees. There are so many different species of animals, birds and fish, all for us to enjoy!
How many times to do we just sit on our chairs outside and stop to listen the birds singing, enjoying the sun on our faces, the clouds in the sky, the rabbits running playfully across the grass? Today I stopped to say thank you for the simple things like my hearing, sight and the ability to use my legs. What simple things are you thankful for? Take the time to enjoy the simple things in life and acknowledge that is God who gives us those things!
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