In a season of reflection and resolutions, I would like to encourage you to consider the following:
Promising to perfect yourself in some way is not enough to change. Talking to others about the ways you would like to change, is not enough to change. Change takes work, sometimes hard work. Change may not be what we expected.
Ask yourself why you're making a resolution. What motivates the change that you're seeking in your life? Are you attempting to measure yourself against someone else's expectations for you, or have you clearly established a relationship with God - your maker and sustainer? He know the plans that He has for you.
Don't go into this new year, resolved to do anything that falls outside of God specific will for your life. If you don't know what His will is, or how to find it, that would be a good place to start.
God Bless you in your journey for 2007!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Be Still and Know
So a paragraph of my devotional this week stuck out as something you should hear.
From This Day with the Master, by Dennis Kinlaw
"The God of creation is not caught in the flux and flow of human life. He is not limited by our limitations. He enters our existence and brings order where there is chaos, life where there is death. Where there is ambiguity, God brings certainty, and where there is ignorance, he brings knowledge and truth. These qualities - order, life, certainty, knowledge, and truth - can come only out of the biblical view of God."
How does God bring order, life, certainty, knowlege and truth into the reality of my life? I'll tell you the only way to get there - the only way to really allow a biblical view of God to rule your reality is to "be still."
To "be" is an interesting thing to think around. Think for a minute what Websters has to say about the definition of "be."
So, to "be still" is to take on the characteristics of stillness. Which are, according to Webster:
Stillness happens in the spirit, not necessarily in the physical or mental part of your being. I like 'muted' the best, because I relate to it easiest. Think about when you're watching TV and you 'mute' it. Whatever is playing is still happening - it's just not invading your world of sound. That picture helps me to identify how I can "be still," even when there's a lot going on around me that I have to be a part of. The 'stillness' invades the 'busy.' The 'busy' doesn't necessarily go away.
The really spectacular thing about the command to "be still," is that it's followed by, "and know that I AM GOD." That fact does not change with our passing circumstances or with the ups and downs of our emotions. It's true regardless of if life is keeping us on the couch, or we have an overwhelming number of responsibilities. He IS GOD. He is beyond all the things that come into our lives, by our own hands, or by the hands of others! You can have a calm assurance and stay in that perfect peace, but it takes the very specific decision to "be still."
From This Day with the Master, by Dennis Kinlaw
"The God of creation is not caught in the flux and flow of human life. He is not limited by our limitations. He enters our existence and brings order where there is chaos, life where there is death. Where there is ambiguity, God brings certainty, and where there is ignorance, he brings knowledge and truth. These qualities - order, life, certainty, knowledge, and truth - can come only out of the biblical view of God."
How does God bring order, life, certainty, knowlege and truth into the reality of my life? I'll tell you the only way to get there - the only way to really allow a biblical view of God to rule your reality is to "be still."
To "be" is an interesting thing to think around. Think for a minute what Websters has to say about the definition of "be."
to equal in meaning : have the same connotation as (ex. God is love); to have a specified qualification or characterization (ex. the leaves are green); to have an objective existence : have reality or actuality (ex. I think, therefore I am); to have, maintain, or occupy a place, situation, or position (ex. the book is on the table)
So, to "be still" is to take on the characteristics of stillness. Which are, according to Webster:
devoid of or abstaining from motion; uttering no sound; quite; subdued; muted; calm; tranquil; free from noise or turbulence
Stillness happens in the spirit, not necessarily in the physical or mental part of your being. I like 'muted' the best, because I relate to it easiest. Think about when you're watching TV and you 'mute' it. Whatever is playing is still happening - it's just not invading your world of sound. That picture helps me to identify how I can "be still," even when there's a lot going on around me that I have to be a part of. The 'stillness' invades the 'busy.' The 'busy' doesn't necessarily go away.
The really spectacular thing about the command to "be still," is that it's followed by, "and know that I AM GOD." That fact does not change with our passing circumstances or with the ups and downs of our emotions. It's true regardless of if life is keeping us on the couch, or we have an overwhelming number of responsibilities. He IS GOD. He is beyond all the things that come into our lives, by our own hands, or by the hands of others! You can have a calm assurance and stay in that perfect peace, but it takes the very specific decision to "be still."
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Comfort and Character
Have you ever noticed how often we arrange our lives so that we'll feel comfortable. We avoid the things we don't understand or make us feel uncomfortable. We spend countless hours and energy doing things that make us feel good. Even many of the thoughts we think are all about justifying our "position" so we'll feel better about ourselves.
I'm guilty. Just last night I was confronted with a situation that happened last week. I was able to see it from another person's perspective and when I did - immediately I started justifying, in my head, how they couldn't possibly understand my position. As if my position was superior or if they could see it from my perspective they wouldn't feel the way they do about me. To be honest, I didn't want to behave correctly and that would change their opinion about me, not them understanding my position.
Webster says this, among other things, about character: it's "one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual." It's as much about how others see me, as it is how I see myself. While others often do misunderstand or don't have enough information to make a judgement, sometimes they are completely right and it's important that we apply the information that we've learned from their perspective and not just "justify" it away.
Romans 12:3 (AMP) says this, "For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him."
God cares significantly about our character development (Christlikeness) and will invest more into it, rather than our comfort. His priorities are different than the priorities of the "flesh." It's pride and foolishness that resists the Holy Spirit and "justifies" bad behavior. It's often temptation for comfort that lures us from the character building exercises that are stratigically placed in our lives.
In applying this, I've come to this strange new understanding, that when stated seems obvious - it's a matter of the heart. Obedience is not optional. You may say, "no, duh," but I wonder if you've applied the principle to your life any better than I have! For me obedience has usually occured when it fit into my definition or level of comfort. Not when I couldn't understand the why's and how's, as if God owed me an explanation. Isaiah 55:9 says (of God), "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Thinking that God owes me an explaination is absurd! In many ways, I couldn't understand His explainations, even if He spent the time explaining them.
It's a choice. Often I bring suffering into my life by not making a choice that reflects God's priorities. My choices often reflect the priorities of my flesh. Those choices will leave a mark! God, through the Holy Spirit, provides us the opportunity for obedience, the power and strength to be obedient, the faith to believe that obedience is in our best interest, and the reward for our obedience as an act of worship. So every requirement that God places on us, He provides the ability to follow through. It is in finding our strength in Him that obedience is possible and our character develops. Strangely enough, the reward of obedience is a deep and abiding comfort that is better than anything we can create for ourselves!
I'm guilty. Just last night I was confronted with a situation that happened last week. I was able to see it from another person's perspective and when I did - immediately I started justifying, in my head, how they couldn't possibly understand my position. As if my position was superior or if they could see it from my perspective they wouldn't feel the way they do about me. To be honest, I didn't want to behave correctly and that would change their opinion about me, not them understanding my position.
Webster says this, among other things, about character: it's "one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual." It's as much about how others see me, as it is how I see myself. While others often do misunderstand or don't have enough information to make a judgement, sometimes they are completely right and it's important that we apply the information that we've learned from their perspective and not just "justify" it away.
Romans 12:3 (AMP) says this, "For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him."
God cares significantly about our character development (Christlikeness) and will invest more into it, rather than our comfort. His priorities are different than the priorities of the "flesh." It's pride and foolishness that resists the Holy Spirit and "justifies" bad behavior. It's often temptation for comfort that lures us from the character building exercises that are stratigically placed in our lives.
In applying this, I've come to this strange new understanding, that when stated seems obvious - it's a matter of the heart. Obedience is not optional. You may say, "no, duh," but I wonder if you've applied the principle to your life any better than I have! For me obedience has usually occured when it fit into my definition or level of comfort. Not when I couldn't understand the why's and how's, as if God owed me an explanation. Isaiah 55:9 says (of God), "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Thinking that God owes me an explaination is absurd! In many ways, I couldn't understand His explainations, even if He spent the time explaining them.
It's a choice. Often I bring suffering into my life by not making a choice that reflects God's priorities. My choices often reflect the priorities of my flesh. Those choices will leave a mark! God, through the Holy Spirit, provides us the opportunity for obedience, the power and strength to be obedient, the faith to believe that obedience is in our best interest, and the reward for our obedience as an act of worship. So every requirement that God places on us, He provides the ability to follow through. It is in finding our strength in Him that obedience is possible and our character develops. Strangely enough, the reward of obedience is a deep and abiding comfort that is better than anything we can create for ourselves!
Friday, September 01, 2006
Baby Steps
Are you taking the baby steps that you need to take that will move you towards the future that God has for your life? Are you tired enough of the way things have been to do them God's way?
These are retorical questions - you don't have to convince me. I'm accountable to God to ask you these questions. He knows the truth of your heart and it is His desire that you live in surrender and by the strength of His Holy Spirit, take the steps in the direction that He's calling you to! He is accepting you just the way you are - but He's not willing to let you live the spiritual life as a pauper - when you are indeed a child of the King. Accept it. It's yours because you believe. You do not control it - you simply live in it!
You may not see an immediate change in your physical circumstances. God desires that our surrender comes authentically in our current circumstances - then, as we trust Him to guide us and direct us, He either makes sense of our current physical circumstances OR our obedience "relieves" us of those circumstances - but we often graduate to a new set of physical circumstances that, once again challenge us, and at a whole new level. As we grow and change spiritually, there comes a peace that passes understanding - in the middle of the circumstances - not inspite of OR because of those circumstances.
The apostle Paul said this:
These are retorical questions - you don't have to convince me. I'm accountable to God to ask you these questions. He knows the truth of your heart and it is His desire that you live in surrender and by the strength of His Holy Spirit, take the steps in the direction that He's calling you to! He is accepting you just the way you are - but He's not willing to let you live the spiritual life as a pauper - when you are indeed a child of the King. Accept it. It's yours because you believe. You do not control it - you simply live in it!
You may not see an immediate change in your physical circumstances. God desires that our surrender comes authentically in our current circumstances - then, as we trust Him to guide us and direct us, He either makes sense of our current physical circumstances OR our obedience "relieves" us of those circumstances - but we often graduate to a new set of physical circumstances that, once again challenge us, and at a whole new level. As we grow and change spiritually, there comes a peace that passes understanding - in the middle of the circumstances - not inspite of OR because of those circumstances.
The apostle Paul said this:
"I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want." (Phil 4:12 AMP)
It's our spiritual maturity that affords us the luxury of being content. Contentment is a luxury, because when we are content, our mind is "at ease." I can't think of a better place to live!
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Something for us all
I was exchanging emails with a dear friend this week, who is struggling with choices and feeling like she will never escape the anger that has built up inside of her as a result of her choices and the choices of others. She's ready to get real with God - and I thought my final, Holy Spirit led, comment, would be something we all could relate to...here goes:
Have you ever read anything by Brennan Manning? I highly recommend "The Ragamuffin Gospel" and "The Signature of Jesus." These are EXCELLENT books that help to lead you on the experience that you're looking for (getting real with God).
I was talking to my spiritual mentor today about something I'm calling the "indellible mark of choice." If you stop to think about it, the result of most choices aren't experienced immediately. It's the build up, over time, that we come to realize the consequences of our choices and see the mark that they've left.
The choice to change is one that we often make in the depths of our misery. My cry was always, "just get me out of this pain." In desperation I would try the behaviors that I learned from the church (prayer, bible reading, service, tithe, etc.) to attempt to "do" my way into a relationship with God. I looked really good on the outside to a lot of people. The truth is, all my doing wasn't getting me into the close relationship that I (and all of us, ultimately) long for. It was when the path was cleared and I learned to "be," with all of my faults, frailties, failings and foolishness, that I began to experience a relationship with God that was real and authentic. Prayer, devotions, service, etc. are the fruit of a right relationship - not the path to a right relationship.
The enemy wants to parade the negative part of our humanity in front of us and keep us wrapped up in the fact that we don't deserve God's gift - which is true, but irrelevant to accepting the gift. God loves you - he loves the angry little girl, who is screaming in her own way "it's not fair." More importantly He agrees with her - it's not fair! And He wants to be the one to comfort her and to make it right. But God makes it right in His terms and in His timing. Ours is not to set the terms, but to accept that He will do what He says He will do and in His own time.
If you really want to meet God in the way that you're hoping for - you have to go to him with all of the "ugliness." You can't "clean up" good enough to be acceptable to Him. It is because of the blood of Jesus that you are acceptable to Him - and NO OTHER REASON! Don't intellectualize, don't reason, just allow Him to see you as you really are. Don't tell Him what you want to be - it doesn't matter! He knows what He created you to be and He will be faithful to you when you meet him at the point of surrender.
Like I said before - choice leaves a mark - and just because you've decided doesn't mean you've arrived. It takes time to understand what the investment will be and the reality of the results of our choice. You can't imagine what those results will be anymore than you could know who and what your children would become while you were pregnant with them. This is a good place for Proverbs 3:5-6!
He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it! Keep the faith and remember even Paul had a thorn in his flesh to contend with!
Have you ever read anything by Brennan Manning? I highly recommend "The Ragamuffin Gospel" and "The Signature of Jesus." These are EXCELLENT books that help to lead you on the experience that you're looking for (getting real with God).
I was talking to my spiritual mentor today about something I'm calling the "indellible mark of choice." If you stop to think about it, the result of most choices aren't experienced immediately. It's the build up, over time, that we come to realize the consequences of our choices and see the mark that they've left.
The choice to change is one that we often make in the depths of our misery. My cry was always, "just get me out of this pain." In desperation I would try the behaviors that I learned from the church (prayer, bible reading, service, tithe, etc.) to attempt to "do" my way into a relationship with God. I looked really good on the outside to a lot of people. The truth is, all my doing wasn't getting me into the close relationship that I (and all of us, ultimately) long for. It was when the path was cleared and I learned to "be," with all of my faults, frailties, failings and foolishness, that I began to experience a relationship with God that was real and authentic. Prayer, devotions, service, etc. are the fruit of a right relationship - not the path to a right relationship.
The enemy wants to parade the negative part of our humanity in front of us and keep us wrapped up in the fact that we don't deserve God's gift - which is true, but irrelevant to accepting the gift. God loves you - he loves the angry little girl, who is screaming in her own way "it's not fair." More importantly He agrees with her - it's not fair! And He wants to be the one to comfort her and to make it right. But God makes it right in His terms and in His timing. Ours is not to set the terms, but to accept that He will do what He says He will do and in His own time.
If you really want to meet God in the way that you're hoping for - you have to go to him with all of the "ugliness." You can't "clean up" good enough to be acceptable to Him. It is because of the blood of Jesus that you are acceptable to Him - and NO OTHER REASON! Don't intellectualize, don't reason, just allow Him to see you as you really are. Don't tell Him what you want to be - it doesn't matter! He knows what He created you to be and He will be faithful to you when you meet him at the point of surrender.
Like I said before - choice leaves a mark - and just because you've decided doesn't mean you've arrived. It takes time to understand what the investment will be and the reality of the results of our choice. You can't imagine what those results will be anymore than you could know who and what your children would become while you were pregnant with them. This is a good place for Proverbs 3:5-6!
He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it! Keep the faith and remember even Paul had a thorn in his flesh to contend with!
Friday, August 04, 2006
Matter of the Heart
I've been blogging with a friend who's in a discussion group for the recently released book, Gutsy Faith by Jeff Edmondson. For more about the discussion, see his blog - http://zimmerzblogz.blogspot.com/
Here's one of my recent thoughts about prayer - addressed to Matt, but good for us all! Enjoy!
Matt, I've been finding that prayer is a matter of the heart (a.k.a. spirit). For me, a clearer understanding of how I operate and function provides me with the foundation for setting my prayers in order.
First we consider that as humans we're made up of body (physical), soul (intellectual) and spirit (spiritual). In the garden, before original sin, we were in perfect communication with God. It was a real "give and take" realationship. After that sin took place, the eternal consequences were passed down, and our spirit connection to God was broken. If you talk to anyone with a disability, like blindness, your likely to hear that the other senses have become stronger to make up for the lack of the missing sense.
In that same way, I think that our body and soul "overdevelop" to make up for the lack of spiritual connection. Left to ourselves, we would attempt to work our way into eternal security, while intellectualizing why our plan should work.
Anyway - it's our broken spirit that the Bible addresses over and over again. It's not an appeal for us to be more physically comfortable or smarter in the "ways of the world." The entire book is the story about how we got where we are. The New Testament is specifically about the rebirth of our spirit - through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ AND how that relationship changes our attitudes, beliefs and responses in the physical and intellectual.
I've been in Psalm 86 this week - working through the devotional by Dennis Kinlaw, This day with the master. The author has brought out verses 11 & 12 "Teach me your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; UNITE my heart to fear your name. I will praise You, O Lord, my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify your name forevermore."
This verse goes along with what you're saying about the name of Jesus. The author makes this statement about it, "The psalmist wants to walk in the way of the Lord, yet he knows that a divided heart will make it impossible. He cries our for God to unite his heart, so that it is not a combination of two wills. When his heart is whole, he can praise God with all his heart, as he knows he ought to do." See Mark 12:30 to fully comprehend how much God wants all of us!
Two things strike me: 1)God is the ONE who will unite our heart! and 2) when our heart is united, we have tapped directly into what it takes to live our lives in the spirit of The Lord's Prayer. Surrender is the key that unlocks the door.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Is it about me?
Hey it's been awhile since my last post. If anyone is still out there and reading...here are some thoughts that have been forming over the past month or so.
Rick Warren's best seller "Purpose Driven Life," opens with a intense thought provoking statement. "It's not about you." As a byproduct of the "me" generation that single sentence stuck out to me more than almost anything else in the book. I believe the intention of the author was to provide a thoughtful backdrop for us to consider our existence on this earth - and I agree, that the plans and purposes for our lives is to glorify God. Without a doubt, if we don't understand that we're here for his pleasure, not the other way around (primarily) then our self centered, self serving lives will miss much of the real pleasure God intended for us on our humanly journey.
I want to give a cautionary statement though. If we embrace too passionately the "it's not about me" sentiment, then we may miss some important moments when, in fact, it is ALL about me.
Here's a little example - I'm in the middle of an extremely frustrating situation with one of my 'loved ones.' I feel like there is very little I can do about this situation. I spend a great deal of time in prayer about the situation and for the most part have believed that this situation is primarily about their walk and relatioship with God. I've been willing to 'endure' the difficulties of this situation because, 'it's not about me.'
But wait a minute, I begin to feel the 'rub.' At first it's just a little pressure, then it's like 110 grit sandpaper really making me uncomfortable. I keep chanting 'it's not about me, it's not about me,' all the while it appears more and more that my thoughts are consumed by my own pain and frustration. It doesn't matter how many times I 'give it to God,' I keep getting it back.
Suddenly I have a moment of epiphany where I realize that my being in this situation is no accident. The orchestration of events, including the problems that actually belong to the other person, are really about doing a work inside of me. You see, it's through this situation in my life that God is teaching me a very specific lesson in Christlikeness. One that for many months (maybe years) I had been resisting. But until it came this close to home and pinned me down in a corner, I was able to believe that 'it's not about me.'
The word of God is alive and sharper than a double edged sword and it's good for reproof and correction - etc. What we need to remember is that the Holy Spirit's job is to apply this word to our lives. Each day there are countless moments where the word could be applied and in those moments, it is ALL about me or you. The really cool thing about God is that when He's in the middle of making it all about us - it's for the greater purpose of making us all about Him. Praise God that we can be rescued from our self-serving mindset and placed on a higher level of existance! Each time I learn this lesson (yes, I've had to learn it over and over), I'm amazed by the grandeaur of life! Like a little grain of sand gets to have a relationship with the expanse of the ocean. How amazing is that?
Rick Warren's best seller "Purpose Driven Life," opens with a intense thought provoking statement. "It's not about you." As a byproduct of the "me" generation that single sentence stuck out to me more than almost anything else in the book. I believe the intention of the author was to provide a thoughtful backdrop for us to consider our existence on this earth - and I agree, that the plans and purposes for our lives is to glorify God. Without a doubt, if we don't understand that we're here for his pleasure, not the other way around (primarily) then our self centered, self serving lives will miss much of the real pleasure God intended for us on our humanly journey.
I want to give a cautionary statement though. If we embrace too passionately the "it's not about me" sentiment, then we may miss some important moments when, in fact, it is ALL about me.
Here's a little example - I'm in the middle of an extremely frustrating situation with one of my 'loved ones.' I feel like there is very little I can do about this situation. I spend a great deal of time in prayer about the situation and for the most part have believed that this situation is primarily about their walk and relatioship with God. I've been willing to 'endure' the difficulties of this situation because, 'it's not about me.'
But wait a minute, I begin to feel the 'rub.' At first it's just a little pressure, then it's like 110 grit sandpaper really making me uncomfortable. I keep chanting 'it's not about me, it's not about me,' all the while it appears more and more that my thoughts are consumed by my own pain and frustration. It doesn't matter how many times I 'give it to God,' I keep getting it back.
Suddenly I have a moment of epiphany where I realize that my being in this situation is no accident. The orchestration of events, including the problems that actually belong to the other person, are really about doing a work inside of me. You see, it's through this situation in my life that God is teaching me a very specific lesson in Christlikeness. One that for many months (maybe years) I had been resisting. But until it came this close to home and pinned me down in a corner, I was able to believe that 'it's not about me.'
The word of God is alive and sharper than a double edged sword and it's good for reproof and correction - etc. What we need to remember is that the Holy Spirit's job is to apply this word to our lives. Each day there are countless moments where the word could be applied and in those moments, it is ALL about me or you. The really cool thing about God is that when He's in the middle of making it all about us - it's for the greater purpose of making us all about Him. Praise God that we can be rescued from our self-serving mindset and placed on a higher level of existance! Each time I learn this lesson (yes, I've had to learn it over and over), I'm amazed by the grandeaur of life! Like a little grain of sand gets to have a relationship with the expanse of the ocean. How amazing is that?
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Truth can be tricky
Truth can be tricky because it's often based on perspective. Truth may be accepted as relevant based on one's understanding. Rarely, today, is truth defined in absolute terms. And that makes truth dangerous.
The Merriam Webster Thesaurus gives these two synonyms: factuality, verity; these antonyms: falseness, falsity, untruth; these near antonyms: erroneousness, fallaciousness, fallacy; falsehood, fiction, inaccuracy, incorrectness; deceit, dishonesty, mendacity, untruthfulness; and these related words: accuracy, actuality, authenticity, correctness; credibility, honesty, trustworthiness, truthfulness, veracity; dependability, reliability.
This leads me to believe that truth can not stand on it's own. It must be verified and checked. That takes thought and work. Could it be that we aren't willing to make define truth in absolute terms because we aren't willing to do the work to prove to ourselves and others that it is absolute? Our human nature prefers to just blindly accept someone else's perspective, rather than apply our own intellectual litmus test.
I'm not saying that this is easy. Thinking can be extremely difficult, especially if a foundation has not been laid. Without a firm foundation, thinking can be more like trying to stand up in a canoe, while navigating white water rapids. Maybe that's why we prefer to accept others perspective - thinking for ourselves may seem dangerous.
Today I would like to challenge you to take one truth that you've accepted for your life (that you haven't already verified) and test it for accuracy. Maybe you think you're too fat or too dumb. Maybe you don't believe that you can accomplish something because of obstacles in your path. Measure that truth against a proven truth, like the Word of God. (I know there are people who would disagree that this is a proven truth. My response to them is, if they haven't applied it to their lives, then they can't say it's unproven. I have applied it and it is proven.) The word is alive and relevant. Ask God to help you measure the truth you want to test with His word. I assure you the Holy Spirit is just waiting for this invitation and will be there with you as you begin to "stand up in the boat." He will be holding on to you and you will not be harmed. Go ahead! You'll never know until you try.
What you will learn is the more you practice this, the less dangerous it seems and the more solid your thinking becomes. That makes truth a lot less tricky.
The Merriam Webster Thesaurus gives these two synonyms: factuality, verity; these antonyms: falseness, falsity, untruth; these near antonyms: erroneousness, fallaciousness, fallacy; falsehood, fiction, inaccuracy, incorrectness; deceit, dishonesty, mendacity, untruthfulness; and these related words: accuracy, actuality, authenticity, correctness; credibility, honesty, trustworthiness, truthfulness, veracity; dependability, reliability.
This leads me to believe that truth can not stand on it's own. It must be verified and checked. That takes thought and work. Could it be that we aren't willing to make define truth in absolute terms because we aren't willing to do the work to prove to ourselves and others that it is absolute? Our human nature prefers to just blindly accept someone else's perspective, rather than apply our own intellectual litmus test.
I'm not saying that this is easy. Thinking can be extremely difficult, especially if a foundation has not been laid. Without a firm foundation, thinking can be more like trying to stand up in a canoe, while navigating white water rapids. Maybe that's why we prefer to accept others perspective - thinking for ourselves may seem dangerous.
Today I would like to challenge you to take one truth that you've accepted for your life (that you haven't already verified) and test it for accuracy. Maybe you think you're too fat or too dumb. Maybe you don't believe that you can accomplish something because of obstacles in your path. Measure that truth against a proven truth, like the Word of God. (I know there are people who would disagree that this is a proven truth. My response to them is, if they haven't applied it to their lives, then they can't say it's unproven. I have applied it and it is proven.) The word is alive and relevant. Ask God to help you measure the truth you want to test with His word. I assure you the Holy Spirit is just waiting for this invitation and will be there with you as you begin to "stand up in the boat." He will be holding on to you and you will not be harmed. Go ahead! You'll never know until you try.
What you will learn is the more you practice this, the less dangerous it seems and the more solid your thinking becomes. That makes truth a lot less tricky.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Education Update
I had the opportunity to meet with an admissions counselor (AC) at MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) and found out that I can re-enroll at no cost. So the Lord has already begun making a way! The AC gave me the approved list of classes that I can take at Johnson County Community College. I have complete about 24 credit hours that I think will transfer and there is about 16 credit hours that I can take at JCCC. The beautiful thing about JCCC is that it only cost $63 per credit hour (versus about $500 at MNU) so I the mountain doesn't look as forboding initially! I'm hoping to get started at JCCC with online classes in the fall, complete the 16 credit hours in the 2006-2007 school year, with the goal of entering MNU in the fall of 2007. I will most likely be at MNU 2 years with summer school.
There are still a couple of lower level classes that I will need to take at MNU, but those are very few and I will be able to get into the meat of a ministry degree right away. There are several ministry degree options, although I think I will concentrate on Bible & Theology and a general Ministry track. Please continue to pray with me, believing, that God will provide the necessary funds to complete the education process. I know He won't give it to me until I need it. I want to remain faithful to the call and recognize that I am dependent on Him for the very air I breath!
One final update - I'm filling in as a Sunday School teacher for a few weeks. This has the potential of being permanent, which is a little exciting!
There are still a couple of lower level classes that I will need to take at MNU, but those are very few and I will be able to get into the meat of a ministry degree right away. There are several ministry degree options, although I think I will concentrate on Bible & Theology and a general Ministry track. Please continue to pray with me, believing, that God will provide the necessary funds to complete the education process. I know He won't give it to me until I need it. I want to remain faithful to the call and recognize that I am dependent on Him for the very air I breath!
One final update - I'm filling in as a Sunday School teacher for a few weeks. This has the potential of being permanent, which is a little exciting!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Process to Ministry Update
It struck me this morning that I haven't updated you in awhile about where I am in the process of preparing for full time ministry. I've completed the necessary interviews to be considered a candidate for ordination in the Church of the Nazarene. The final step to clear the way is to have my divorce reviewed by the General Superintendants of the denomination. I feel clear that they will accept the details of the divorce and provide their apporval to continue through the process.
Part of that process is to go through a licensing procedure that begins with a local preachers license, presented by the local church body. I had the opportunity to meet with a committe of our church board who heard the story of my calling and asked questions. I'm grateful that they've agreed to present me with the local license and I will receive that this Sunday, May 21st.
As I continue through the educational process, I plan to meet with the advisors at MidAmerica Nazarene University to determine what classes I can take at the local community college to help defer some of the costs associated with a private education.
Last week, the guest pupit speaker gave an eloquent message, but I walked away with the request that I would ask each of you to continue to pray for me as I walk obediently through this process. Please pray that God would grant me, through experience and the Holy Spirit, humility that combats the temptaion of pride; integrity that combats the temptation to abuse power; and generosity that combats the temptation to be greedy. I pray that the character that I demonstrate will bear the marks of Christ's character. I'm learning to live each day in the spirit of Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Thank you all so much for your encouragement. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share this experience with you!
Part of that process is to go through a licensing procedure that begins with a local preachers license, presented by the local church body. I had the opportunity to meet with a committe of our church board who heard the story of my calling and asked questions. I'm grateful that they've agreed to present me with the local license and I will receive that this Sunday, May 21st.
As I continue through the educational process, I plan to meet with the advisors at MidAmerica Nazarene University to determine what classes I can take at the local community college to help defer some of the costs associated with a private education.
Last week, the guest pupit speaker gave an eloquent message, but I walked away with the request that I would ask each of you to continue to pray for me as I walk obediently through this process. Please pray that God would grant me, through experience and the Holy Spirit, humility that combats the temptaion of pride; integrity that combats the temptation to abuse power; and generosity that combats the temptation to be greedy. I pray that the character that I demonstrate will bear the marks of Christ's character. I'm learning to live each day in the spirit of Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Thank you all so much for your encouragement. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share this experience with you!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Suffering: What's the Point? (Introduction)
So the last few weeks, God has taken me past some old familar scripture. Not so much to teach me, but more to remind me - and then to confirm what I've learned. As I've spent time in His word and spoken with my trusted adviors and given advice to others, it occurs to me that most of us resist suffering. I resist it because I haven't clearly understood the benefit. In the middle of a suffering 'episode,' it's really difficult to see any benefit at all, and yet that's where the work of suffering is being done.
In the continuing series, I plan to put together what I believe is a God inspired lesson to help us have a clearer picture of the point of suffering in our lives. Your feedback on these thoughts will be extremely helpful as I believe God want to use this series to touch many lives. I know that we each face our suffering in a different way and our spiritual maturity gives us insights that can enlighten others.
Please feel free to post your comments here, or email me directly kiersten.adkins@sbcglobal.net. I look forward to developing this with you!
Kiersten
In the continuing series, I plan to put together what I believe is a God inspired lesson to help us have a clearer picture of the point of suffering in our lives. Your feedback on these thoughts will be extremely helpful as I believe God want to use this series to touch many lives. I know that we each face our suffering in a different way and our spiritual maturity gives us insights that can enlighten others.
Please feel free to post your comments here, or email me directly kiersten.adkins@sbcglobal.net. I look forward to developing this with you!
Kiersten
Friday, April 28, 2006
God Loves You
God Loves You. Such a simple, yet profound statement. I've been comtimplating it lately. Thinking about the difference it would make in my life if I would let it sink into my soul and really live like I believe it. Here's what I've come up with.
God: the sovereign creator of the universe, all knowing, just, rich in every way. It's so big that I almost can't get my mind around it. How does one actually define God - He's everything good, without anything bad. And yet that hardly begins to do justice in describing Him. To sit in His presence is to be known in a way that strips away any preconceived idea. He describes himself as "I AM." To be honest, that about covers it. As a human to comprehend that it's enough to just "be" is almost impossible, and yet that's exactly what he tells us. I believe myself to be a secure person, but if someone were to ask me to describe myself, "I am" wouldn't come close to be the answer. That is ultimate security. That is who He is.
Love: 1 Corinthians 13 describes love eloquently. Love is patient and kind, not quick to anger...etc. Seems like way too much for me to live up to on an average day. We describe it as an emotion, but also a choice. We "love" ice cream, but we also "love" our family - I'm pretty sure we're not meaning the same thing about both. I sometimes get the feeling that we either put love way up on a pedastal or dilute it completely. As I've contimplated this - I've really tried to get a perspective on love. What I've come up with is that like God, love is defined very simply, yet perfectly. When God loves us, it is perfect. When we accept His love, we are accepting what we can not receive from any other. No, not even ice cream! God's love is secure and when we accept His love we are secure.
You: I've learned somethings about myself over the last several weeks that are quite profound. Specifically that the way I define myself is very different from the way that God defines me. I'm broken - whether as a result of living in a fallen world or the fallout of a dsyfunctional family - I cannot, in anyway define myself and come close to what God thinks of me. The harder I tried, the farther off I was. He brings me into complete clarity. Instead of dwelling on my perceived weaknesses, He is cultivating what He planted in me during my creation and I'm discovering that "I am enough." Go figure. When I allow Him to define me, He includes a definition of Himself. That's because I am created in His image. Even with all of my faults and shortcomings, because of Christ's sacrifice and triumph over death, I can walk without shame and in total security.
I hope you can see that God's love for you is perfect and when breathed in like a sweet aroma, and allowed to marinate your soul, you find a place of security that allows you to be who He created you to be. Belive it, live it out everyday in your life.
God: the sovereign creator of the universe, all knowing, just, rich in every way. It's so big that I almost can't get my mind around it. How does one actually define God - He's everything good, without anything bad. And yet that hardly begins to do justice in describing Him. To sit in His presence is to be known in a way that strips away any preconceived idea. He describes himself as "I AM." To be honest, that about covers it. As a human to comprehend that it's enough to just "be" is almost impossible, and yet that's exactly what he tells us. I believe myself to be a secure person, but if someone were to ask me to describe myself, "I am" wouldn't come close to be the answer. That is ultimate security. That is who He is.
Love: 1 Corinthians 13 describes love eloquently. Love is patient and kind, not quick to anger...etc. Seems like way too much for me to live up to on an average day. We describe it as an emotion, but also a choice. We "love" ice cream, but we also "love" our family - I'm pretty sure we're not meaning the same thing about both. I sometimes get the feeling that we either put love way up on a pedastal or dilute it completely. As I've contimplated this - I've really tried to get a perspective on love. What I've come up with is that like God, love is defined very simply, yet perfectly. When God loves us, it is perfect. When we accept His love, we are accepting what we can not receive from any other. No, not even ice cream! God's love is secure and when we accept His love we are secure.
You: I've learned somethings about myself over the last several weeks that are quite profound. Specifically that the way I define myself is very different from the way that God defines me. I'm broken - whether as a result of living in a fallen world or the fallout of a dsyfunctional family - I cannot, in anyway define myself and come close to what God thinks of me. The harder I tried, the farther off I was. He brings me into complete clarity. Instead of dwelling on my perceived weaknesses, He is cultivating what He planted in me during my creation and I'm discovering that "I am enough." Go figure. When I allow Him to define me, He includes a definition of Himself. That's because I am created in His image. Even with all of my faults and shortcomings, because of Christ's sacrifice and triumph over death, I can walk without shame and in total security.
I hope you can see that God's love for you is perfect and when breathed in like a sweet aroma, and allowed to marinate your soul, you find a place of security that allows you to be who He created you to be. Belive it, live it out everyday in your life.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Celebrating the King
As Americans, it's difficult to relate to the idea of a monarchy. The idea that a single person could rule over us is foreign. In our democratic mindset, we think that "right" and "fair" come only from having a say in the matter. We have the opportunity to vote for our representatives, petition the courts, and, when all else fails, express our opinion on the air waves, press or internet. What a great country we live in!
We think the kingdom of heaven should operate the same way. But it doesn't it is a monarchy - with a very loving, fair, just King. This is beautifully demonstrated in the life he lived while here on earth. I was struck by this fact as I thought this week about the Triumphal Entry as we prepare for the Palm Sunday celebration. We know a big part of the story, as we have the benefit of reading God's word. And I'm struck by the fact that as Jesus fulfilled the scriptures and the Jews celebrated what they thought was the setting up of His earthly kingdom, Jesus looked further down the road.
We humans are so fickle! And Jesus knew it. As his disciples and "the whole multitude" were celebrating the kingdom as they understood it, the Pharisees were getting really mad and Jesus was simply in the moment. Looking with compassion on the people, accepting their accolades, knowing that among that group were many people who would call for his cruxifiction in just a few days. Jesus was here for a purpose. That purpose was greater than a short earthly reign. He knew that what those people needed, what we all need, is more than a temporary fix. We needed someone to pay the ultimate price and he was here to do that.
In my own life, I often define my success by my lack of trouble. It's difficult to stop in the moment and enjoy it for what it is. I'm often caught looking down the road to that next big problem that is lurking - just a few days away. Jesus deserved the praise and honor that they gave him that day. Regardless of their motives - those people were recognizing his position. Jesus was being obedient to the Father. This wasn't his idea of a good time, but he loved us and wanted a relationship with us.
So this Palm Sunday I will celebrate my King, by living obediently in the moment. Recognizing that he knows more than I do and that he will lead me through the things that I think of as a hardship. I'm here for a purpose and he will be my guide as I live out that purpose. I hope that you find a way to do that too!
We think the kingdom of heaven should operate the same way. But it doesn't it is a monarchy - with a very loving, fair, just King. This is beautifully demonstrated in the life he lived while here on earth. I was struck by this fact as I thought this week about the Triumphal Entry as we prepare for the Palm Sunday celebration. We know a big part of the story, as we have the benefit of reading God's word. And I'm struck by the fact that as Jesus fulfilled the scriptures and the Jews celebrated what they thought was the setting up of His earthly kingdom, Jesus looked further down the road.
We humans are so fickle! And Jesus knew it. As his disciples and "the whole multitude" were celebrating the kingdom as they understood it, the Pharisees were getting really mad and Jesus was simply in the moment. Looking with compassion on the people, accepting their accolades, knowing that among that group were many people who would call for his cruxifiction in just a few days. Jesus was here for a purpose. That purpose was greater than a short earthly reign. He knew that what those people needed, what we all need, is more than a temporary fix. We needed someone to pay the ultimate price and he was here to do that.
In my own life, I often define my success by my lack of trouble. It's difficult to stop in the moment and enjoy it for what it is. I'm often caught looking down the road to that next big problem that is lurking - just a few days away. Jesus deserved the praise and honor that they gave him that day. Regardless of their motives - those people were recognizing his position. Jesus was being obedient to the Father. This wasn't his idea of a good time, but he loved us and wanted a relationship with us.
So this Palm Sunday I will celebrate my King, by living obediently in the moment. Recognizing that he knows more than I do and that he will lead me through the things that I think of as a hardship. I'm here for a purpose and he will be my guide as I live out that purpose. I hope that you find a way to do that too!
Monday, April 03, 2006
25 cent increments
Most of my thoughts aren't original. When possible, I try to give credit, but most of the thoughts come from reading things that I don't have in my possession. Today's thought comes from a statement I read on a fellow bloggers site, http://trinityfamilyonline.com/blog/. At that site, Pastor Donnie credits Rev. Fred Craddock for the following quote in Leadership magazine.
"We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $10,000 bill and laying it on the table – “Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.” But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $10,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there…Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time.”
I'd like to thank each of you for giving your whole life in 25 cent increments. The smallest investment can pay a huge dividend in eternity. That reminds me in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever."
So when you feel like there's nothing left to give, dig a little deeper for that last bit of change (given only by HIS grace), and know that it won't be wasted!
"We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $10,000 bill and laying it on the table – “Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.” But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $10,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there…Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time.”
I'd like to thank each of you for giving your whole life in 25 cent increments. The smallest investment can pay a huge dividend in eternity. That reminds me in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever."
So when you feel like there's nothing left to give, dig a little deeper for that last bit of change (given only by HIS grace), and know that it won't be wasted!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Buried on the beach
I recently read a story about a couple who sat on a beautiful - clean - beach in Florida. They were very impressed with the lack of trash and seaweed. They commented to each other about the apparent care given to the beach. As they sat for awhile, they noticed a young man wearing a t-shirt that said "Beach Staff" on it. The young man was raking the debris from the beach and making piles. He was systematic in his approach, leaving a trail of piles as he made his way up the beach. The couple was very impressed! They wondered how he would deal with the piles.
Pretty soon he came back around with a shovel and began to dig shallow holes next the the piles, pushed the debris into the hole and covered it up. They laughed at first - knowing that when the tide came back in, the efforts of the young man would quickly be undone. Then they became sober as they thought about how much we're like that as humans.
How often is the beach of our lives littered with ugly secrets, inaccurate beliefs, emotional distress, and relationship problems? We think that if we just dig a hole and bury the stuff, that the appearance will be impressive enough. We hope that when the tide comes it, it will take all that junk out to sea so we won't have to deal with it anymore. If the tide would just stay out long enough we'll forget about the stuff and go on with our lives.
Been effective for you so far? Me neither! I've learned that God has a plan for those things that I just want to bury. He wants to work with me to completely remove the junk from beach. The problem with God's plan is that it takes work. The good news is that God wants to give us the strength and courage to face these issues and exchange them for treasures beyond our wildest imagination! 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." He is available to start that work right now. He's waiting for you to realized that your way isn't working.
Humble yourself. Do it His way. You're going to be pleasantly surprised how your life will change. You'll have more energy - when we clean up God's way, we don't have to keep making piles and burying them. You'll have time to enjoy the treasures that God has put aside especially for you to enjoy! The tide's coming in again - what will you be doing?
Pretty soon he came back around with a shovel and began to dig shallow holes next the the piles, pushed the debris into the hole and covered it up. They laughed at first - knowing that when the tide came back in, the efforts of the young man would quickly be undone. Then they became sober as they thought about how much we're like that as humans.
How often is the beach of our lives littered with ugly secrets, inaccurate beliefs, emotional distress, and relationship problems? We think that if we just dig a hole and bury the stuff, that the appearance will be impressive enough. We hope that when the tide comes it, it will take all that junk out to sea so we won't have to deal with it anymore. If the tide would just stay out long enough we'll forget about the stuff and go on with our lives.
Been effective for you so far? Me neither! I've learned that God has a plan for those things that I just want to bury. He wants to work with me to completely remove the junk from beach. The problem with God's plan is that it takes work. The good news is that God wants to give us the strength and courage to face these issues and exchange them for treasures beyond our wildest imagination! 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." He is available to start that work right now. He's waiting for you to realized that your way isn't working.
Humble yourself. Do it His way. You're going to be pleasantly surprised how your life will change. You'll have more energy - when we clean up God's way, we don't have to keep making piles and burying them. You'll have time to enjoy the treasures that God has put aside especially for you to enjoy! The tide's coming in again - what will you be doing?
Monday, March 27, 2006
The Waiting Place
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14
The waiting place...seems like such a ridiculous place for a "get it done" kind of person. I know there are personalities that are really good at taking it easy, but I'm not very good at waiting. Don't like stop lights (or signs for that matter) - I actually celebrate the traffic roundabouts in my area! Keep things moving. They confuse and intimidate most drivers I know.
Dr. Suess wrote a book I really enjoy, "Oh the Places You'll Go." It celebrates the individual and the accomplishments or potential accomplishments of a person. As much as I like the book, Suess saw fit to bring everything to a screeching halt right in the middle of the book and had the audacity to call it "the waiting place." It's a place where everybody was "just waiting." At least we agreed on one thing - "the waiting place is a most useless place."
But what do you do with this verse from Psalms? It the last verse of one of my favorite chapters. David starts the chapter with "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" I read it like David offering himself a pep talk in the middle of a difficult situation. You know, when the cares of life are bearing down and you're starting to feel despair, it makes sense to stop and collect yourself. So long as the stop isn't going to take very long - kind of a drive thru pick me up - maybe a shot of espresso at Starbucks. Anyway, as he starts taking account of the reasons he doesn't have to be overcome by the situation, it starts occuring to him that his basic desire is to just be in relationship with God. And why not, when we're dwelling with God, feeling the fullness of his presence, there's a real sense of peace and protection.
In verse seven, the tone changes a bit. David is moving inside and seeking the face of God. This ain't no drive thru "pick me up" now were talking about a four course meal. Do you remember what happened to Moses when he went on the mountain and saw the glory of God? Wow - that was intense - Moses was so impacted that, according to Exodus 34:30 his face was radiant and the people were afraid. And as David realizes that he's no longer in the "drive thru", it occurs to him that he's not prepared for what he just asked for. He's a bit underdressed in his "humanness." Yet he's reminded about the unconditional love of God - who is ready and waiting to provide.
Now David is seeing his situation from a different perspective. He's lingering - "teach me," "lead me," "let me see the goodness of the Lord." Another version puts verse 14 this way, "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say, on the Lord." That puts the waiting place in a different light. When I think about it that way, waiting feels more like an afternoon at the spa and less like being tied up in traffic. I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that the waiting place is actually a place, as Christians, we could call "home." In that context it's no longer "useless" but one of the most productive and peaceful places for us to be.
And so I wait!
The waiting place...seems like such a ridiculous place for a "get it done" kind of person. I know there are personalities that are really good at taking it easy, but I'm not very good at waiting. Don't like stop lights (or signs for that matter) - I actually celebrate the traffic roundabouts in my area! Keep things moving. They confuse and intimidate most drivers I know.
Dr. Suess wrote a book I really enjoy, "Oh the Places You'll Go." It celebrates the individual and the accomplishments or potential accomplishments of a person. As much as I like the book, Suess saw fit to bring everything to a screeching halt right in the middle of the book and had the audacity to call it "the waiting place." It's a place where everybody was "just waiting." At least we agreed on one thing - "the waiting place is a most useless place."
But what do you do with this verse from Psalms? It the last verse of one of my favorite chapters. David starts the chapter with "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" I read it like David offering himself a pep talk in the middle of a difficult situation. You know, when the cares of life are bearing down and you're starting to feel despair, it makes sense to stop and collect yourself. So long as the stop isn't going to take very long - kind of a drive thru pick me up - maybe a shot of espresso at Starbucks. Anyway, as he starts taking account of the reasons he doesn't have to be overcome by the situation, it starts occuring to him that his basic desire is to just be in relationship with God. And why not, when we're dwelling with God, feeling the fullness of his presence, there's a real sense of peace and protection.
In verse seven, the tone changes a bit. David is moving inside and seeking the face of God. This ain't no drive thru "pick me up" now were talking about a four course meal. Do you remember what happened to Moses when he went on the mountain and saw the glory of God? Wow - that was intense - Moses was so impacted that, according to Exodus 34:30 his face was radiant and the people were afraid. And as David realizes that he's no longer in the "drive thru", it occurs to him that he's not prepared for what he just asked for. He's a bit underdressed in his "humanness." Yet he's reminded about the unconditional love of God - who is ready and waiting to provide.
Now David is seeing his situation from a different perspective. He's lingering - "teach me," "lead me," "let me see the goodness of the Lord." Another version puts verse 14 this way, "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say, on the Lord." That puts the waiting place in a different light. When I think about it that way, waiting feels more like an afternoon at the spa and less like being tied up in traffic. I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that the waiting place is actually a place, as Christians, we could call "home." In that context it's no longer "useless" but one of the most productive and peaceful places for us to be.
And so I wait!
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Here's the news
Many of my dear friends have been wondering what I've been up to. This blog is an attempt to keep everyone up to date, and give me a historical record, as life occurs. After an extended time of reflection - including much prayer - I've come to the place where I can say out loud, God has called me to pursue a life of full time ministry, specifically the call to "preach".
I argued with him for several weeks (who does that surprise?) But as usual, he gets that last word and the last laugh! I'm submitting and looking toward an adventursome future that leads to a deeper level of discipleship with the outflowing that builds the kingdom of God - giving Him glory and honor for the work that HE is doing.
In my denomination, the "call to preach" means a journey of education and accountablity. Of course that means higher education and significant costs. Accountability means to go through a series of "interviews" that are both personal and invasive. Neither of these 'courses' appeal to me, and yet the Holy Spirit works to provide peace and assurance that this is the process that God has called me to for the time being.
I covet your prayers and feedback. I hope that you will check back to the blog often, so you can keep up with the journey. You're as much a part of this as I am. God has seen fit to make you a part of my past, assisting him in making me who I am today. I need each one of you, as God sees fit, to continue this journey!
Thanks for being my friend!
I argued with him for several weeks (who does that surprise?) But as usual, he gets that last word and the last laugh! I'm submitting and looking toward an adventursome future that leads to a deeper level of discipleship with the outflowing that builds the kingdom of God - giving Him glory and honor for the work that HE is doing.
In my denomination, the "call to preach" means a journey of education and accountablity. Of course that means higher education and significant costs. Accountability means to go through a series of "interviews" that are both personal and invasive. Neither of these 'courses' appeal to me, and yet the Holy Spirit works to provide peace and assurance that this is the process that God has called me to for the time being.
I covet your prayers and feedback. I hope that you will check back to the blog often, so you can keep up with the journey. You're as much a part of this as I am. God has seen fit to make you a part of my past, assisting him in making me who I am today. I need each one of you, as God sees fit, to continue this journey!
Thanks for being my friend!
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