It has been a few weeks since I have posted, and to be honest, it is because I have not taken much time on Tuesdays to pray because I did feel I had to stop fasting. Right sfter I sat down to write the previous posts since being pregnant, I would get very nauseous, light-headed, and crampy. I tried having little snacks of healthy fruit or something and I don't honestly know if it was a mental or spiritual battle, or simply a physical need. But I made the decision to stop fasting, and unintentionally I stopped setting aside time in the afternoon to really sit in silence and pray. It was almost like I was happy to have 'regained and afternoon for myself'. This weekend as I was praying the Holy Spirit really convicted me that I have poor perspective on time, trust, and priorities. 3 weeks ago, I also started homeschooling our daughter. It is just a quick reading and Bible lesson, writing practice and a craft, but still it was something I was really trying to get established in an orderly way, and if prayer crossed my mind, I probably dismissed it for having too many other things to do. What better lesson, though, to teach my daughter, than setting aside time to pray and seek our Heavenly Father, right! Today she was actually in serious need of a nap, so she is sleeping, but next week I will get back to the committment to prayer, not only for me but to teach and remember that how we spend our time reflects our love.
The Word:
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:21
Prayer:
For trust to know that if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, all other things will be granted as well. I am also remember our sponsor child Janefer and writing to her today- another one of those things that I say I don't have much time for but is storing up treasures in our home, in Tanzania, and in Heaven.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Do it all With Love
So our town is now filled with tons of students, my daughter is starting pre-school next week, the stores are filled with other children buying new clothes and school supplies, and I am excited to start back up with my weekly women's Bible study, mom's groups, library classes, leading music for the middle school youth group, etc. I had to write out what goals I had for my daughter this school year, and I certainly always think of goals for myself for the coming year. But I was reminded when praying today that no matter how many goals I accomplish, how many new things I learn, etc., it is all meaningless if I do not do them with love.
The Word:
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
It's funny as I type, these match a lot of the 'goals' I set for myself all the time- to learn new languages (tongues)- Spanish and ASL to be more specific, to understand more about the Bible and about our relationship with God, to have more faith, and to be more sacrificial (which will be demanded with another baby entering our lives). But all of these things will not add up to a successful year, it is the love behind these things that please God, the greatest lover of all.
Prayer:
For love to be my motivation behind every attempt to learn more- both about the world and the world to come, serve more, and accomplish more for the Glory of God!
Food Story:
Fasting during pregnancy has still been going ok. I usually have a piece of fruit later in the morning, or just after lunch time, something healthy instead of snacky. I know as I start to show more and more that it will be tempting to think about myself more and more, so this is a good reminder that there are others who have more urgent needs than me.
The Word:
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
It's funny as I type, these match a lot of the 'goals' I set for myself all the time- to learn new languages (tongues)- Spanish and ASL to be more specific, to understand more about the Bible and about our relationship with God, to have more faith, and to be more sacrificial (which will be demanded with another baby entering our lives). But all of these things will not add up to a successful year, it is the love behind these things that please God, the greatest lover of all.
Prayer:
For love to be my motivation behind every attempt to learn more- both about the world and the world to come, serve more, and accomplish more for the Glory of God!
Food Story:
Fasting during pregnancy has still been going ok. I usually have a piece of fruit later in the morning, or just after lunch time, something healthy instead of snacky. I know as I start to show more and more that it will be tempting to think about myself more and more, so this is a good reminder that there are others who have more urgent needs than me.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Thanks for life
At lunch today, my daughter prayed "thank you God for this life, and for this great day..." I just thought it was so sweet and very applicable today because I just heard about a high-schooler committing suicide from our old church, and on the other side being so thankful for the life inside of me after feeling a small movement for the first time.
THE WORD:
"This is what God the LORD says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it"
Isaiah 42:5
I was thinking the other night that I was not being very consistent with taking my pre-natal vitamins and how it is strange that with so many laws, so much government oversight, rules from parents, employers, etc...that no one was really keeping me accountable to taking care of this growing baby inside of me. It reminded me that I still have lots of choices about how much to pay attention to things in life, how much to care, how much I value things, and the only person I am accountable to is the Lord, the one who gives breath and life to us all, and knows us before we live one day outside of the womb. I think of this sad situation with the high school girl, and know that she had some really great friends and influences in her life. I don't know any of the bad ones, but there must have been some- be it people, music, tv, computer, I don't know- but there must have been some to have an evil idea in her head to take her own life. (To clarify, I do not think of her as evil in any way, but any thought to take one's own life is evil because our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and God cares for each life that He created.) We all have positive and negative influences in our lives, and since no one knows our minds and hearts except God, He is the one we are accountable to when we choose which voices to listen to- the voice of truth or the author of lies. I know I believe a lot of lies about myself and my life that are put in my head by someone other than God, and I shouldn't. I need to remember that life is a battle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12). We don't like to talk about this in the world today, because it sounds really wakko, and makes people uncomfortable to admit what they are really thinking and feeling, but it is the truth, and we need to be prepared- this daughter of the King needed to be strengthened in the battle, but ended up losing her life.
PRAYER:
For Faith's family (terribly sad, ironic name). To continue to feel the same love and value for life that our Creator does, and to know how to empower and uplift one another in daily battles to protect and sanctify our lives for the Lord.
THE WORD:
"This is what God the LORD says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it"
Isaiah 42:5
I was thinking the other night that I was not being very consistent with taking my pre-natal vitamins and how it is strange that with so many laws, so much government oversight, rules from parents, employers, etc...that no one was really keeping me accountable to taking care of this growing baby inside of me. It reminded me that I still have lots of choices about how much to pay attention to things in life, how much to care, how much I value things, and the only person I am accountable to is the Lord, the one who gives breath and life to us all, and knows us before we live one day outside of the womb. I think of this sad situation with the high school girl, and know that she had some really great friends and influences in her life. I don't know any of the bad ones, but there must have been some- be it people, music, tv, computer, I don't know- but there must have been some to have an evil idea in her head to take her own life. (To clarify, I do not think of her as evil in any way, but any thought to take one's own life is evil because our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and God cares for each life that He created.) We all have positive and negative influences in our lives, and since no one knows our minds and hearts except God, He is the one we are accountable to when we choose which voices to listen to- the voice of truth or the author of lies. I know I believe a lot of lies about myself and my life that are put in my head by someone other than God, and I shouldn't. I need to remember that life is a battle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12). We don't like to talk about this in the world today, because it sounds really wakko, and makes people uncomfortable to admit what they are really thinking and feeling, but it is the truth, and we need to be prepared- this daughter of the King needed to be strengthened in the battle, but ended up losing her life.
PRAYER:
For Faith's family (terribly sad, ironic name). To continue to feel the same love and value for life that our Creator does, and to know how to empower and uplift one another in daily battles to protect and sanctify our lives for the Lord.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Breaking off from the group
I took some time to pray about and reflect on this past week, having had the opportunity to go back to our old church in MI and serve on a middle school backpacking/city serve trip. I thank God that He connected the young ladies and myself quickly, and sustained me through hiking with the heavy backpack :) Every day on the trip, there was a planned quiet time where everyone would break off and go through a trip devotional, then come back together to discuss how we felt God speaking to us. Coming back home, I was thinking about when Jesus left crowds to go have some time alone with his Father. It wasn't planned, and no one else was doing it. As a person who loves social interaction and hates to miss anything, that would have been, and still is hard for me some times. During the summer, I have not had the same 'homework' from my weekly Bible study or life group that keeps me accountable to making time to specifically listen for and seek God.
THE WORD:
"The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed." Isaiah 50:4
Not that I claim to have already obtained this well-instructed tongue :), but reading it reminds me that the Lord and His instruction can make even the simple, wise. So I will continue to take time to lend my ear and heart to His instruction, even if it means having to separate myself from a group or activity for a time.
PRAYER:
That even in groups, other people's homes, on vacation, wherever I may be, that I would remember it is the Lord who sustains me. Lord, help me remember my need for you and your great lovingkindness to teach me.
THE WORD:
"The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed." Isaiah 50:4
Not that I claim to have already obtained this well-instructed tongue :), but reading it reminds me that the Lord and His instruction can make even the simple, wise. So I will continue to take time to lend my ear and heart to His instruction, even if it means having to separate myself from a group or activity for a time.
PRAYER:
That even in groups, other people's homes, on vacation, wherever I may be, that I would remember it is the Lord who sustains me. Lord, help me remember my need for you and your great lovingkindness to teach me.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
In You I Find Rest
We got home from a 5 day trip late last night, which included lots of action packed days, and a broken down car on the way home. The children and I still made it to our life group while my husband finished up important work that was due last night. So you know how those next mornings go right after returning home- piles of laundry, things to put away, catching up on what was missed, planning for the week ahead. It could have been easy again to skip today because it just wasn't the ideal day to take so much time praying, and I was just happy to be home and wanted to enjoy a normal lunch with my children. But I have to remember that sometimes in life things don't come at the perfect time- like a broken down car, death, injuries, other big expenses. In these times it is even more important to take refuge and seek rest in the Lord. I don't have much to report about the topic of my prayers today, just praising God for His goodness and asking Him to reveal Himself to those who do not know Him.
THE WORD: “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal. God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:26-27
Just a great passage to meditate on, that there is no one God can be compared to, He is present, active, eternal, and wants to be our refuge.
FOOD STORY: I am feeling very weak at this point in the late afternoon, but again don't feel that my body is in a harmful state. So I am trying to embrace the feeling of weakness to still respond in love to myself and others, because know there will soon come a time when I am forced to be slower and weaker. The chocolate chip zucchini bread turned out to be delicious by the the way :)
THE WORD: “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal. God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:26-27
Just a great passage to meditate on, that there is no one God can be compared to, He is present, active, eternal, and wants to be our refuge.
FOOD STORY: I am feeling very weak at this point in the late afternoon, but again don't feel that my body is in a harmful state. So I am trying to embrace the feeling of weakness to still respond in love to myself and others, because know there will soon come a time when I am forced to be slower and weaker. The chocolate chip zucchini bread turned out to be delicious by the the way :)
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Baking without tasting
I admit i have no self control around fresh baked goods. A friend once suggested to me following her example of baking, but then giving the product away. I was always happy to receive her gifts of goodies, but I responded that if I am going to make the effort to bake (which is effort to me, only a tiny bit fun), then I want to enjoy it all! yesterday I was gifted a GIANT zucchini by another gardener when the children and I were out working on ours, so I decided to make zucchini bread (with chocolate chips of course) for a neighbor I had been wanting to connect with again, and for some relatives we would be staying with and seeing this weekend. Even though these were my intentions to start with, the sadness of not eating any today is sinking in now as I smell the delicious bread in the oven. I know I could easily make a case for me tasting one muffin just to make sure they are edible for said recipients :) but I know that my decision today has the potential to continue changing my heart into that of a servant. If I am honest I know that it's not just baking that I find this attitude. I am happy to love and serve others...but I also really want some things in return, from them or from God. I feel like I am 'putting the time in' to do something, and I should be able to expect a little something in return, right?
THE WORD: "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." Luke 6:35
Oh darn, that Word of God always seems to go against that sinful nature I feel creeping up. I guess if it will please God to spend lots of time baking and give it away, that could make my heart just as happy as indulging in my baked deliciousnes. This change may not be overnight, I may have to start by giving a fraction away, then increasing the fraction over time. I know it's sad, but I'm serious :) I hope also that next time I am in a situation where I have earned or get to do something really cool and have the opportunity to share it or give it away, I pray my heart will be more eager to give that away too, without expecting anything in return!
PRAYER: To be willing to give away more of my time, products of my time, even gifts, without expecting anything in return.
FOOD STORY: Still pregnant (praise God), still feeling great (praise God). We have late dinner plans tonight and I doubt I will make it until then, but already telling myself to wait on testing one of these delicious muffins until we get home and reaching for some less exciting snack to tide me over after giving great thanks and praise to God to break my fast. Off I got to make one more batch- because I really wasn't lying about how GIANT that zucchini is!
THE WORD: "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." Luke 6:35
Oh darn, that Word of God always seems to go against that sinful nature I feel creeping up. I guess if it will please God to spend lots of time baking and give it away, that could make my heart just as happy as indulging in my baked deliciousnes. This change may not be overnight, I may have to start by giving a fraction away, then increasing the fraction over time. I know it's sad, but I'm serious :) I hope also that next time I am in a situation where I have earned or get to do something really cool and have the opportunity to share it or give it away, I pray my heart will be more eager to give that away too, without expecting anything in return!
PRAYER: To be willing to give away more of my time, products of my time, even gifts, without expecting anything in return.
FOOD STORY: Still pregnant (praise God), still feeling great (praise God). We have late dinner plans tonight and I doubt I will make it until then, but already telling myself to wait on testing one of these delicious muffins until we get home and reaching for some less exciting snack to tide me over after giving great thanks and praise to God to break my fast. Off I got to make one more batch- because I really wasn't lying about how GIANT that zucchini is!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Being Selfish
Tonight, the leadership board of our church is meeting to discuss how to proceed if (sounds more like when) our senior pastor takes a position at another church. When he made this emotional announcement on Sunday, I did not have a strong reaction either way. We love this church so much and trust that it is serving and following the Lord, so one person leaving will not change that too much. What I especially loved in his sermon, was how he talked of serving the Church with a big 'C', whether that meant with us, as he wanted to, or at this new place, as he felt God wanted him to. He had a dream of seeing God move in a big way here in our city, some of which he has seen in his time here, some he trusted was yet to come- but he heard God telling him that these things were going to happen without him. He had to let the dream go to follow God's command, and we have to let him. Because our pastor is not really 'our' pastor. We are all part of The Church, and need to trust that God is sending him where he is needed, whether it is with us or not. We can all tell this has been a difficult decision, but he reminded us that we are not just 'playing' church, we really do believe that when God directs, we follow.
This got me thinking- what are my dreams? What if God called me to something totally different, even if I thought it was a dream that would draw myself and others to Him and bring Him Glory? Would I trust and go/do willingly, fight for what I wanted and thought was best, or simply pretend I didn't hear the command in the first place? Am I just 'playing' being a Christian, or am I really trying to hear from God and willing to adjust my life to His direction?
The Word: "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight" Prov. 3:5-6
Prayer: For our leadership team and our pastor as they continue to determine God's plan for each of them, our church, and our mission to the world. For us the Church to seek the Lord in every decision and trust in following God's directions.
Food Story: I am feeling fabulous this week, and though I feel convicted saying that my attitude has turned around because my health has, for now I am just thankful and trying to share my positive attitude with other people. Since I am feeling better altogether, I decided to try and fast as normal. I did have a late morning cracker snack when I was feeling nauseous. I started preparing a lunch as normal but checked myself and knew that I was really just doing it out of habit, and my body really felt capable today. It is now late afternoon and I can tell I will have the opportunity to practice repenting of the sin I first mentioned of maintaining a good attitude even if my body is not feeling great :)
This got me thinking- what are my dreams? What if God called me to something totally different, even if I thought it was a dream that would draw myself and others to Him and bring Him Glory? Would I trust and go/do willingly, fight for what I wanted and thought was best, or simply pretend I didn't hear the command in the first place? Am I just 'playing' being a Christian, or am I really trying to hear from God and willing to adjust my life to His direction?
The Word: "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight" Prov. 3:5-6
Prayer: For our leadership team and our pastor as they continue to determine God's plan for each of them, our church, and our mission to the world. For us the Church to seek the Lord in every decision and trust in following God's directions.
Food Story: I am feeling fabulous this week, and though I feel convicted saying that my attitude has turned around because my health has, for now I am just thankful and trying to share my positive attitude with other people. Since I am feeling better altogether, I decided to try and fast as normal. I did have a late morning cracker snack when I was feeling nauseous. I started preparing a lunch as normal but checked myself and knew that I was really just doing it out of habit, and my body really felt capable today. It is now late afternoon and I can tell I will have the opportunity to practice repenting of the sin I first mentioned of maintaining a good attitude even if my body is not feeling great :)
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Mixing it up when I'm all mixed up
So all this week, especially Tuesday- my normal prayer and fasting day- I have been feeling really off. As I shared before, this could just be baby symptoms, but I also have had serious back and neck pain, headache, fatigue, and along with that comes a general crankiness :) I thought about praying and fasting Tuesday after the kids were down for nap time, but it was only a fleeting thought as I curled up in my bed with my rice socks and blanket. Today I was catching up on the introduction of our life group's new study on prayer (which I missed because of said sicknesses), and taking time to pray as it suggested, I realized that I have been very self-centered and forgetful about how God has restored me body and soul when I take the time to seek rest in Him rather than simply physical rest. Even though I am still not feeling wonderful, taking time to worship God in prayer and think about His purpose for me and the others around me that He loves has perked me up :) And as I type and go about the rest of the day, I am going to try and live like I read about it Revelation today:
The Word: "Then the four living creatures said, 'Amen!' And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped Him who lives forever and ever." Revelation 5:14
I know 'Amen' can be used as an affirmation or agreement in prayer, but when I first read it, I just loved the picture of the many verses of worship and adoration beforehand (verses 8-13), then this at the end....and it just kept going! I am excited to start our group study on transforming to a worship-based style of prayer that is lived throughout each day.
Prayer: That I would remember to worship God in whatever state I am in and seek intimacy in prayer that leads to the fulfillment of His purposes (paraphrasing Alvin Reid).
Food Story: It may be a cop-out, I don't know, but as I implied before, I ate on Tuesday and dedicated very little time to prayer, and I ate lunch again today because I am getting regular bouts of nausea, mostly when I have not eaten in a while. But instead, I figured God would not mind me mixing it up a bit by committing to even more than 1 day a week of prayer- crazy I know! A website was created to sign up for prayer slots during the annual arts fest here. The idea is to cover the city and the tens of thousands who come just for this with the presence of God, very cool :) At first I was a little intimidated by the website, asking for prayer warriors and intercessors. I have not gotten any official training or received my intercessor certificate from the church or anything (haha), but I am stepping out to make this committment because I know our city, like every city will be blessed if our God is the Lord, and the same goes for my life!
The Word: "Then the four living creatures said, 'Amen!' And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped Him who lives forever and ever." Revelation 5:14
I know 'Amen' can be used as an affirmation or agreement in prayer, but when I first read it, I just loved the picture of the many verses of worship and adoration beforehand (verses 8-13), then this at the end....and it just kept going! I am excited to start our group study on transforming to a worship-based style of prayer that is lived throughout each day.
Prayer: That I would remember to worship God in whatever state I am in and seek intimacy in prayer that leads to the fulfillment of His purposes (paraphrasing Alvin Reid).
Food Story: It may be a cop-out, I don't know, but as I implied before, I ate on Tuesday and dedicated very little time to prayer, and I ate lunch again today because I am getting regular bouts of nausea, mostly when I have not eaten in a while. But instead, I figured God would not mind me mixing it up a bit by committing to even more than 1 day a week of prayer- crazy I know! A website was created to sign up for prayer slots during the annual arts fest here. The idea is to cover the city and the tens of thousands who come just for this with the presence of God, very cool :) At first I was a little intimidated by the website, asking for prayer warriors and intercessors. I have not gotten any official training or received my intercessor certificate from the church or anything (haha), but I am stepping out to make this committment because I know our city, like every city will be blessed if our God is the Lord, and the same goes for my life!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Rejoicing over 1
So I am a little bit down this afternoon, though I shouldn't be because it is our son's second birthday and we had a wonderful morning together. But what is sad is that I am finishing up plans for his birthday party two days from now and it looks as though most of our/his friends will not be available. I planned lots of cool games, goodie bags, and am continuing my tradition of making his creative, themed, birthday cake- and I just want more people there to share it all with us. I prayed first today about being more thankful for those who will be with us, and just for our family and our son in general, and a verse came to mind:
The Word: "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoining in the presence of the angels of God over one sunner who repents." Luke 15:10
This verse just reminded me that God throws a party for ONE when they come to Him- he doesn't have the angels wait around for a few more people to come and make all the preparations/efforts worthwhile. So whether there are 5 or 10 or 20, each life is as special to us as it is to God and we will celebrate it with great joy! As I was writing this, a group of our neighborhood girls knocked on the door and asked to join us for dinner. Since I am not in the cheeriest mood as I said before, my immediate response was 'no, tonight is our son't birthday and we want to be able to focus on him'. But really we have had a lot of time for that already tonight, and will have more tonight, and here I am complaining about lack of party-goers when they are knocking on my door asking to celebrate with us. Excuse me while I run out to tell them I spoke too hastily and we would love their company to show our son how loved he is!
Food Story: So we have not made the big announcement to everyone yet because I have not been to the doctor, but we are expecting a third child next February! Today being my first fast since being pregnant, I am struggling with whether to continue or not. I have been somewhat nauseous this morning, which is unusual compared to my last two pregnancies, and am also feeling hungry. The debate continues, almost halfway through the afternoon as to whether to eat some crackers just for the nausea....I think like the Sabbath being made for man, not man for the Sabbath, this practice of fasting has really been for my 'gain' in emptying myself more and more and bringing me closer to God. So if I need to cut myself a little slack as I grow a human life inside of me :), I think some crackers or other bland food will not hinder this goal!
The Word: "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoining in the presence of the angels of God over one sunner who repents." Luke 15:10
This verse just reminded me that God throws a party for ONE when they come to Him- he doesn't have the angels wait around for a few more people to come and make all the preparations/efforts worthwhile. So whether there are 5 or 10 or 20, each life is as special to us as it is to God and we will celebrate it with great joy! As I was writing this, a group of our neighborhood girls knocked on the door and asked to join us for dinner. Since I am not in the cheeriest mood as I said before, my immediate response was 'no, tonight is our son't birthday and we want to be able to focus on him'. But really we have had a lot of time for that already tonight, and will have more tonight, and here I am complaining about lack of party-goers when they are knocking on my door asking to celebrate with us. Excuse me while I run out to tell them I spoke too hastily and we would love their company to show our son how loved he is!
Food Story: So we have not made the big announcement to everyone yet because I have not been to the doctor, but we are expecting a third child next February! Today being my first fast since being pregnant, I am struggling with whether to continue or not. I have been somewhat nauseous this morning, which is unusual compared to my last two pregnancies, and am also feeling hungry. The debate continues, almost halfway through the afternoon as to whether to eat some crackers just for the nausea....I think like the Sabbath being made for man, not man for the Sabbath, this practice of fasting has really been for my 'gain' in emptying myself more and more and bringing me closer to God. So if I need to cut myself a little slack as I grow a human life inside of me :), I think some crackers or other bland food will not hinder this goal!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
A Quiet Home
Our children are with my parents this week so that I can go with our youth group to camp. I have a few days until I leave, so it is very quiet today. Many times on Tuesday afternoons I have prayed for longer nap times, no interruptions, etc. but have more recently become content with whatever the day brings and listen for God speaking to me in other ways rather than the silence. So even though I am extremely grateful for the quietness of today, it has been a while since I have listened for an extended period of time without any other noise or activity, and I don't know that I heard much. I am trusting that God can speak to my spirit even without my knowledge, and pray that our relationship can grow despite times of 'awkward' silence in our communication :) Since I did not feel like I was hearing/saying much, I just meditated on being thankful for life in general- my life, my husband's, my children, family, friends.
The Word:
"Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the cty, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for He grants sleep to those he loves. Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him." Psalm 127:1-3
Even though I usually think about that last verse in terms of women who are trying/just become pregnant, I also thought of myself as being a reward. God created me for the opportunity to show the world more of Him and give Him glory. Psalm 127 reminds me that whatever I do- spending time in silence, serving some other person, cleaning the house- I get to live as Christ's reward if He is in all that I do.
Prayer:
Thank you, God, for creating me for a purpose. I want you to be in everything I do because with you there are true rewards of life, peace, hope, fullness, and freedom.
The Word:
"Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the cty, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for He grants sleep to those he loves. Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him." Psalm 127:1-3
Even though I usually think about that last verse in terms of women who are trying/just become pregnant, I also thought of myself as being a reward. God created me for the opportunity to show the world more of Him and give Him glory. Psalm 127 reminds me that whatever I do- spending time in silence, serving some other person, cleaning the house- I get to live as Christ's reward if He is in all that I do.
Prayer:
Thank you, God, for creating me for a purpose. I want you to be in everything I do because with you there are true rewards of life, peace, hope, fullness, and freedom.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Being Thankful
I have been happily surprised by the book I am reading: "One Thousand Gifts". I thought, "How could a person fill a whole book with just a list of 1,000 things?" But the book is more of a journey to seek a more thankful attitude. She states early on her reason for writing a list is that naming the blessings of God is a way of receiving them and giving thanks for them. She also points out that Paul said , "I have learned the secret to being content in all things...." that it takes a process of learning and some work to be thankful and content. One final example that stuck out to me was the story of the 10 lepers that Jeusus cleansed. One returns and gives thanks to Jesus and He responds, "Go, your faith has made you well". Jesus doesn't just cure him of his leprosy, he gives him an opportunity for a miraculous encounter with the living God and healing for eternity. The reason he got to experience all of this was because he had a thankful heart- thankfulness preceeded the miracle. How many times do I forget to express thankfulness for a prayer or desire answered or abundant blessing, and even more so, how many times do I give thanks even before one of these is bestowed?
The Word: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17
This blog, the same as making a list, is my way of receiving and being thankful for God revealing Himself to me in different ways, for bringing his Word to us, and recommitting parts of myself He has shown me that have strayed. I am interested in also making one of these lists some time- it just sounds like fun and a great way to appreciate God in the ordinary and extraordinary things in life.
Prayer: God, I pray that with every action, response, or request I make, that I will remember and focus on your faithfulness and be overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude that drives my whole being.
The Word: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17
This blog, the same as making a list, is my way of receiving and being thankful for God revealing Himself to me in different ways, for bringing his Word to us, and recommitting parts of myself He has shown me that have strayed. I am interested in also making one of these lists some time- it just sounds like fun and a great way to appreciate God in the ordinary and extraordinary things in life.
Prayer: God, I pray that with every action, response, or request I make, that I will remember and focus on your faithfulness and be overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude that drives my whole being.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
For Freedom
Today has been one of those really great days so far, I am feeling extra grateful for all of the blessings in our lives, filled with the Spirit in loving, being patient, etc. On top of that, I am not even feeling very hungry. So as I was praying I thought maybe I should bring to God some additional sacrifice, you know, to make sure I was really suffering through this afternoon :) Quickly after this thought, the Spirit convicted me with a verse we studied at Life Group last night and reminding me that this was not about me going hungry, me feeling like I am righteously giving up something important, or suffering.
The Word
For "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be burdened by a yolk of slavery" Galations 5:1
We talked about many examples last night where we can see ourselves being enslaved by ideas, practices, requirements, etc. that God has freed us from, but today this verse struck on a very literal tone with me. Just as the sabbath is a gift to man, so is this quiet time where God promises that He will come and meet me when I seek Him. Today I was able to also be in prayer for friends in other countries where it really does appear outwardly that they are enslaved as followers of Christ, but inwardly they know they possess the whole world and more. So instead of coming up with my own forced, superficial sacrifices, I am resting in the freedom I have to worship God here in the US and thanking Him for a beautiful day as his child in His creation!
Prayer
God, please continue to search me and make me aware of how I am enslaved by things of this world or demands I may try and place on myself. Transform me and renew my mind to focus only on you.
The Word
For "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be burdened by a yolk of slavery" Galations 5:1
We talked about many examples last night where we can see ourselves being enslaved by ideas, practices, requirements, etc. that God has freed us from, but today this verse struck on a very literal tone with me. Just as the sabbath is a gift to man, so is this quiet time where God promises that He will come and meet me when I seek Him. Today I was able to also be in prayer for friends in other countries where it really does appear outwardly that they are enslaved as followers of Christ, but inwardly they know they possess the whole world and more. So instead of coming up with my own forced, superficial sacrifices, I am resting in the freedom I have to worship God here in the US and thanking Him for a beautiful day as his child in His creation!
Prayer
God, please continue to search me and make me aware of how I am enslaved by things of this world or demands I may try and place on myself. Transform me and renew my mind to focus only on you.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Visiting a Cemetery
A friend of mine from MI, who studies genealogy as a hobby, found that some relatives of hers are buried in a cemetery here in PA and asked if I would go and take pictures of the gravestones for her. My first thoughts were that it was kind of a weird request, sounds creepy just to go wandering around a cemetery, and how hard it would be to actually find the grave stones! But today beng the day after Memorial Day seemed like the best day of any to give it a try and it turned out to be a great experience. The park was decorated more than I presume is usual because they held a Memorial Day service, plenty of flags and fresh flowers brightened up the nicely kept green lawn. A lady in the office and a gardener helped us find the plots and we did some crayon rubbings of a couple beautiful features on some of the gravestones. My daughter asked if my friend's relatives were sleeping there, and of course this prompted a good discussion about death- how we all will die, only God knows how long we have to live, and that God wants us to love Him and love others as much as possible before that happens. This visit inspired my reading for some meditation time today, I bet you can guess in what book- Ecclesiastes! Here are my chapter titles and some of the main verses that stuck out to me:
The Word:
The Vanity of Life, The Grief of Wisdom, The Vanity of Pleasure, The End of the Wise and the Fool, Everything Has It's Time, Injustice Seems to Prevail, The Vanity of Selfish Toil, The Value of a Friend, Popularity Passes Away, Fear God, Keep Your Vows, The Canity of Gain and Honor, The Value of Practical Wisdom, Obey Authorities for God's Sake, Death Comes to All, Wisdom Superior to Folly, The Value of Diligence, Seek God Early in Life....."Go and eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heartl For God has already accepted your works." Ch. 9:7 "Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun...Whatever your hand finds to do, do it wtih your might" 9: 9-10
Even just these titles help my persepctive shift to where it should be- on the eternal, while valuing each day as a gift and joy to live in the knowledge and love of our Savior.
Prayer:
When I feel like grumbling about temper tantrums, spills, dirt, miscommunication, God please help me to remember that life is really too short not to love!
Food Story: I really felt the pull of temptation again already today to just stop and get an amazing McDonald's diet coke, or eat the chips and cookie left over from yesterday's bbq. Again I know it's not about denying myself for my own righteousness, but seriously life is too short to care SO much about eating unhealthy (albeit delicious) foods, I am more excited to spend so much time listening for an praying on the things of God, as if this were my last day living :)
The Word:
The Vanity of Life, The Grief of Wisdom, The Vanity of Pleasure, The End of the Wise and the Fool, Everything Has It's Time, Injustice Seems to Prevail, The Vanity of Selfish Toil, The Value of a Friend, Popularity Passes Away, Fear God, Keep Your Vows, The Canity of Gain and Honor, The Value of Practical Wisdom, Obey Authorities for God's Sake, Death Comes to All, Wisdom Superior to Folly, The Value of Diligence, Seek God Early in Life....."Go and eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heartl For God has already accepted your works." Ch. 9:7 "Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun...Whatever your hand finds to do, do it wtih your might" 9: 9-10
Even just these titles help my persepctive shift to where it should be- on the eternal, while valuing each day as a gift and joy to live in the knowledge and love of our Savior.
Prayer:
When I feel like grumbling about temper tantrums, spills, dirt, miscommunication, God please help me to remember that life is really too short not to love!
Food Story: I really felt the pull of temptation again already today to just stop and get an amazing McDonald's diet coke, or eat the chips and cookie left over from yesterday's bbq. Again I know it's not about denying myself for my own righteousness, but seriously life is too short to care SO much about eating unhealthy (albeit delicious) foods, I am more excited to spend so much time listening for an praying on the things of God, as if this were my last day living :)
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Back on for Tuesdays
I am currently reading "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and wouldn't you know that some things about fasting stuck out to me: customs such as fastng "have only one purpose- to make disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done. Fasting helps to discipline the self-indulgent and slothful will which is so reluctant to serve the Lord...When the flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote one-self to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation." Fasrinf has not helped me feel more self-righteous, but rather more aware of my self-indulgent nature and the need to eradicate it- on at least a weekly basis. I would love to say that switching to a more spontaneous fast when needs arose, but I found too many excuses and probably passed up many opportunities to draw nearer to God's heart in praying for needs of others.
I understand some might see this as heaping up duties or rules on myself, but really I have just been missing that closeness, hungering, and other-centered focus I felt during the months of regular prayer and fasting. And writing in this blog was also a great way to make sure I was actually listening and taking time to think about what God was revealing to me, and be able to go back and be reminded regularly of these things.
I am expecting God will make Himself known to me even more deeply when I seek Him with all my heart. I am looking forward to next Tuesday!
I understand some might see this as heaping up duties or rules on myself, but really I have just been missing that closeness, hungering, and other-centered focus I felt during the months of regular prayer and fasting. And writing in this blog was also a great way to make sure I was actually listening and taking time to think about what God was revealing to me, and be able to go back and be reminded regularly of these things.
I am expecting God will make Himself known to me even more deeply when I seek Him with all my heart. I am looking forward to next Tuesday!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
A long time
So as evidenced by the posting dates, it has been a while since I fasted. Last week was the first time I actually thought about something and someone to pray and fast for. I did not eat lunch that day, but I spent very little time listening or praying and did not take the time to process the day by blogging about it, which I saw after stopping really helped me internalize what I heard from the Spirit. I knew inadvance that this week a family member was going to have an extremely difficult day and planned to pray and fast for her to feel the comfort and presence of the Lord. When the day rolled around, I am ashamed to say that I made up a bunch of excuses not to follow through with it, the strongest one being I just didn't feel like it. At the end of the day I remembered part of our Sunday's sermon ringing in my head, about how Moses could have missed an amazing experience with God when he saw the burning bush... ("Oh, that's interesting, I will see if it's still burning when i walk back by here next") It wasn't so much that I felt guilty about not praying and fasting, because that's not what it's about, but I do think that I missed an encounter with God, and an opportunity to draw closer to family. So I am writing now to recommitt myself and turn from apathy and other excuses. It is crazy how quickly I can slip back into caring more about myself than sacrificing for someone else, or just going about with my day without thinking of others. I know God will bring an opportunity soon, be back any day now!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
A New Calling
Last week a few things happened that have changed the way I plan to go about prayer and fasting in the future- at least for a little while :)
First, one of my closest friends texted me on Thursday morning that she was preparing for a surgery later that afternoon and was not allowed to eat or drink anything until almost dinner time. It would be a long day for her not only because of an empty stomach, but also because the surgery had the potential to affect her future to bear children or not. My heart ached for her, and a simple prayer did not seem sufficient. I thought how appropraite a time of prayer and fasting would be- we would be brought together in 'suffering' without food, and 'suffering' together in prayer for this upcoming surgery. I ended up talking myself out of it because I had just fasted two days before, had prayed for this friend and her situation, and I knew that she is is such a beloved child of God, I'm sure He is watching over her already. How sad, right? I know I missed an opportunity to experience God deeply that day, to experience the Church really being the church in bearing each other's burdens, and showing the love of God to a friend.
Second, I have been praying a lot about how God could use me to show love to other children in our neighborhood. Some of them seem especially starved of attention, have not learned respect for others or themselves, do not have the opportunities our children have for fun and interaction. I admit that these have been the reasons I find myself being judgemental, annoyed, and avoid the playground if there are many children. I continually repent of this attitude, and have made some committments like not talking on the phone while outside, really trying to learn the kid's names, personalities, and show them how special they are. After only a short time of praying and committing to this, an older girl from the neighborhood invited us over to her house for a playdate. I felt a little weird about because she was 8 and my daughter is 3, and I did not know anything about her home or family. We went anyway and ended up having some great interactions with her and her parents. This girl invited herself over for dinner, then to church with us on Sunday (her first time ever being at church :), and for lunch after church on Sunday. After each one of these encounters, I sighed a little bit and said, 'whew', thanks God for that opportunity- now I am happy to go back to my own home, own family, own plans. But when this sweet little girl innocently continued to invite herself over, I got a little panicky, thinking about how we would feed another mouth, rearrange our dinner table or car, or deal with the heightened energy level....silly, I know.
In both of these situations and more, God has been helping me understand that when I committ to following him, He will direct me to serve and love others in His time, not mine. I am thankful for the time I spent fasting on a regular basis because I felt the joy of being in God's presence, experiencing His heart as I joined Him in prayer for others and our world. I have been learning to put others before myself, deny my own needs, and remember that I do not live on bread alone. But now that I have understood and experienced fasting, instead of keeping a specific day and time, I sense God calling me to watch, wait, and listen for when He is calling me back to this for specific need of others. And if I pray for God to increase my love for others, I need to be prepared to love them where and when God directs, not just when it is convenient and easy for me.
Thank you, God for these experiences with you! I will continue to watch and wait for You, and be obedient to your calls to join in the work you are doing around us. Thank you for equipping me with extra measures of faith to see with Your eyes and feel with Your heart.
First, one of my closest friends texted me on Thursday morning that she was preparing for a surgery later that afternoon and was not allowed to eat or drink anything until almost dinner time. It would be a long day for her not only because of an empty stomach, but also because the surgery had the potential to affect her future to bear children or not. My heart ached for her, and a simple prayer did not seem sufficient. I thought how appropraite a time of prayer and fasting would be- we would be brought together in 'suffering' without food, and 'suffering' together in prayer for this upcoming surgery. I ended up talking myself out of it because I had just fasted two days before, had prayed for this friend and her situation, and I knew that she is is such a beloved child of God, I'm sure He is watching over her already. How sad, right? I know I missed an opportunity to experience God deeply that day, to experience the Church really being the church in bearing each other's burdens, and showing the love of God to a friend.
Second, I have been praying a lot about how God could use me to show love to other children in our neighborhood. Some of them seem especially starved of attention, have not learned respect for others or themselves, do not have the opportunities our children have for fun and interaction. I admit that these have been the reasons I find myself being judgemental, annoyed, and avoid the playground if there are many children. I continually repent of this attitude, and have made some committments like not talking on the phone while outside, really trying to learn the kid's names, personalities, and show them how special they are. After only a short time of praying and committing to this, an older girl from the neighborhood invited us over to her house for a playdate. I felt a little weird about because she was 8 and my daughter is 3, and I did not know anything about her home or family. We went anyway and ended up having some great interactions with her and her parents. This girl invited herself over for dinner, then to church with us on Sunday (her first time ever being at church :), and for lunch after church on Sunday. After each one of these encounters, I sighed a little bit and said, 'whew', thanks God for that opportunity- now I am happy to go back to my own home, own family, own plans. But when this sweet little girl innocently continued to invite herself over, I got a little panicky, thinking about how we would feed another mouth, rearrange our dinner table or car, or deal with the heightened energy level....silly, I know.
In both of these situations and more, God has been helping me understand that when I committ to following him, He will direct me to serve and love others in His time, not mine. I am thankful for the time I spent fasting on a regular basis because I felt the joy of being in God's presence, experiencing His heart as I joined Him in prayer for others and our world. I have been learning to put others before myself, deny my own needs, and remember that I do not live on bread alone. But now that I have understood and experienced fasting, instead of keeping a specific day and time, I sense God calling me to watch, wait, and listen for when He is calling me back to this for specific need of others. And if I pray for God to increase my love for others, I need to be prepared to love them where and when God directs, not just when it is convenient and easy for me.
Thank you, God for these experiences with you! I will continue to watch and wait for You, and be obedient to your calls to join in the work you are doing around us. Thank you for equipping me with extra measures of faith to see with Your eyes and feel with Your heart.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
A New Kind of Food
In general, I am not a very adventurous eater. I would be fine eating the same few foods every week- especially ones that I know are easy to cook and clean up after :) But a verse came up this weekend that so obviously related to fasting that I could not ignore it, and have been praying more today about what it could really look like in my life- am I finding nourishment, fulfillment in the right places?
The Word: “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." John 4:34
So in the obvious sense, I have been practicing this discipline of fasting because I realized after getting married, and continue to learn after having kids, what a selfish person I really am. I knew that I could never fully love or serve God and others with this selfishness getting in the way. So giving up lunch for a day reminds me that life is not about me and my needs, that there are a lot of hungry people in the world- physically and spirtually who need to hear and experience the Good News of Jesus Christ. But in an even deeper sense, I think about the many 'needs' Jesus had when He gave this answer to his disciples when they urged Him to eat- the disciples were looking out for Jesus' image trying to pull Him away from a Samaritan harlot, we are told in the story that Jesus was tired and thirsty, and He could have had a lot on His mind going to Galilee to face the Pharisee's questioning about his growing following. How often do I miss opportunities to experience the presence and restoration of God (like Jesus had with the Samaritan woman), because I am judgemental, apathetic, too physically tired, have a lot on my mind, or busy with things that do not have eternal significance. I think God has made me able to overcome distraction because of physical hunger now, but I know there are still other things I 'hunger' for throughout the day, that in the pursuit of I can miss opportunities to be fed with true food.
I was super tired after putting the kids down for naps today (maybe daylight savings?), but the thought of following up on a Youtube video I saw about Kony2012 and the Invisible Children filled me up with this kind of spiritual food I think Jesus is talking about. If you are reading this blog and you have not seen it, would you go to Youtube and search for it? I have not done anything yet, but I care a lot. There are a lot of worldly things that could distract me from taking some action! Would you hold me accountable to doing the will of God- defending the rights of the poor and opporessed, and finish His work in calling all people freedom in Christ!
Prayer: To be looking for God at work all around us and not be distracted by other worldly 'needs', and to experience this feeling of being fed with true food as we do the work of God.
The Word: “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." John 4:34
So in the obvious sense, I have been practicing this discipline of fasting because I realized after getting married, and continue to learn after having kids, what a selfish person I really am. I knew that I could never fully love or serve God and others with this selfishness getting in the way. So giving up lunch for a day reminds me that life is not about me and my needs, that there are a lot of hungry people in the world- physically and spirtually who need to hear and experience the Good News of Jesus Christ. But in an even deeper sense, I think about the many 'needs' Jesus had when He gave this answer to his disciples when they urged Him to eat- the disciples were looking out for Jesus' image trying to pull Him away from a Samaritan harlot, we are told in the story that Jesus was tired and thirsty, and He could have had a lot on His mind going to Galilee to face the Pharisee's questioning about his growing following. How often do I miss opportunities to experience the presence and restoration of God (like Jesus had with the Samaritan woman), because I am judgemental, apathetic, too physically tired, have a lot on my mind, or busy with things that do not have eternal significance. I think God has made me able to overcome distraction because of physical hunger now, but I know there are still other things I 'hunger' for throughout the day, that in the pursuit of I can miss opportunities to be fed with true food.
I was super tired after putting the kids down for naps today (maybe daylight savings?), but the thought of following up on a Youtube video I saw about Kony2012 and the Invisible Children filled me up with this kind of spiritual food I think Jesus is talking about. If you are reading this blog and you have not seen it, would you go to Youtube and search for it? I have not done anything yet, but I care a lot. There are a lot of worldly things that could distract me from taking some action! Would you hold me accountable to doing the will of God- defending the rights of the poor and opporessed, and finish His work in calling all people freedom in Christ!
Prayer: To be looking for God at work all around us and not be distracted by other worldly 'needs', and to experience this feeling of being fed with true food as we do the work of God.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Seek First
You know how people always grumble on Mondays, about how the weekend went by too quickly, it won't be the weekend for another 5 days, there's so much to do, etc. Well, I love Mondays! To keep from workng on the sabbath, anything that pops into my head to do, I just write down, and when that is added to all of the things I didn't finish from last week, by Monday I have a pretty long list. I am not usually overwhelmed by this, in fact I love crossing things off as I do them, and I never want to feel like I have 'nothing' to do! Yesterday after I put the kids down for nap time though, I wasn't feeling my normal excitement about tackling that to-do list. I found myself wishing that it were Tuesday. I wanted to run to my Bible, to pray, to send people letters of encouragement. Sadly, I talked myself out of it and did a few 'essentials' first, then ended up writing some letters to people. Now I totally understand that these things to be done (like that rental agreement that needs to be renewed for us to live here!), but I heard God reminding me yesterday and today to...
The Word:
"Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33
"These things" Jesus is talking about are the food, clothing, and shelter, which in the previous chapters He told them not to worry about. So even though I need to maintain these basic needs of living, I need to trust that seeking God and serving Him first is a better way to live. I absolutely saw this promise fulfilled in college when God prompted me to memorize scripture- a lot of scripture, like I would spend at least two hours every day in the corner of the library overlooking campus just praying and reviweing memory verses. A friend once asked me how I had time to do this, she felt so swamped with school work and other extra-curriculars. My only answer was to paraphrase this verse to her- that I didn't really know, but when I made time for this, everything else still got done somehow. No we could continue analyzing this all day- was my course load lighter than hers, my subjects easier, was I faster at completing assignments, did she have more going on, etc. I fully admit the importance of not being overcommitted (though in college I had a lot of committments!), to leave room for 'Holy Interruptions' and service, and I know some things had to be sacrificed by taking this time (so I got a 90% on a test instead of a 100%), but I am so confident that it was 'worth' the time in the way that God revealed Himself to me through His words, taught me to love others, recognize truth when I see it, identify where God is working, etc. I have a daily quiet time almost every morning, but I am finding an increased joy in Tuesday afternoons that I know I owe a debt of thanks to God for- His presence brings light, joy, peace.....and next time I feel God calling me to Himself, whether it is Monday afternoon, Friday morning- whenever- I will thank Him for reminding me of my need for Him, and stop to enjoy Him!
Prayer:
That we will seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness, and trust God will provide.
The Word:
"Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33
"These things" Jesus is talking about are the food, clothing, and shelter, which in the previous chapters He told them not to worry about. So even though I need to maintain these basic needs of living, I need to trust that seeking God and serving Him first is a better way to live. I absolutely saw this promise fulfilled in college when God prompted me to memorize scripture- a lot of scripture, like I would spend at least two hours every day in the corner of the library overlooking campus just praying and reviweing memory verses. A friend once asked me how I had time to do this, she felt so swamped with school work and other extra-curriculars. My only answer was to paraphrase this verse to her- that I didn't really know, but when I made time for this, everything else still got done somehow. No we could continue analyzing this all day- was my course load lighter than hers, my subjects easier, was I faster at completing assignments, did she have more going on, etc. I fully admit the importance of not being overcommitted (though in college I had a lot of committments!), to leave room for 'Holy Interruptions' and service, and I know some things had to be sacrificed by taking this time (so I got a 90% on a test instead of a 100%), but I am so confident that it was 'worth' the time in the way that God revealed Himself to me through His words, taught me to love others, recognize truth when I see it, identify where God is working, etc. I have a daily quiet time almost every morning, but I am finding an increased joy in Tuesday afternoons that I know I owe a debt of thanks to God for- His presence brings light, joy, peace.....and next time I feel God calling me to Himself, whether it is Monday afternoon, Friday morning- whenever- I will thank Him for reminding me of my need for Him, and stop to enjoy Him!
Prayer:
That we will seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness, and trust God will provide.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
There's a Plank Blocking the Mountain
I wrote in my first post that the reason for starting this blog was that there were/are a lot of 'mountains' that need to be moved in the world- serious problems, serious pain, that can only be moved by God's Spirit, in the situations themselves, or as He works through the Church in ministry. I was in a pretty grouchy mood this morning, but I knew it was still important to keep my committment to fasting and prayer- After all, God needs me to pray for these things, plus, I figured thinking about other people and how bad their situations are would make me feel thankful, blessed, etc. Well, my spirits have been lifted, but not in the way I was expecting. I thought that I was really fasting and praying for these big mountains out there in the world, and God revealed to me in times of prayer today that fasting is as much for me to surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit in me as it is praying for the sending of the Holy Spirit to these other people and situations. I was reminded of the reasons I need to fast and pray, because of the sinful 'planks' in my eye, that keep me from seeing opportunities where God is at work and calling me to serve. So just to summarize for me and for you, the reasons for this weekly fast are:
* To consider others before myself
* To meditate on the eternal things above the temporary
* To practice not letting my circumstances and emotions affect how I treat others or think of God
* To practice self-control
* To remember God's call to service involves sacrifice
* To focus on the work of the Holy Spirit in and around me
* To make prayer a priority and recognize God hears, speaks, and moves through it
I know a lot of people think fasting is old fashioned or associated with the old covenant, but I am not expecting that God will necessarily show more or less favor because of this denial of food. I am, however, praying that God will be pleased with my heart to love, serve, and trust Him, even above the basic earthly 'needs' like eating. And as we draw closer in these times and the planks of sin are removed from my eyes, that when I pray for these other 'mountains', the Holy Spirit will be pleased to work out God's will in the situation and that I can see the path of the race God has marked out for me to run.
The Word:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" Hebrews 12:1
Prayer: To first surrender myself to the Spirit before praying for His work in the world.
* To consider others before myself
* To meditate on the eternal things above the temporary
* To practice not letting my circumstances and emotions affect how I treat others or think of God
* To practice self-control
* To remember God's call to service involves sacrifice
* To focus on the work of the Holy Spirit in and around me
* To make prayer a priority and recognize God hears, speaks, and moves through it
I know a lot of people think fasting is old fashioned or associated with the old covenant, but I am not expecting that God will necessarily show more or less favor because of this denial of food. I am, however, praying that God will be pleased with my heart to love, serve, and trust Him, even above the basic earthly 'needs' like eating. And as we draw closer in these times and the planks of sin are removed from my eyes, that when I pray for these other 'mountains', the Holy Spirit will be pleased to work out God's will in the situation and that I can see the path of the race God has marked out for me to run.
The Word:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" Hebrews 12:1
Prayer: To first surrender myself to the Spirit before praying for His work in the world.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Making Mountains Out Of Mole Hills
First, for all of the 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' geeks like me, anyone remember that episode where Will and Hillary double date and Hillary can't get past the guy's mole that she's with? Will drags her out in the hallway and says, "What is wrong with you, you are making a mountain out of a mole, Hil". (laughing inside!!!!)
Anyway, my prayers today were inspired by a comment my daughter made in the car today. She went from zero to meltdown in a couple seconds after climbing into the van and seeing me put her brother in one of seats- the one she wanted to sit in, but had not sat in for weeks. (Though my kids are 16 months apart, they are now roughly the same size, so they share seats) I decided I did not want to take the effort to force the switch and instead offered for them to switch on the way home. This proved to be no comfort, and she continued to cry all the way to the store. It was a quick trip and we were back in the van quickly. I made good on my promise to enforce a switch, and my daughter looked right at me and said excitedly, "Look, mom, I'm happy now that I'm in my seat!" Instead of seeing the humor and cuteness of the situation, I was irritated, thinking how unreasonable and silly she was being, and I had to take the brunt of all the crying and defiance. Then it hit me, of course, that I was letting my own attitude be swayed so easily not because I didn't get to sit in the seat I wanted to, but because I didn't get the compliant, cheerful attitude I wanted out of my daughter (which I wrongly expect every day). Today I have been praying something that I often pray- not to sweat the small stuff, not to make mountains out of mole hills, and focus instead on eternal things. The following verse really sums that up:
The Word: "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right. Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is just.If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 4:8-9
I have struggled with this a lot because of the juxtaposition of trying to live in the moment, appreciate everything about the little things in life, but yet not letting those solely define the day or affect my emotions too deeply when they are negative. Do you know the struggle I'm talking about? I pray that God will continue to help me see all moments, joyful and difficult, as contributing to all of the above things in a life of service to the Lord, and raising children up in the Lord. One more thought about this passage, I thought I typed the last sentence incorrectly at first, you know it is a common phrase to talk about the peace of God, but this said the God of peace will be with me. I am seeing the importance more and more of desiring not just the fruit of the spirit (like peace), but the Spirit/God himself.
Prayer: To dwell on things that God says produce the fruit of the Spirit, not get caught up in everyday trials.
"This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use
Anyway, my prayers today were inspired by a comment my daughter made in the car today. She went from zero to meltdown in a couple seconds after climbing into the van and seeing me put her brother in one of seats- the one she wanted to sit in, but had not sat in for weeks. (Though my kids are 16 months apart, they are now roughly the same size, so they share seats) I decided I did not want to take the effort to force the switch and instead offered for them to switch on the way home. This proved to be no comfort, and she continued to cry all the way to the store. It was a quick trip and we were back in the van quickly. I made good on my promise to enforce a switch, and my daughter looked right at me and said excitedly, "Look, mom, I'm happy now that I'm in my seat!" Instead of seeing the humor and cuteness of the situation, I was irritated, thinking how unreasonable and silly she was being, and I had to take the brunt of all the crying and defiance. Then it hit me, of course, that I was letting my own attitude be swayed so easily not because I didn't get to sit in the seat I wanted to, but because I didn't get the compliant, cheerful attitude I wanted out of my daughter (which I wrongly expect every day). Today I have been praying something that I often pray- not to sweat the small stuff, not to make mountains out of mole hills, and focus instead on eternal things. The following verse really sums that up:
The Word: "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right. Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is just.If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 4:8-9
I have struggled with this a lot because of the juxtaposition of trying to live in the moment, appreciate everything about the little things in life, but yet not letting those solely define the day or affect my emotions too deeply when they are negative. Do you know the struggle I'm talking about? I pray that God will continue to help me see all moments, joyful and difficult, as contributing to all of the above things in a life of service to the Lord, and raising children up in the Lord. One more thought about this passage, I thought I typed the last sentence incorrectly at first, you know it is a common phrase to talk about the peace of God, but this said the God of peace will be with me. I am seeing the importance more and more of desiring not just the fruit of the spirit (like peace), but the Spirit/God himself.
Prayer: To dwell on things that God says produce the fruit of the Spirit, not get caught up in everyday trials.
"This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
True Love
Of course I have to think and pray about love today, being Valentine's Day, right? I started off my prayer time today actually having to repent for not being as loving as I should, mostly to my children today. I found myself more irritated than normal about their frequent questions, mess-making, not doing what was asked of them- you know, moms, the usual. I pray this prayer of repentance often, but I think now that I may usually feel sorry because I do not want others in my life to feel the pain of my irritability, or to question my faith, and in general I want the day to be pleasant for everyone, including myself. But today a verse came to mind that has directed me to think more deeply about why I, with the Lord's help, should choose love, every day, in every circumstance.
The Word: 1 John 4:7-12 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us."
So responding in love is more than just bringing about a more peaceful outcome and maintaining relationships, it is molding my heart to be more like Christ's, identifying with and knowing God more deeply, inviting him into my heart, home, and experiences, and showing God to others. This helps me see how it really is worth it to stop and seek the Lord's Spirit in times of difficulty instead of responding instinctively, like when my son was attracted to aluminum foil over a bowl in the fridge today, pulling it out and having it break all over the floor, then not understanding when I didn't want him walking through it to hug me as he cried.
Prayer: To see love as powerful as it really is, as an experience of the living God.
Fasting Story: Man, so many good Valentine's treats in the house, so hard to stay away! Every time I am tempted is just another reminder that God is the true bread of life, He is sweeter and more satisfying than even the sweetest treat :) All fo the temptations are also more opportunities to remember the people who provided these treats and I hope to make myself 'full' of gratitude and love for them.
The Word: 1 John 4:7-12 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us."
So responding in love is more than just bringing about a more peaceful outcome and maintaining relationships, it is molding my heart to be more like Christ's, identifying with and knowing God more deeply, inviting him into my heart, home, and experiences, and showing God to others. This helps me see how it really is worth it to stop and seek the Lord's Spirit in times of difficulty instead of responding instinctively, like when my son was attracted to aluminum foil over a bowl in the fridge today, pulling it out and having it break all over the floor, then not understanding when I didn't want him walking through it to hug me as he cried.
Prayer: To see love as powerful as it really is, as an experience of the living God.
Fasting Story: Man, so many good Valentine's treats in the house, so hard to stay away! Every time I am tempted is just another reminder that God is the true bread of life, He is sweeter and more satisfying than even the sweetest treat :) All fo the temptations are also more opportunities to remember the people who provided these treats and I hope to make myself 'full' of gratitude and love for them.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Heart of the Matter
I had a limited time for dedicated prayer today due to getting ready for and welcoming family into town. So I thought carefully about what to pray about. I thought kind of frantically about all of the things I could use God to fill me with having an extra child in our home for the next two weeks. Instead, I decided to try not to direct my thoughts in any specific direction, being still and quiet, hoping that God would know what I needed. I was reminded of the following verse in the quietness:
The Word: "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Matthew 12:34
Instead of focusing on making my mouth speak the 'right' things to my children and neighbors, I have to keep reminding myself that it is my heart that will make the difference in what comes out. I continued to sit quietly and ask God to continue to soften parts of my heart that are hard, and fill me with His love.
Something else cool happened in this quietness, the grad students that we share a wall with started to play 'music', the bass of which made our wall vibrate slightly. Slight annoyance subsided quickly when I realized the bass sounded exactly like a heartbeat...cool right?
Prayer: For all of us as Christians to remember our rebirth, that we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, continuing to conform to His likeness, starting deeply in our hearts.
The Word: "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Matthew 12:34
Instead of focusing on making my mouth speak the 'right' things to my children and neighbors, I have to keep reminding myself that it is my heart that will make the difference in what comes out. I continued to sit quietly and ask God to continue to soften parts of my heart that are hard, and fill me with His love.
Something else cool happened in this quietness, the grad students that we share a wall with started to play 'music', the bass of which made our wall vibrate slightly. Slight annoyance subsided quickly when I realized the bass sounded exactly like a heartbeat...cool right?
Prayer: For all of us as Christians to remember our rebirth, that we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, continuing to conform to His likeness, starting deeply in our hearts.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Most Intimate Time of Prayer Ever
So beore I get anyone's hopes up too high, I have to admit that the I prayed for the title of this blog, for my prayer time to be 'the most intimate time of prayer ever', but I don't know if it actually was. I finished reading "Crazy Love" last week, and Francis Chan said in the last chapter that he often prays this, and to be honest, I thought it was a little 'over the top', 'romanticized', etc. But he explains further that our relationship with God will not become any deeper if we A- do nothing, or B- expect the same things we always have, and do the same things we always do. I hope that if I pray this more, and actually yearn for it, I will be able to report each prayer time being the most intimate yet! I have seen lots of good fruit from these Tuesdays of prayer and fasting, but it may already be a little bit of a 'habit' in the sense that I am doing something out of devotion- (which is important!), but not expecting to be changed. Our church is doing a series with many other partner churches in our city, to Connect, Serve, and Invite (CSI- no relation to the show). Connect with God, connect with others, serve in small and large ways, Invite them into our lives, homes, churches. So I thought about these two concepts this morning preparing for a play date with a neighbor. Did I expect that our relationship would stay the same after today, or would I intentially try to learn more about her, care more about her and her family, develop a deeper relationship, look for some way I could serve her?
The Word: "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also." John 12:26
I love the joining of (at least) three ideas here, that in service- to God and others, we are following what he commands, which brings us closer to Him- here on earth now, and in eternity.
Prayer: Praise God for the ways relationships have blessed us and opened up opportunities for us to bless others, and prayer for intentionally seeking deeper relationships to produce closeness with God and opportunity to connect with and serve others.
Food Story: Same story as the last play date with this friend, she planned a super fun food craft, that we would then eat for lunch- how could I say no! I will not have any more snacks this afternoon, but I am also choosing to fast from taking a nap (which I was really feeling would be nice in the sun-shiny February day), desiring instead to pray, journal, read, strive for closeness in relationships!
The Word: "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also." John 12:26
I love the joining of (at least) three ideas here, that in service- to God and others, we are following what he commands, which brings us closer to Him- here on earth now, and in eternity.
Prayer: Praise God for the ways relationships have blessed us and opened up opportunities for us to bless others, and prayer for intentionally seeking deeper relationships to produce closeness with God and opportunity to connect with and serve others.
Food Story: Same story as the last play date with this friend, she planned a super fun food craft, that we would then eat for lunch- how could I say no! I will not have any more snacks this afternoon, but I am also choosing to fast from taking a nap (which I was really feeling would be nice in the sun-shiny February day), desiring instead to pray, journal, read, strive for closeness in relationships!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Being the 'Prodigal' Father
Sometimes on Tuesdays I feel a real sense of urgency about certain prayer requests, other times I trust that even if I don't feel an urgency, that praying is still needed for me and others. Sometimes the things I pray about are specific, and other times they are more general. Today I am a little torn as to which categories my prayer will fall into. I recently read a perspective on the story of the prodigal son, and something new stuck out to me. When the older brother complains to his father about the banquet, his father says to him:
The Word: "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours." Luke 15:31
In the book I was reading, the author comments that the older brother was seeing himself as a slave, recounting all of the ways he has served his father, been faithful to his father, etc. Although I am sure the father was happy with all of these things, he reminds him of his true position- "Son", and that he did not have to work for that which was freely given to him out of love. Being a parent now, this comment challenged my feelings towards my children- do I expect my children to earn my love- by listening, obeying, having a good attitude, helping out (yes, even at ages 3 and 2), or do I have this unconditional, overflowing love this father has even as his son complains to him? So I say that I don't know exactly how to feel about praying because I do feel a great sense of urgency in the need to love in the way God our Father demonstrates, but I know the need to pray will continue as I strive to truly have a more loving heart, not just display more loving actions. In addition, this prayer is pretty specific about how I want to love others, but there are so many ways to love different people in my life that it takes some thought as to how I can really feel like they are always with me, and offer all I have to them.
Prayer: To truly understand how to and live as this Father did where I can say "you are always with me, and all that I have is yours."
Food Story: We had some friends over for lunch today, and when I first began fasting this situation would have caused me to overthink my plans, motivations, etc. so that I did not appear self righteous, insensitive, or just plain weird. But today the thought was very fleeting and I set about making and serving lunch to everyone, focusing on the relationships and conversation at hand. No one even seemed to notice my place at the table was bare (my daughter usually does). I didn't care that no one noticed, and I feel like I would not have cared much if people did. This fasting is a matter of my heart and God's work in and through me and the world- not a matter of me towards others. It is a good reminder to have an answer ready for the times when someone will ask what fasting is all about, but for today I am enjoying communing with God without all of the worry.
The Word: "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours." Luke 15:31
In the book I was reading, the author comments that the older brother was seeing himself as a slave, recounting all of the ways he has served his father, been faithful to his father, etc. Although I am sure the father was happy with all of these things, he reminds him of his true position- "Son", and that he did not have to work for that which was freely given to him out of love. Being a parent now, this comment challenged my feelings towards my children- do I expect my children to earn my love- by listening, obeying, having a good attitude, helping out (yes, even at ages 3 and 2), or do I have this unconditional, overflowing love this father has even as his son complains to him? So I say that I don't know exactly how to feel about praying because I do feel a great sense of urgency in the need to love in the way God our Father demonstrates, but I know the need to pray will continue as I strive to truly have a more loving heart, not just display more loving actions. In addition, this prayer is pretty specific about how I want to love others, but there are so many ways to love different people in my life that it takes some thought as to how I can really feel like they are always with me, and offer all I have to them.
Prayer: To truly understand how to and live as this Father did where I can say "you are always with me, and all that I have is yours."
Food Story: We had some friends over for lunch today, and when I first began fasting this situation would have caused me to overthink my plans, motivations, etc. so that I did not appear self righteous, insensitive, or just plain weird. But today the thought was very fleeting and I set about making and serving lunch to everyone, focusing on the relationships and conversation at hand. No one even seemed to notice my place at the table was bare (my daughter usually does). I didn't care that no one noticed, and I feel like I would not have cared much if people did. This fasting is a matter of my heart and God's work in and through me and the world- not a matter of me towards others. It is a good reminder to have an answer ready for the times when someone will ask what fasting is all about, but for today I am enjoying communing with God without all of the worry.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Praying about Praying
This past week I have actually started to write an e-mail to our friends and family about our hopes, thoughts, and questions about adoption, and I started reading a book about adoption. It had some great suggestions for prayer at the beginning of the process. So I decided to start with these during my prayer time today, but also felt like I needed to be praying for friends and family around me, because others have big things going on in life too that only God's Spirit can truly work out. Even though I believe and have experienced the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit many times, I know I still do not commit to prayer as I should. When I tell someone else or myself that I will pray for something, I want to follow through- not for people's perception of me, or for my own righteousness, but to remind myself and others of our need for one another as a body working together for Christ, and as branches being sustained only by the vine. I was looking for some new verses about prayer, and Biblegateway produced this one:
The Word: "Pray Continually," 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (If you've already memmorized '"esus Wept", try this one!)
Prayer: That prayer would be a driving force in our lives, for ourselves, for others, the world- in good times and bad. And taking to the time to tell others I am praying for them.
Food Story: Last night our Life Group was cancelled because of multiple illnesses and ominous weather, so we had a quiet, relaxing night. But i nstead of really enjoying it, I kept thinking about how ice cream would really make the night more enjoyable. I ended up walking to the grocery store across the street at 9:45 pm, convincing myself I really needed to go to get Matt some more yogurt for his lunch tomorrow :) Matt and I were both honestly disappointed that it was a satisfying as I hoped it would be- I want to be satisfied without food, argh! But today, after a great morning exercising and playing with the kids, the idea of a McDonald's diet coke popped into my head. I have significantly cut back since focusing on our budget! I checked myself to make sure my motives were good, and the overwhelming feeling was that the day had been so wonderful, a diet coke would just add more joy and energy to the day. This has still been the case so far this afternoon, not a dstraction or crutch, but increased joy! (Still sounds a little sad, but every good and perfect gift is from God, right?!)
The Word: "Pray Continually," 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (If you've already memmorized '"esus Wept", try this one!)
Prayer: That prayer would be a driving force in our lives, for ourselves, for others, the world- in good times and bad. And taking to the time to tell others I am praying for them.
Food Story: Last night our Life Group was cancelled because of multiple illnesses and ominous weather, so we had a quiet, relaxing night. But i nstead of really enjoying it, I kept thinking about how ice cream would really make the night more enjoyable. I ended up walking to the grocery store across the street at 9:45 pm, convincing myself I really needed to go to get Matt some more yogurt for his lunch tomorrow :) Matt and I were both honestly disappointed that it was a satisfying as I hoped it would be- I want to be satisfied without food, argh! But today, after a great morning exercising and playing with the kids, the idea of a McDonald's diet coke popped into my head. I have significantly cut back since focusing on our budget! I checked myself to make sure my motives were good, and the overwhelming feeling was that the day had been so wonderful, a diet coke would just add more joy and energy to the day. This has still been the case so far this afternoon, not a dstraction or crutch, but increased joy! (Still sounds a little sad, but every good and perfect gift is from God, right?!)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Feeling Powerful
I think this is an ironic title to choose compared to last week's, but I do beleive both concepts can be true- weakness (reliance on God), and strength. The topic that kept coming to mind in thought and prayer comes from reading the book "Parent Talk" by Chic Moorman, and is the general idea that what we tell our children, both intentionally and uninetentionally reflects back to them how we see them, and helps them form thoughts about how they see and feel about themselves. I kept thinking that the same concepts apply to ourselves as adults too, that we we say about and to ourselves will form our perception of who we are, and what we can do. I was looking for evidence for or against this in the Bible, and the following verses make me think that God wants us to feel strong, rooted, powerful, confident in his love, BECAUSE OF HIS SPIRIT IN US!
The Word:
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:16-21
Matt and I have talked about our 'default mood', like what is our most common responses in various situations. But I think this may be a disservice to ourselves, because while I admit having a short temper and can get anxious about various things, if I tell myself that my default mood is anger or anxiety, I will keep responding that way. I was happy yesterday when I put the kids down for nap time, started to feel anxious about something, and my first instinct was to go pray- I admittedly got a little confused and thought it was Tuesday so I 'should' pray, but I ended up saying to myself, "I am a pray-er". And I hope that when other situations arise, I will continue to respond that way!
Prayer:
That if anything is holding me (or you) back from serving God fully, serving and loving others fully, that we would feel the Holy Spirit's power in us to overcome any obstacles.
The Word:
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:16-21
Matt and I have talked about our 'default mood', like what is our most common responses in various situations. But I think this may be a disservice to ourselves, because while I admit having a short temper and can get anxious about various things, if I tell myself that my default mood is anger or anxiety, I will keep responding that way. I was happy yesterday when I put the kids down for nap time, started to feel anxious about something, and my first instinct was to go pray- I admittedly got a little confused and thought it was Tuesday so I 'should' pray, but I ended up saying to myself, "I am a pray-er". And I hope that when other situations arise, I will continue to respond that way!
Prayer:
That if anything is holding me (or you) back from serving God fully, serving and loving others fully, that we would feel the Holy Spirit's power in us to overcome any obstacles.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Getting Weaker
This week, Matt and I have a third child in our house. She is our neice, so of course we will treat her like family, but we are praying that in this time we are actually being open to God changing our hearts to treat any child who may come nto our home as family- especially in the sense of adoption. There have already been a number of logisctical difficulties to sort through as far as sleeping arrangements, vehicle seating arrangements, etc. And we are thinking of the unseen difficulties that may be present too, like how much we should expect the child to fit into our routine, or adapt to theirs, how our means of discipline affect the child differently than what they are used to,etc. Before the end of the first day, all of this stressed me out a little, and we hadn't even unpacked from Christmas/New Year's vacation yet. Some times I think that I could serve God better if I were not so stressed, so I should not take on these kinds of ventures. Then I remembered some questions in the book "Crazy Love", "Are you doing anything in life that you have to rely on God for" and "Would my life be different if I didn't believe in God". Considering these questions and desiring the answers to be 'yes', I delight in this new challenge, and whatever joys or struggles it brings. This verse came to mind to help me remember that life is about growing to know, love, and serve God more and more each day, and all that I experience has the potential to work towards that end.
The Word:
" My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. " 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Prayer:
To delight in hardhsips as opportunities to rely more on God, stay focused on the eternal joys present all around me.
The Word:
" My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. " 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Prayer:
To delight in hardhsips as opportunities to rely more on God, stay focused on the eternal joys present all around me.
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