Today will be a short entry. At least that is my plan! I'm reading the best book right now. In fact, I'm almost done with it and I know it's going to be life changing. It is title, "Change Your Words, Change Your Life." The author is Joyce Meyer. I could read her writing all day long. All of the books I have read by her have been outstanding. The book is all about the power of words. She says that words are like jars. We can either fill the jars with good words or bad. It's our choice. What we fill them with impacts ourselves and everybody around us.
Pretty much every single page is convicting and I have found myself praying my way through the book. Conviction is good though. Conviction is different than condemnation. Conviction is from God and condemnation not so much. I think when we are convicted in our spirits there is hope in it. With conviction, self evaluation, and the strength and wisdom of God we can be more. We can become a better human being. Condemnation just makes us feel downright rotten. Of course my definitions are not from Webster's Dictionary, but rather my own assessment.
As you know, there is so much negativity in the world. Everywhere we turn is a train wreck. I mean it's rather depressing if you watch, listen, or read the daily news. How 'bout we get a cable news channel that reports nothing but good?! I don't mean the false news of good for a certain parties political gain, but genuine good news. A few weeks back Herman Cain dedicated an entire Monday show to nothing but good news. Yep, I love Herman Cain! For example, I recently read that Braxton Miller is returning for his senior season of football at tOSU (raise the roof). Okay cool I thought then I scrolled down to the comment section of the article. I mean it was brutal. People were so mean. I get that some were "joking," but others were not. I also get that feelings run deep in the college football world, but come on people. For the record, I am not a fan of sarcasm because I think more times then not there is truth in what the person is saying. Luke 6:45 says, "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." I am pointing the finger of conviction at myself here. I so need to get better at putting out positive words. I'm not necessarily a sarcastic person, but I tend to be much more critical than I need to be. I encourage you to grow in this area and I want to be challenged the same way.
So as I was reading today I got to thinking about all the nice things I think that never see the light of day. I have really, really been trying to share encouraging words with people when they pop into my head. Today, I felt a nudge to text my best buddy, Jessy. I felt like maybe she needed to read something encouraging. Now I immediately thought I shouldn't bother her or she's probably doing fine, but the Lord wouldn't leave me alone about it. So I sent that text. Jess, if you are reading this I hope you don't mind that I shared this. I think the biggest challenge is just getting outside our own heads. What? You aren't as self-minded as me? Well, I still think about myself far too much, but man am I making progress.
Proverbs 15:23 reads, "A person finds joy in giving an apt reply-- and how good is a timely word!"
How great are the Proverbs?! This verse is awesome. If you want to feel more joy just genuinely encourage someone. You never know what that person is dealing with either. Your encouragement may be just on time! We all know there are enough negative words flying around so how about seeing how many positive ones you can put out there. I'm challenged. Are you?
Do you think the treadmills at the gym are kept really clean? Tell the cleaning person they are doing a great job. How about the friendly bag boy at the grocery that pushed your full cart to your car? How about thanking him? Thank the person that held the door for you at the mall. Tell the receptionist at the doctor's office her hair looks pretty if you think it. When the weather got cold here a few months ago the woman that owns the barn where my horse lives asked if I had a blanket for Jessie. My initial thought was sarcasm. Cold? She thinks this is cold? I'm from the north and this is NOT cold I thought. I even thought about telling her Jessie didn't need a blanket...she is a Yankee horse! Then I thought for a second...how nice was it that she cares enough about MY horse to ask for a blanket? Again, I'm not pointing fingers at you and telling you to get better. I desire to improve in this area too. I know I can be a negative, but I truly want to grow to become more Christ-like with the words I use.
I hope you find this encouraging. Again, I challenge all of us to search for good, life-giving words we can share with people. There are so many broken people in the world and so much pain. You never know what someone is dealing with behind closed doors and maybe, just maybe, a kind word may make their day a little better.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Counting Blessings or Battles?
James 1:2-4) Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Acts 5:40-41) His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Corinthians 11:23-29) Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
I have wondered about these verses because here in America we have religious freedom like no where else on earth. We can talk about Jesus here and not get beaten and flogged. Yes, we may be called a bigot or intolerant, but I will take that any day over being stoned or boiled in oil. So how can I relate James 1:2-4, Acts 40-41, 2 Corinthians 11:23-29 to my own life? My trials aren't exactly like Paul's. James 1:2 says that we should take joy when we face trials of ANY kind. In my mind there are "religious" problems and "everyday" problems. It is very compartmentalized to me. God has been challenging this mindset recently. I also have "religious" dreams and goals and "everyday" dreams and goals. How can these two mesh? Bear with me as I work through this and try to explain it to you. In the end I pray it makes sense...to both of us!
When God allows a trial He desires us to handle it in a certain manner. Notice I said allow and not cause. I will not pretend to understand why He allows certain things and not others. I DO NOT KNOW and will never know on this side of heaven. I believe in heaven we may be privileged to that information. Of course I may be completely off base on that, but will not venture off on that rabbit trail. How are my sufferings sufferings for Christ like Paul talks about? I can directly relate Paul's (or any apostle) actions to his pain. This guy was out of control the Pharisees thought. He actually got stoned on his first mission trip. When the stoning was finished he moved on to preach more. He was being tortured because he wouldn't shut up about Christ. Let's not forget the ultimate sacrifice...Jesus Christ. To say He suffered is an understatement. Anytime we suffer for whatever reason we share a common bond with Christ.
When we go through something really hard it can do so many things for us. It can humble us, it can show us that we are not the masters of our own domain, it exposes us, it can also teach us that we need a Savior. Some people talk a great deal about how blessed they are. I can see how some people's declared blessings would make another feel really low about their own life. I hope when I say I am blessed it doesn't actually discourage another. We are taught to count our blessings and that is all well and good. I mean really, it's really good to count our blessings. It is not only good, but Biblical. If only the bad is dwelt upon we can become very depressed. So keeping your mind focused on the good is smart. I think we should look at the "bad" differently. Dave likes to call them opportunities. So when he does an employee review he shares the good they have done and also their "opportunities." Any challenge is an opportunity to see Christ work through us and to grow in character and perseverance. We all also know the Facebook person that constantly posts negativity and sarcasm. These people dwell on the negative. What about counting our battles? When we count our battles we are saying, "you know what?! I've been through some stuff, but I'm still here. I'm still here standing strong." There are problems we face that are a result of our sin and others problems come because we are living on the great planet earth. My mom didn't get brain cancer because she sinned. I didn't have to have a total hysterectomy because I sinned. Some people do get sick because of sinful lifestyles yes, but it's all between you and your God. Sometimes suffering is a result of poor choices If we approach Him honestly He will show you the root cause and in your humbleness you can work it out with Him.
What I am saying is to be proud of the junk you have been through. Do not be proud that you sinned or caused yourself and others pain, but be proud that your still standing by the grace of God. The pain, the hopelessness, the unholy thoughts didn't beat you. God's power flows through you and you are still fighting the good fight and when you have really, truly experienced God's redeeming grace you can't be quiet about it.
Watching my mother battle cancer and subsequently die was unbelievably hard. I have never, ever felt pain in my heart like that. There were some days that it was hard to breath and when I sat by her bedside I couldn't even understand why God would allow a faithful child to endure this amount of pain. Watching the mortician carry her body out of our front door made me want to vomit. I still remember the robe she was wearing...it was navy and white pinstripe and it zipped up the front. I remember grasping her left behind glasses and sobbing like I have never sobbed before. I remember cleaning out her closet the next day and opening a box that held the beautiful dress she wore to my wedding. You know what though? We all got through it. I can be proud of that scar on my heart because God is still God and He still sits on His throne and will one day send His son to earth to take His followers home. I can say to Satan, "you tried to destroy our faith (especially Dad and Christy), but we are still standing on His promises." We have become more loving, joyful, peaceful, tolerant, kind, faithful, gentle, and have more self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Has my health/hormone situation gone like I wanted? No. Has it all lasted longer than I prayed for? Yes. Do I want to scream some days our of frustration? A big yes! Have I felt let down by God on occasion? Yep. Again, I look to our enemy and say, "I'm still standing and I have literal scars on me from a very unexpected surgery, but you can't beat me and you can't steal my trust in God." I hope you can see how my "everyday" problems transcend that and become "religious" problems because at the end of the day there is a battle between good and evil. I refuse to disown God and live in bitterness and selfishness. I can't disown the very reason for my perseverance. Only with Him can I behave with any remote level of grace!
Earlier I categorized two types of trouble. One is what I call religious trouble and the other is everyday trouble. Paul had some serious religious trouble. Missionaries that are being burned at the stake have religious trouble. Anyone who stands up for Christ that experiences backlash is experiencing religious trouble. The college student who refuses to be like everyone else because they are called by God to be different and experiences teasing and ridicule is suffering religious problems. See what I mean? I have been teased in my life because of my religious views and I have been labeled indirectly (and maybe directly behind my back). I wish I could say I suffered more for these views, but I think living in America in general will minimize that. We are so spoiled still despite the onslaught of taking God out of everything. So how do my health problems factor in here? How does the suffering we endured with my mother's death factor in here? Here is a major point to remember. Are you ready?! Anytime we are faced with a trial whether it be a job loss, a scary diagnosis, a child who is far from God, a chronic health condition, a lost relationship, the list goes on, IF we handle it with love, joy, peace, tolerance, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control we are overcoming evil. We are suffering for Christ's sake because those traits are the traits of Christ. Satan wants us to react with guilt, anger, frustration, despair, depression, victimization, self-pity, etc. Christ has thought of us worthy to suffer for Him. He has trusted us with challenges and has equipped us with the Holy Spirit to overcome evil for good in the middle of our pain. When we really grasp that suffering strengthens us and allows us to experience God like nothing else in the world then we can't keep quiet just like the Apostles couldn't keep quiet in Acts 5:42. I think the list of trials above would be considered everyday trouble, but you can see how I married the two. Even our everyday trouble can strengthen our resolve in Christ and enable us to live bolder in Him.
I listened to an absolute incredible Steven Furtick sermon this past Saturday. I listened to it again today. It pretty much rocked my world. Pastor Furtick talked about how we put blessings and battles into two separate categories. He challenged his listeners to really evaluate those categories. The blessing category is filled with all things we think of as good and the battle category is all the yucky stuff of life. He said many of the items in the loss category need to be added to the gain side. I love that! It really made me think of my own list and how off it probably is. By allowing me to go through some stuff God is actually complimenting me. He's showing confidence in me. He's refining me and making me a much, much stronger more compassionate individual. He is revealing traits of myself to myself that need improved upon. He has exposed friends that ended up not being there when I desperately needed someone and showed me the times I have been a lousy friend. Through my serious trials He has made me bold in my faith. He has made me more understanding and He has also revealed how little I trusted Him. He has stripped away much vanity and exposed me for the spoiled Christian I was. He has revealed how judgmental I was. He has exposed my natural tendencies of complete selfishness and navel gazing. I have also learned how unbelievably stubborn and unforgiving I have been. How can all these revelations be added to the loss category?! My battle column is sure shrinking! It isn't shrinking because my battles have miraculous disappeared. It is shrinking because my perspective is changing. I still have a long way to go. I love the following saying, "I am not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I was."
I really, really hope this made some resemblance of sense. I have these thoughts in my brain and heart and have to find a way to put words on them. One of my main goals is to encourage you. I want you to be better than you were before reading these entries. I want you to know I am no better or holier than you are! We all have battles both public and personal. As I have matured in my faith I have really held onto the following quote: "Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." I can't even tell you how much I love this quote! I never, ever want anyone to feel condemned by my blog entries. I want you to know God loves you and has an incredible plan for your life. His plans far exceed any you can even fathom for yourself. Ephesians 3:20 assures us that He wants to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Here is to a 2014 full of "blessings!"
Acts 5:40-41) His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Corinthians 11:23-29) Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
I have wondered about these verses because here in America we have religious freedom like no where else on earth. We can talk about Jesus here and not get beaten and flogged. Yes, we may be called a bigot or intolerant, but I will take that any day over being stoned or boiled in oil. So how can I relate James 1:2-4, Acts 40-41, 2 Corinthians 11:23-29 to my own life? My trials aren't exactly like Paul's. James 1:2 says that we should take joy when we face trials of ANY kind. In my mind there are "religious" problems and "everyday" problems. It is very compartmentalized to me. God has been challenging this mindset recently. I also have "religious" dreams and goals and "everyday" dreams and goals. How can these two mesh? Bear with me as I work through this and try to explain it to you. In the end I pray it makes sense...to both of us!
When God allows a trial He desires us to handle it in a certain manner. Notice I said allow and not cause. I will not pretend to understand why He allows certain things and not others. I DO NOT KNOW and will never know on this side of heaven. I believe in heaven we may be privileged to that information. Of course I may be completely off base on that, but will not venture off on that rabbit trail. How are my sufferings sufferings for Christ like Paul talks about? I can directly relate Paul's (or any apostle) actions to his pain. This guy was out of control the Pharisees thought. He actually got stoned on his first mission trip. When the stoning was finished he moved on to preach more. He was being tortured because he wouldn't shut up about Christ. Let's not forget the ultimate sacrifice...Jesus Christ. To say He suffered is an understatement. Anytime we suffer for whatever reason we share a common bond with Christ.
When we go through something really hard it can do so many things for us. It can humble us, it can show us that we are not the masters of our own domain, it exposes us, it can also teach us that we need a Savior. Some people talk a great deal about how blessed they are. I can see how some people's declared blessings would make another feel really low about their own life. I hope when I say I am blessed it doesn't actually discourage another. We are taught to count our blessings and that is all well and good. I mean really, it's really good to count our blessings. It is not only good, but Biblical. If only the bad is dwelt upon we can become very depressed. So keeping your mind focused on the good is smart. I think we should look at the "bad" differently. Dave likes to call them opportunities. So when he does an employee review he shares the good they have done and also their "opportunities." Any challenge is an opportunity to see Christ work through us and to grow in character and perseverance. We all also know the Facebook person that constantly posts negativity and sarcasm. These people dwell on the negative. What about counting our battles? When we count our battles we are saying, "you know what?! I've been through some stuff, but I'm still here. I'm still here standing strong." There are problems we face that are a result of our sin and others problems come because we are living on the great planet earth. My mom didn't get brain cancer because she sinned. I didn't have to have a total hysterectomy because I sinned. Some people do get sick because of sinful lifestyles yes, but it's all between you and your God. Sometimes suffering is a result of poor choices If we approach Him honestly He will show you the root cause and in your humbleness you can work it out with Him.
What I am saying is to be proud of the junk you have been through. Do not be proud that you sinned or caused yourself and others pain, but be proud that your still standing by the grace of God. The pain, the hopelessness, the unholy thoughts didn't beat you. God's power flows through you and you are still fighting the good fight and when you have really, truly experienced God's redeeming grace you can't be quiet about it.
Watching my mother battle cancer and subsequently die was unbelievably hard. I have never, ever felt pain in my heart like that. There were some days that it was hard to breath and when I sat by her bedside I couldn't even understand why God would allow a faithful child to endure this amount of pain. Watching the mortician carry her body out of our front door made me want to vomit. I still remember the robe she was wearing...it was navy and white pinstripe and it zipped up the front. I remember grasping her left behind glasses and sobbing like I have never sobbed before. I remember cleaning out her closet the next day and opening a box that held the beautiful dress she wore to my wedding. You know what though? We all got through it. I can be proud of that scar on my heart because God is still God and He still sits on His throne and will one day send His son to earth to take His followers home. I can say to Satan, "you tried to destroy our faith (especially Dad and Christy), but we are still standing on His promises." We have become more loving, joyful, peaceful, tolerant, kind, faithful, gentle, and have more self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Has my health/hormone situation gone like I wanted? No. Has it all lasted longer than I prayed for? Yes. Do I want to scream some days our of frustration? A big yes! Have I felt let down by God on occasion? Yep. Again, I look to our enemy and say, "I'm still standing and I have literal scars on me from a very unexpected surgery, but you can't beat me and you can't steal my trust in God." I hope you can see how my "everyday" problems transcend that and become "religious" problems because at the end of the day there is a battle between good and evil. I refuse to disown God and live in bitterness and selfishness. I can't disown the very reason for my perseverance. Only with Him can I behave with any remote level of grace!
Earlier I categorized two types of trouble. One is what I call religious trouble and the other is everyday trouble. Paul had some serious religious trouble. Missionaries that are being burned at the stake have religious trouble. Anyone who stands up for Christ that experiences backlash is experiencing religious trouble. The college student who refuses to be like everyone else because they are called by God to be different and experiences teasing and ridicule is suffering religious problems. See what I mean? I have been teased in my life because of my religious views and I have been labeled indirectly (and maybe directly behind my back). I wish I could say I suffered more for these views, but I think living in America in general will minimize that. We are so spoiled still despite the onslaught of taking God out of everything. So how do my health problems factor in here? How does the suffering we endured with my mother's death factor in here? Here is a major point to remember. Are you ready?! Anytime we are faced with a trial whether it be a job loss, a scary diagnosis, a child who is far from God, a chronic health condition, a lost relationship, the list goes on, IF we handle it with love, joy, peace, tolerance, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control we are overcoming evil. We are suffering for Christ's sake because those traits are the traits of Christ. Satan wants us to react with guilt, anger, frustration, despair, depression, victimization, self-pity, etc. Christ has thought of us worthy to suffer for Him. He has trusted us with challenges and has equipped us with the Holy Spirit to overcome evil for good in the middle of our pain. When we really grasp that suffering strengthens us and allows us to experience God like nothing else in the world then we can't keep quiet just like the Apostles couldn't keep quiet in Acts 5:42. I think the list of trials above would be considered everyday trouble, but you can see how I married the two. Even our everyday trouble can strengthen our resolve in Christ and enable us to live bolder in Him.
I listened to an absolute incredible Steven Furtick sermon this past Saturday. I listened to it again today. It pretty much rocked my world. Pastor Furtick talked about how we put blessings and battles into two separate categories. He challenged his listeners to really evaluate those categories. The blessing category is filled with all things we think of as good and the battle category is all the yucky stuff of life. He said many of the items in the loss category need to be added to the gain side. I love that! It really made me think of my own list and how off it probably is. By allowing me to go through some stuff God is actually complimenting me. He's showing confidence in me. He's refining me and making me a much, much stronger more compassionate individual. He is revealing traits of myself to myself that need improved upon. He has exposed friends that ended up not being there when I desperately needed someone and showed me the times I have been a lousy friend. Through my serious trials He has made me bold in my faith. He has made me more understanding and He has also revealed how little I trusted Him. He has stripped away much vanity and exposed me for the spoiled Christian I was. He has revealed how judgmental I was. He has exposed my natural tendencies of complete selfishness and navel gazing. I have also learned how unbelievably stubborn and unforgiving I have been. How can all these revelations be added to the loss category?! My battle column is sure shrinking! It isn't shrinking because my battles have miraculous disappeared. It is shrinking because my perspective is changing. I still have a long way to go. I love the following saying, "I am not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I was."
I really, really hope this made some resemblance of sense. I have these thoughts in my brain and heart and have to find a way to put words on them. One of my main goals is to encourage you. I want you to be better than you were before reading these entries. I want you to know I am no better or holier than you are! We all have battles both public and personal. As I have matured in my faith I have really held onto the following quote: "Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." I can't even tell you how much I love this quote! I never, ever want anyone to feel condemned by my blog entries. I want you to know God loves you and has an incredible plan for your life. His plans far exceed any you can even fathom for yourself. Ephesians 3:20 assures us that He wants to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Here is to a 2014 full of "blessings!"
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Redemption
I have been thinking a great deal about this concept of redemption the last few days. I think it started from watching ESPN's Youngstown Boys. It was a documentary type program about Maurice Clarett and Jim Tressel. It was SO good. If you haven't seen it please check out ESPN to see if they are replaying it.
While watching the replays of the '02-'03 season, especially the Michigan game and the National Title Game, Dave and I got goosebumps several times. We forgot just how insane that season was! There were so many close games! It was low scoring back then. A few that stood out were the Purdue game where the final score was 10-6. 10-6 people! That was the famous "holy Buckeye" game. Then you have the Penn State game (I was at that game!)...13-7. We beat Wisconsin by only five, Illinois in OT, and the 12th ranked Wolverines by five points. That was the good ole days of defense! The Michigan score was 14-9. Back then there was not a Big Ten title game so we knew that if we could clinch the win in The Game we were headed to the NTG in Tempe. When the replays of the Miami game came on Dave and I were able to reminisce about the interception in the end zone, Maurice's strip, the pass interference call on Chris Gamble, the final score by Maurice Clarett, and the goal line stand. What a year that was!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6LiLngusVM
Your welcome.
Okay, enough of reliving the good ole days. The premise of the show is a close and personal look at the life of Maurice Clarett. If your not familiar with him here is the short of it. He took the football field by storm that season. He was a true freshman and was a rock star in Columbus, Ohio. Watching the replays I was reminded just how insanely talented he was. Really the sky was the limit for him. He was living a professional football life in college and soon fell out of favor in Columbus and was eventually kicked off the team. He sued the NFL for early entry in the league, but lost the case. He tried out for the Broncos a few years later and completely bombed at the combine. The story documents his downward spiral that eventually landed him in prison sentenced to 7-1/2 years and then his rise back up. If you are from Ohio you remember the sad mug shot of a once hero. It was sad. Buckeye football went on though and Maurice was all but forgot about.
Youngstown Boys doesn't go into too great of detail about what really changed Maurice's life. I was curious so I did some searching online and on Facebook and Twitter. His posts seem to be very inspirational with references to God. I also noticed on his personal website that he was doing guest speaking at churches all over Ohio. I found a few podcasts and videos. I watched them and was soooooo amazed. This guy found Jesus Christ and his life completely changed. His testimony is absolutely incredible. Actually his whole story is absolutely incredible. My mind cannot fathom growing up in the environment he did or living the life he did. In a testimony he gave at a church he talks about the process of finding Jesus and the men in his life that mentored him. He talks about finally understanding that Jesus could make him a new creation. He tells a story about not having a home and not being able to find one because he is a convicted felon. God worked it out and one landlord was willing to give Maurice a chance at renting her apartment. The whole story is so touching. There is something completely endearing about him. He also tells some pretty sweet stories about the '03 title run!
Redemption- 1. improving of something: the act of saving something or somebody from a declined, dilapidated, or corrupted state and restoring it, him, or her to a better condition
2. redeemed state: the improved state of somebody or something saved from apparently irreversible decline
3. atonement for human sin: deliverance from the sins of humanity by the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross
The dictionary gave me the definition for redemption that is above. After reading it I thought number three should be number one. It is the foundation for true redemption, for true change. Maurice explained how he believed in God, but couldn't come to terms with his past sin. He said he finally understood that Jesus Christ was what he needed. Number three on the list simply explains what the ultimate redemption is. It is the atonement of our sins, through Jesus' death on the Cross. Maurice also goes into great detail about how a mentor taught him to apply the Scriptures to real life, especially life on the other side meaning outside of the prison walls. He mentions how he felt completely hopeless and depressed. His circumstances appeared to be irreversible as the number two definition states.
You see we can't ever be truly improved without Jesus. We can act better and contribute to society, but that bridge between our sin and God can't be closed without Jesus. One of my favorite verses is 2nd Corinthians 5:17. It reads, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here." How great is that! I can say that I have never, ever experienced anything in life like Maurice Clarett has. I have no idea about that level of misery and depravity. The truth is though, sin is sin. Big sins and little sins are just something we label. In God's eyes sin is sin. Any sin separates from God. Redemption is such a beautiful word. When it comes out of Jesus' mouth it is a life-giving word. I would venture to say Maurice would agree.
http://184.154.122.108/~mycchur/mauriceclarett.php
While watching the replays of the '02-'03 season, especially the Michigan game and the National Title Game, Dave and I got goosebumps several times. We forgot just how insane that season was! There were so many close games! It was low scoring back then. A few that stood out were the Purdue game where the final score was 10-6. 10-6 people! That was the famous "holy Buckeye" game. Then you have the Penn State game (I was at that game!)...13-7. We beat Wisconsin by only five, Illinois in OT, and the 12th ranked Wolverines by five points. That was the good ole days of defense! The Michigan score was 14-9. Back then there was not a Big Ten title game so we knew that if we could clinch the win in The Game we were headed to the NTG in Tempe. When the replays of the Miami game came on Dave and I were able to reminisce about the interception in the end zone, Maurice's strip, the pass interference call on Chris Gamble, the final score by Maurice Clarett, and the goal line stand. What a year that was!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6LiLngusVM
Your welcome.
Okay, enough of reliving the good ole days. The premise of the show is a close and personal look at the life of Maurice Clarett. If your not familiar with him here is the short of it. He took the football field by storm that season. He was a true freshman and was a rock star in Columbus, Ohio. Watching the replays I was reminded just how insanely talented he was. Really the sky was the limit for him. He was living a professional football life in college and soon fell out of favor in Columbus and was eventually kicked off the team. He sued the NFL for early entry in the league, but lost the case. He tried out for the Broncos a few years later and completely bombed at the combine. The story documents his downward spiral that eventually landed him in prison sentenced to 7-1/2 years and then his rise back up. If you are from Ohio you remember the sad mug shot of a once hero. It was sad. Buckeye football went on though and Maurice was all but forgot about.
Youngstown Boys doesn't go into too great of detail about what really changed Maurice's life. I was curious so I did some searching online and on Facebook and Twitter. His posts seem to be very inspirational with references to God. I also noticed on his personal website that he was doing guest speaking at churches all over Ohio. I found a few podcasts and videos. I watched them and was soooooo amazed. This guy found Jesus Christ and his life completely changed. His testimony is absolutely incredible. Actually his whole story is absolutely incredible. My mind cannot fathom growing up in the environment he did or living the life he did. In a testimony he gave at a church he talks about the process of finding Jesus and the men in his life that mentored him. He talks about finally understanding that Jesus could make him a new creation. He tells a story about not having a home and not being able to find one because he is a convicted felon. God worked it out and one landlord was willing to give Maurice a chance at renting her apartment. The whole story is so touching. There is something completely endearing about him. He also tells some pretty sweet stories about the '03 title run!
Redemption- 1. improving of something: the act of saving something or somebody from a declined, dilapidated, or corrupted state and restoring it, him, or her to a better condition
2. redeemed state: the improved state of somebody or something saved from apparently irreversible decline
3. atonement for human sin: deliverance from the sins of humanity by the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross
The dictionary gave me the definition for redemption that is above. After reading it I thought number three should be number one. It is the foundation for true redemption, for true change. Maurice explained how he believed in God, but couldn't come to terms with his past sin. He said he finally understood that Jesus Christ was what he needed. Number three on the list simply explains what the ultimate redemption is. It is the atonement of our sins, through Jesus' death on the Cross. Maurice also goes into great detail about how a mentor taught him to apply the Scriptures to real life, especially life on the other side meaning outside of the prison walls. He mentions how he felt completely hopeless and depressed. His circumstances appeared to be irreversible as the number two definition states.
You see we can't ever be truly improved without Jesus. We can act better and contribute to society, but that bridge between our sin and God can't be closed without Jesus. One of my favorite verses is 2nd Corinthians 5:17. It reads, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here." How great is that! I can say that I have never, ever experienced anything in life like Maurice Clarett has. I have no idea about that level of misery and depravity. The truth is though, sin is sin. Big sins and little sins are just something we label. In God's eyes sin is sin. Any sin separates from God. Redemption is such a beautiful word. When it comes out of Jesus' mouth it is a life-giving word. I would venture to say Maurice would agree.
http://184.154.122.108/~mycchur/mauriceclarett.php
Monday, December 9, 2013
Words, Words, and More Words
Hey all! I hope you all are doing well. Christmas is sneaking up on us, isn't it? It's a wonderful time of year for so many reasons. The first of course, is celebrating the birth of our Savior. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I have been missing snow. I miss the feeling of Christmas with the snow, chilly weather, and cozy nights with the fireplace on. It just doesn't feel the same with a temperature of 70 outside. Today is 43 and drizzly...pretty much like Ohio weather minus the beautiful snow days.
I promise to get to my point, but have to give you the lead up to it so you can understand my thought process. Something AWFUL happened this weekend. It started at approximately 8 p.m. on Saturday night. If you are from Ohio you will totally get what I'm saying. Ohio State lost. I know, I know if your not an tOSU fan you probably 1. don't care, or 2. are glad we lost. Here is the deal though. I have no animosity to Sparty. Actually, I kind of like Sparty. _ichigan folk are torn between TTUP (That Team Up North, i.e. _ichigan) and _ichigan State. 'Little brother' ruined all our hopes and dreams of playing in the Title Game and to some extent, thinking we would never, ever lose as long as Urban Meyer was our coach. Quite frankly, I dreaded getting to the Big Dance and being embarrassed yet again. I could go on and on about how our defense stinks and Carlos Hyde should have been given the ball to get that 4th and 2 with about five minutes to go in the game.
I love ESPN and couldn't resist checking it out after our game. If your a Buckeye you are used to getting zero love on ESPN. I read a few articles about our game and I couldn't help but scroll down to the comments. I do this pretty often because the comments are usually pretty entertaining when the sarcasm isn't directed at my team. All the comments I read were not written by Ohio State fans. Some people were funny with their comments, but others were just down right sarcastic and mean. One person said they hated Urban Meyer and was glad tOSU lost. Another person speculated that Meyer would probably call 911 after the game because he thought he was having another heart attack. One poster said that Urban Cryer would probably fake another heart problem and quit because he knew his team sucked all in guise that he needed a break and time with his family. According to one person he knew his Gator team was terrible so he quit because he was "sick." Oh and he left the SEC because he was afraid of Nick Saban and he knew he could win in the B1G.
Before you think I'm too serious let me propose this. Maybe our words have power. Maybe they really matter. Some people claim to be "brutally honest" when in reality they are just being jerks. Contrary to popular belief we are not entitled to sharing our opinion. I 100% believe in freedom of speech by all means. What God has been showing me over the last few years is that our words are powerful. We are not entitled to spew out everything that comes into our heads. I have found this a huge challenge as my personal health trial has gone on and on. I get in crappy moods and just want to "vent." Usually my dear husband is the recipient of this venting. Poor guy. He wants me to share my heart with him, but he does hold me accountable for my words and the heart behind them.
Proverbs 18:21) The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
James 1:19) Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger...
Romans 14:11) It is written: "As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God."
The above Bible verses show us how important words are. The old saying "sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you" is so untrue. A hurtful word to a child can impact them for life. Jumping to assumptions about a person rather than really listening to their side of the story can break up a friendship. One day our tongues will acknowledge the Lord. Our words mean something. This morning I was listening to Joyce Meyer on my walk. She's such a hoot and is such an amazing teacher. The series was titled, "Your Mouth and God's Power." The premise of the teaching was that our words impact others around us and ourselves. She teaches that we need to get into agreement with what God says and not what we feel, think, see, or what others say about us. We may feel unlovable and worthless because something told us we were, but God says I am the apple of His eye (Deut. 7:6) and I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). There are some symptoms that I'm still dealing with that are very difficult. I can't even fathom not living with them. It seems impossible that they could be relieved eventually. Matthew 19:26 says, "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” So my time is better spent speaking what God says and not what I feel.
Joyce even described how I can actually block God's power and anointing in my life with my negative speech. She described a time when she was critical of a fellow preacher. She felt their preaching wasn't direct enough and they were not good at holding the sermon together to teach a main point. She voiced this to her husband. After that she started having a very hard time preaching. She just dreaded having to teach and couldn't wait until it was over. She had never felt this way before. Weeks went past and she couldn't shake the feeling. She prayed and prayed and God seemed silent. Finally her husband said he thought it had something to do with her critical attitude. She prayed and fasted the following day and God revealed the same thing to her. I thought that story was fascinating!
It was interesting to hear these sermons after reading all the hateful comments about Urban Meyer. Reading them really got me thinking about the issue. Hearing Joyce cemented what God was trying to teach me and still is. When I'm frustrated, discouraged, angry, whatever I must speak words of trust in God, faith, hope, and peace. I want my words to impact the people around me in a positive way. I want them to feel hope and peace. I want them to feel better about themselves and be encouraged. I have a loooooong way to go, but with God I can get there and so can you.
....and at least we beat _ichigan. :-)
I promise to get to my point, but have to give you the lead up to it so you can understand my thought process. Something AWFUL happened this weekend. It started at approximately 8 p.m. on Saturday night. If you are from Ohio you will totally get what I'm saying. Ohio State lost. I know, I know if your not an tOSU fan you probably 1. don't care, or 2. are glad we lost. Here is the deal though. I have no animosity to Sparty. Actually, I kind of like Sparty. _ichigan folk are torn between TTUP (That Team Up North, i.e. _ichigan) and _ichigan State. 'Little brother' ruined all our hopes and dreams of playing in the Title Game and to some extent, thinking we would never, ever lose as long as Urban Meyer was our coach. Quite frankly, I dreaded getting to the Big Dance and being embarrassed yet again. I could go on and on about how our defense stinks and Carlos Hyde should have been given the ball to get that 4th and 2 with about five minutes to go in the game.
I love ESPN and couldn't resist checking it out after our game. If your a Buckeye you are used to getting zero love on ESPN. I read a few articles about our game and I couldn't help but scroll down to the comments. I do this pretty often because the comments are usually pretty entertaining when the sarcasm isn't directed at my team. All the comments I read were not written by Ohio State fans. Some people were funny with their comments, but others were just down right sarcastic and mean. One person said they hated Urban Meyer and was glad tOSU lost. Another person speculated that Meyer would probably call 911 after the game because he thought he was having another heart attack. One poster said that Urban Cryer would probably fake another heart problem and quit because he knew his team sucked all in guise that he needed a break and time with his family. According to one person he knew his Gator team was terrible so he quit because he was "sick." Oh and he left the SEC because he was afraid of Nick Saban and he knew he could win in the B1G.
Before you think I'm too serious let me propose this. Maybe our words have power. Maybe they really matter. Some people claim to be "brutally honest" when in reality they are just being jerks. Contrary to popular belief we are not entitled to sharing our opinion. I 100% believe in freedom of speech by all means. What God has been showing me over the last few years is that our words are powerful. We are not entitled to spew out everything that comes into our heads. I have found this a huge challenge as my personal health trial has gone on and on. I get in crappy moods and just want to "vent." Usually my dear husband is the recipient of this venting. Poor guy. He wants me to share my heart with him, but he does hold me accountable for my words and the heart behind them.
Proverbs 18:21) The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
James 1:19) Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger...
Romans 14:11) It is written: "As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God."
The above Bible verses show us how important words are. The old saying "sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you" is so untrue. A hurtful word to a child can impact them for life. Jumping to assumptions about a person rather than really listening to their side of the story can break up a friendship. One day our tongues will acknowledge the Lord. Our words mean something. This morning I was listening to Joyce Meyer on my walk. She's such a hoot and is such an amazing teacher. The series was titled, "Your Mouth and God's Power." The premise of the teaching was that our words impact others around us and ourselves. She teaches that we need to get into agreement with what God says and not what we feel, think, see, or what others say about us. We may feel unlovable and worthless because something told us we were, but God says I am the apple of His eye (Deut. 7:6) and I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). There are some symptoms that I'm still dealing with that are very difficult. I can't even fathom not living with them. It seems impossible that they could be relieved eventually. Matthew 19:26 says, "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” So my time is better spent speaking what God says and not what I feel.
Joyce even described how I can actually block God's power and anointing in my life with my negative speech. She described a time when she was critical of a fellow preacher. She felt their preaching wasn't direct enough and they were not good at holding the sermon together to teach a main point. She voiced this to her husband. After that she started having a very hard time preaching. She just dreaded having to teach and couldn't wait until it was over. She had never felt this way before. Weeks went past and she couldn't shake the feeling. She prayed and prayed and God seemed silent. Finally her husband said he thought it had something to do with her critical attitude. She prayed and fasted the following day and God revealed the same thing to her. I thought that story was fascinating!
It was interesting to hear these sermons after reading all the hateful comments about Urban Meyer. Reading them really got me thinking about the issue. Hearing Joyce cemented what God was trying to teach me and still is. When I'm frustrated, discouraged, angry, whatever I must speak words of trust in God, faith, hope, and peace. I want my words to impact the people around me in a positive way. I want them to feel hope and peace. I want them to feel better about themselves and be encouraged. I have a loooooong way to go, but with God I can get there and so can you.
....and at least we beat _ichigan. :-)
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Whatever You Do...
Hey all! I have SO much brewing in my brain right now I couldn't possibly put it all on paper (or the computer screen). God has been super busy with me. Let's just say that for now. Something did come to mind this afternoon that I wanted to share with y'all.
Eli takes piano lessons each Thursday. The instructor comes to Eli's school and teaches. It's a private lesson built into his school day. It's great because 1. Mr. Little is a dear man, and 2. we don't have to go somewhere else for the lesson. It's super convenient. I have been known to spy on the session from time to time. Well, I should clarify...Mr. Little knows I'm watching, but Eli does not. Call me a hover mom if you wish, but I like to know if my little guy is being respectful and doing what he's supposed to be doing. A few weeks back Eli got in trouble in class for not listening and focusing on the instruction. Eli is six so no one expects him to sit like an adult, but what we do expect is that he be respectful and not a know-it-all. He sometimes has a better idea on how to do things. He also LOVES to talk. When I say "love" I mean it's his favorite thing to do on the planet. Time and time again Dave and I tell Eli that he is to be wise. Wisdom comes from listening to those who are more experienced than you. There is a time to figure things out on your own and a time to take the instruction of counsel. We teach him to listen more than he talks. The verses below are two that we reference often.
Proverbs 1:5) ...let the wise listen and add to their learning...
Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Back to the piano lesson. So today Mr. Little calls me to share with me that Eli did not behave in piano lessons again today. He wanted me to know that he got after him a bit and Eli started to cry. He said Eli was talking a lot and not allowing Mr. Little to show him how to play. When Eli got in the car he said piano went well, but that he was naughty a little. After chatting a bit I told Eli that there were going to be consequences. He told me that he wouldn't play Wii. I think he picked that because he doesn't really care all that much about Wii. Eli had to call Mr. Little on the phone to apologize and I also took away Floppy.
OH.MY.GOODNESS. He freaked out. Crying, nose running, trying to talk me out of it...the whole nine yards. He tells me that he's not happy and I'm supposed to make him happy. He asked if I cared he was unhappy. I explained that my job was to teach him and guide him so he can grow into a Godly man. He told me Floppy makes him happy. Ay-yi-yi. Dave is much better at consequences than I am. I don't give in, but I want to! I think it's the horse person in me. I'm used to making my horse stand in the middle of the arena until they drop their head after a less than stellar training ride. My mom used to tell me, "Anna, you have to have more time than the horse." So true in the horse world AND the parenting world. Back to the situation with Eli.
When we got home he asked if he could earn Floppy back today. There are occasions when we allow him to earn something back. Those are special occasions. I told Eli my mind was made up and Floppy had to stay in the car today/tonight. I then got blamed for causing him to not be able to snuggle with Floppy in bed tonight. It was brutal people.
When we got home Eli raced into the basement to do "something." I figured he was up to something down there, but he was very upset so I let him be. About five minutes later he came back up with a heart colored red with the words "Anna love." It was precious. I knew he was trying to win Floppy back. His face was pink and his eyes watery. I hung his offering up and told him Floppy had to stay in the car because disrespecting Mr. Little and acting foolish was not okay. He goes back into the basement and comes back with two more pictures. He tried so hard to change my mind. I picked Eli up and told him I loved his gifts more than anything, but he has to have the right heart when giving gifts. Gifts are just that...gifts. They are given because you love someone not to get something out of them.
After this situation I thought of our relationship with God. I can parallel so much of parenting with our relationship with God. I didn't tell you the above story to make you think I'm a perfect mother. Heck, I'm far from it and I know it! By the grace of God do I only have any inkling of an idea of how to parent this little human. How many times have I prayed or read my Bible or done any of those things to try and "butter" God up, so to speak. Even if I don't do it blatantly I wonder how many times it's in the back of my mind. I think that God will think I'm good or at least better than some other people I know.
I have gone through a really tough time the last 6-7 years and I have thought many times about what I could do to change God's mind. Is there anything else I can do to make God change the circumstances?! Maybe if I volunteer at church or maybe if I only listen to Christian music? What if I take Communion? or maybe I can do two Bible studies today or pray an extra five minutes? I fully understand that by His grace I am saved. I know I can't work my way into heaven with huge tithes, long Bible studies, or hours spent at church. I know there is absolutely NOTHING on this planet that makes me good enough for heaven. Yet when it comes to my trial I have felt that maybe just maybe there is something I could do to get Him to do something I wanted. Eli did something he shouldn't have. Sometimes we do things we shouldn't and therefore have consequences. Other times God allows troubles to come our way to grow us up in our faith.
After the situation with Eli today I will have a new and refreshed outlook on my offerings to God. Essentially everything we do is an offering to God. Whether we are cleaning our home or reading our Bible...it is for Him. I am going to really evaluate my motives and my heart before I pray, study the Bible, or do anything else for God. I want to do those things because I love Him and want to make Him smile.
Colossians 3:23) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters...
Eli takes piano lessons each Thursday. The instructor comes to Eli's school and teaches. It's a private lesson built into his school day. It's great because 1. Mr. Little is a dear man, and 2. we don't have to go somewhere else for the lesson. It's super convenient. I have been known to spy on the session from time to time. Well, I should clarify...Mr. Little knows I'm watching, but Eli does not. Call me a hover mom if you wish, but I like to know if my little guy is being respectful and doing what he's supposed to be doing. A few weeks back Eli got in trouble in class for not listening and focusing on the instruction. Eli is six so no one expects him to sit like an adult, but what we do expect is that he be respectful and not a know-it-all. He sometimes has a better idea on how to do things. He also LOVES to talk. When I say "love" I mean it's his favorite thing to do on the planet. Time and time again Dave and I tell Eli that he is to be wise. Wisdom comes from listening to those who are more experienced than you. There is a time to figure things out on your own and a time to take the instruction of counsel. We teach him to listen more than he talks. The verses below are two that we reference often.
Proverbs 1:5) ...let the wise listen and add to their learning...
Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Back to the piano lesson. So today Mr. Little calls me to share with me that Eli did not behave in piano lessons again today. He wanted me to know that he got after him a bit and Eli started to cry. He said Eli was talking a lot and not allowing Mr. Little to show him how to play. When Eli got in the car he said piano went well, but that he was naughty a little. After chatting a bit I told Eli that there were going to be consequences. He told me that he wouldn't play Wii. I think he picked that because he doesn't really care all that much about Wii. Eli had to call Mr. Little on the phone to apologize and I also took away Floppy.
OH.MY.GOODNESS. He freaked out. Crying, nose running, trying to talk me out of it...the whole nine yards. He tells me that he's not happy and I'm supposed to make him happy. He asked if I cared he was unhappy. I explained that my job was to teach him and guide him so he can grow into a Godly man. He told me Floppy makes him happy. Ay-yi-yi. Dave is much better at consequences than I am. I don't give in, but I want to! I think it's the horse person in me. I'm used to making my horse stand in the middle of the arena until they drop their head after a less than stellar training ride. My mom used to tell me, "Anna, you have to have more time than the horse." So true in the horse world AND the parenting world. Back to the situation with Eli.
When we got home he asked if he could earn Floppy back today. There are occasions when we allow him to earn something back. Those are special occasions. I told Eli my mind was made up and Floppy had to stay in the car today/tonight. I then got blamed for causing him to not be able to snuggle with Floppy in bed tonight. It was brutal people.
When we got home Eli raced into the basement to do "something." I figured he was up to something down there, but he was very upset so I let him be. About five minutes later he came back up with a heart colored red with the words "Anna love." It was precious. I knew he was trying to win Floppy back. His face was pink and his eyes watery. I hung his offering up and told him Floppy had to stay in the car because disrespecting Mr. Little and acting foolish was not okay. He goes back into the basement and comes back with two more pictures. He tried so hard to change my mind. I picked Eli up and told him I loved his gifts more than anything, but he has to have the right heart when giving gifts. Gifts are just that...gifts. They are given because you love someone not to get something out of them.
After this situation I thought of our relationship with God. I can parallel so much of parenting with our relationship with God. I didn't tell you the above story to make you think I'm a perfect mother. Heck, I'm far from it and I know it! By the grace of God do I only have any inkling of an idea of how to parent this little human. How many times have I prayed or read my Bible or done any of those things to try and "butter" God up, so to speak. Even if I don't do it blatantly I wonder how many times it's in the back of my mind. I think that God will think I'm good or at least better than some other people I know.
I have gone through a really tough time the last 6-7 years and I have thought many times about what I could do to change God's mind. Is there anything else I can do to make God change the circumstances?! Maybe if I volunteer at church or maybe if I only listen to Christian music? What if I take Communion? or maybe I can do two Bible studies today or pray an extra five minutes? I fully understand that by His grace I am saved. I know I can't work my way into heaven with huge tithes, long Bible studies, or hours spent at church. I know there is absolutely NOTHING on this planet that makes me good enough for heaven. Yet when it comes to my trial I have felt that maybe just maybe there is something I could do to get Him to do something I wanted. Eli did something he shouldn't have. Sometimes we do things we shouldn't and therefore have consequences. Other times God allows troubles to come our way to grow us up in our faith.
After the situation with Eli today I will have a new and refreshed outlook on my offerings to God. Essentially everything we do is an offering to God. Whether we are cleaning our home or reading our Bible...it is for Him. I am going to really evaluate my motives and my heart before I pray, study the Bible, or do anything else for God. I want to do those things because I love Him and want to make Him smile.
Colossians 3:23) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters...
Monday, October 28, 2013
A Change is Gonna Come
Happy Monday everyone! I just finished up my 31 day devotional that I was doing. I always get very excited when it's time to pick out a new one. I headed to the Christian bookstore this morning and found the perfect one. Stay tuned for my thoughts as I work through this new book.
Our time in Georgia is wrapping up soon. It has become home very quickly. There are many, many aspects of Georgia we will miss greatly. First and foremost we will miss our beloved Journey Community Church desperately. We are also able to visit with my dad a great deal which sounds funny. We actually see him more now than when we lived in Ohio! He is alone now and can pretty much come and go as he pleases. He and his dog, Sky, can hit the road often! We all just had a great weekend together. We had a fire outside, went biking, played Frisbee golf, ate great food, worshiped together at JCC, and enjoyed a big Buckeye win!
Changes are coming for our family. Change is hard. I'm not that good at change. Being a Procter and Gamble wife I have learned to roll with it. Like anything else there are pros and cons. There are so many places we could go. I think about it a lot. Sometimes I plan in my head what should happen. I have a perfect scenario.
If we go overseas it would be an experience of a lifetime. We could see the world! It would be an incredible experience. We could take Eli to see the Colosseum in Rome, the Charles Bridge in Prague, or to the beaches of Normandy. We could ski down the Swiss Alps. The possibilities are endless! There are obvious cons. Um, we would live a world away from family and friends! I would have to leave behind my sweet Jessie. Eli is also concerned about not being able to talk to other kids because of the language barrier. His schooling would be a concern also as he attends a Christian private school now. I also pause when I think about leaving the United States. I'm VERY patriotic and I absolutely adore this country. Even with her problems I just straight up love America.
There are some interesting places in the United States we could go. Maybe we would live in the west. That would be cool. We are complete mountain people and our dream home is a beautiful cabin on a lake in or near the mountains. We love being cozy! Mountain biking and hiking are a blast. Skiing is awesome not to mention how great it would be to live near the family condo in Deer Valley Utah. Snow isn't my favorite, but it is more acceptable in the mountains. Again, Eli's schooling is a concern and that is always on my mind when we discuss moving.
I also think a great deal about going back to Cincinnati, where we came from. A few years ago I would have been okay to never go back to Ohio. I didn't miss the dark, cold winter nights and minimal sunshine. I also didn't miss the dreary, rainy spring. Ohio was a painful reminder that my mom was no longer with us. It seems like as soon as I crossed the Ohio River my heart began to ache even harder in the waves of sorrow that would come over me in thinking about her battle with cancer. In the last few months my heart has changed towards returning to Ohio. Cincinnati is about three hours from our "home," but to us Cincinnati is also home. Dave lived there for five years when he attended the University of Cincinnati. We lived there for almost three years before moving to Georgia. My best friend lives in Cincinnati and I would LOVE to live near Jessica again. This time we would try to live even closer to her and her family...even the 15 minutes like before would be too far!
Speaking of Jessica I got the best note from her last night. It was so nice to just hear all about her and her life. We used to work out together, ride horses together, sit by the pool together, worship our God together, and let our kids play together...I miss that with all my heart. Even now when God reveals something big to me I want to tell Jess. I remember three years ago when I was in the ugly midst of my hormone fiasco she was so encouraging. In February 2011 my mom was dying from cancer. We knew she didn't have much time left...maybe just a week or two. Dave and I had planned a trip to Utah with Jessica and her husband Derek many months before. My dad encouraged me to go, go and just breathe. I felt awful guilty going for the four days we had planned. How on earth could I go to our winter paradise when my mom was in Ohio laying in a hospital bed literally dying? We went and it was good. It was good to sit for hours and just talk to my dear friend. It was nice to give my heart a break. I'll always remember that trip.
Okay, that last paragraph was off topic. Sorry. Jess, if your reading this...love you sunshine. Anyway, back to Cincinnati. There is something about going back that would be nice. There are great school options and I could still enjoy my horse. We would be much closer to our families which is a huge positive. It is familiar. It is a wonderful city to raise a family and there are many great churches to attend. In addition to the Tye's we have some other friends in the city that we would love to reconnect with. Beside all that everyone is an Ohio State fan there! That's not really at the top of our list, but it IS nice!
As I type all this the following Bible verse comes to mind. Leave it to the Proverbs to offer me some good, practical advice. My mom was a living Proverb. She offered practical and wise advice. I just spent five or six paragraphs talking all about my plans. It is hard not knowing what is next for Dave, Eli, and myself (and Olive the Corgi and Jessie the horse). The only thing I can do is trust God to show us where to go. I can plan and plan and plan some more, but He institutes my steps. He puts my steps into operation. It is His path I want to follow regardless of my plans. I'm not gonna lie...I have in my heart the perfect scenario. I know what I want. Life is about more than doing what I want. It's about allowing Him to establish my steps. My personal goal is to put myself in a position to listen to Him, to hear Him, and then to obey Him. So stay tuned!
Proverbs 16:9) In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
Our time in Georgia is wrapping up soon. It has become home very quickly. There are many, many aspects of Georgia we will miss greatly. First and foremost we will miss our beloved Journey Community Church desperately. We are also able to visit with my dad a great deal which sounds funny. We actually see him more now than when we lived in Ohio! He is alone now and can pretty much come and go as he pleases. He and his dog, Sky, can hit the road often! We all just had a great weekend together. We had a fire outside, went biking, played Frisbee golf, ate great food, worshiped together at JCC, and enjoyed a big Buckeye win!
Changes are coming for our family. Change is hard. I'm not that good at change. Being a Procter and Gamble wife I have learned to roll with it. Like anything else there are pros and cons. There are so many places we could go. I think about it a lot. Sometimes I plan in my head what should happen. I have a perfect scenario.
If we go overseas it would be an experience of a lifetime. We could see the world! It would be an incredible experience. We could take Eli to see the Colosseum in Rome, the Charles Bridge in Prague, or to the beaches of Normandy. We could ski down the Swiss Alps. The possibilities are endless! There are obvious cons. Um, we would live a world away from family and friends! I would have to leave behind my sweet Jessie. Eli is also concerned about not being able to talk to other kids because of the language barrier. His schooling would be a concern also as he attends a Christian private school now. I also pause when I think about leaving the United States. I'm VERY patriotic and I absolutely adore this country. Even with her problems I just straight up love America.
There are some interesting places in the United States we could go. Maybe we would live in the west. That would be cool. We are complete mountain people and our dream home is a beautiful cabin on a lake in or near the mountains. We love being cozy! Mountain biking and hiking are a blast. Skiing is awesome not to mention how great it would be to live near the family condo in Deer Valley Utah. Snow isn't my favorite, but it is more acceptable in the mountains. Again, Eli's schooling is a concern and that is always on my mind when we discuss moving.
I also think a great deal about going back to Cincinnati, where we came from. A few years ago I would have been okay to never go back to Ohio. I didn't miss the dark, cold winter nights and minimal sunshine. I also didn't miss the dreary, rainy spring. Ohio was a painful reminder that my mom was no longer with us. It seems like as soon as I crossed the Ohio River my heart began to ache even harder in the waves of sorrow that would come over me in thinking about her battle with cancer. In the last few months my heart has changed towards returning to Ohio. Cincinnati is about three hours from our "home," but to us Cincinnati is also home. Dave lived there for five years when he attended the University of Cincinnati. We lived there for almost three years before moving to Georgia. My best friend lives in Cincinnati and I would LOVE to live near Jessica again. This time we would try to live even closer to her and her family...even the 15 minutes like before would be too far!
Speaking of Jessica I got the best note from her last night. It was so nice to just hear all about her and her life. We used to work out together, ride horses together, sit by the pool together, worship our God together, and let our kids play together...I miss that with all my heart. Even now when God reveals something big to me I want to tell Jess. I remember three years ago when I was in the ugly midst of my hormone fiasco she was so encouraging. In February 2011 my mom was dying from cancer. We knew she didn't have much time left...maybe just a week or two. Dave and I had planned a trip to Utah with Jessica and her husband Derek many months before. My dad encouraged me to go, go and just breathe. I felt awful guilty going for the four days we had planned. How on earth could I go to our winter paradise when my mom was in Ohio laying in a hospital bed literally dying? We went and it was good. It was good to sit for hours and just talk to my dear friend. It was nice to give my heart a break. I'll always remember that trip.
Okay, that last paragraph was off topic. Sorry. Jess, if your reading this...love you sunshine. Anyway, back to Cincinnati. There is something about going back that would be nice. There are great school options and I could still enjoy my horse. We would be much closer to our families which is a huge positive. It is familiar. It is a wonderful city to raise a family and there are many great churches to attend. In addition to the Tye's we have some other friends in the city that we would love to reconnect with. Beside all that everyone is an Ohio State fan there! That's not really at the top of our list, but it IS nice!
As I type all this the following Bible verse comes to mind. Leave it to the Proverbs to offer me some good, practical advice. My mom was a living Proverb. She offered practical and wise advice. I just spent five or six paragraphs talking all about my plans. It is hard not knowing what is next for Dave, Eli, and myself (and Olive the Corgi and Jessie the horse). The only thing I can do is trust God to show us where to go. I can plan and plan and plan some more, but He institutes my steps. He puts my steps into operation. It is His path I want to follow regardless of my plans. I'm not gonna lie...I have in my heart the perfect scenario. I know what I want. Life is about more than doing what I want. It's about allowing Him to establish my steps. My personal goal is to put myself in a position to listen to Him, to hear Him, and then to obey Him. So stay tuned!
Proverbs 16:9) In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Barrel Prayers
Hey everyone. I hope this entry finds you doing well. If your going through trials please know you are in my prayers. In our culture doing "well" means not having any problems. It means being happy. I love being happy! Doing well to me personally means trusting in my God despite how I feel. Some days I am doing better than others and that directly correlates to how much I'm living in trust or not. Wow, that was off-topic!7'
Many of my recent Bible studies have had two similar themes. One is the story of Abraham and Sarah. The other is the concept of praying big, gigantic prayers. Our small group is doing a study together called "The Circle Maker." We had a super discussion this past week and I intend on buying the book. I'm also reading through a devotion on declaring good over your life and the lives of loved ones. Pastor Bobby recently did an awesome sermon series on praying barrel prayers. On stage he had a cup, a bucket, and a barrel. It was a great visual. I'm not going to lie...I typically pray cup and bucket prayers because I'm too afraid to prayer barrel prayers. What if God let's me down? What if I get my hopes up for nothing? What if, what if, what if...it's the devil's game. Today's blog is going to consist of my thoughts on these topics and hopefully in the end it will make some sense to you (and me).
Matthew 6:10) ...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Think about the above verse. How many times have you prayed that prayer? I have noticed that many denominational churches recite it quite often. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but can desensitize us to the realness of the words we are saying. Essentially it is saying that we desire His will above our own. Ultimately that's the goal here, right? We SHOULD want God's will above our own. That would entail a large amount of trust. I'm working everyday to truly desire God's will above my own. It is easier to do in some things and harder in others. For example, I am better at giving our living situation over to God and struggle more with giving my health condition over to Him. Dave's job could take us to The Czech Republic, South Africa, Utah, North Carolina, Ohio, etc. Now I would prefer some locations over others, but at the end of the day I'll go where He sends us. Now with my health...it freaks me out. I get terrified that I will have to live with some of these symptoms for the rest of my life. I mean when I say terrified I mean terrified. Is this Godly? Nope. Does Satan know my weakness? Yep. I am battling him day in and day out because I WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR. So my point here is that it's easier to say "Your will be done" in some things more than others.
Along those same lines how many times do we tack on "if it's Your will God" onto the end of the prayer? Is it done because we are like uber Christians and want to sound super holy to ourselves, others, and even God? I think so many times. If we get totally honest with ourselves we tack it on to provide God an escape route. I have done it. It's my way of praying without getting my hopes up that He will actually provide what I'm asking for. Really think about this. I will not pretend I get the whole God's will thing and when something is or isn't His will or how do I know it is His will so I can pray with authority and confidence. Yeah, I don't have it all figured out. What I know is that He wants us to pray with confidence that He is going to provide something above and beyond what we ask or desire. That is a barrel prayer.
Ephesians 3:20) 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...
Another thought I have had recently is on the topic of my heart's desire and dreams I have buried down within me. Sometimes I think my dreams aren't worthy because they don't involve me becoming a pastor, worship leader, missionary to the jungle, Christian theologian, Christian author, mother of orphans, Mother Teresa, fill in the blank of some awesome title. They are just small things to me. They are too personal to share right now, but they are mine. I hold them very dear in my heart. They are a part of me. I have struggled with praying over these dreams because they are not good enough or holy enough. He is revealing to me a little at a time that they are important to Him because they are important to me. Is it even possible that He is the one who put them there in the first place?
Psalm 37:4) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The more time I spend with God the more my desires become His. My prayers change, my goals change, and my desires change. For example, I used to pray that God would take my health condition away, just take it all away. I still do at times, but now I try to pray more prayers about the process. I ask Him to give me courage and strength as I go through this trial. My heart's desire is that I face it head on without fear. My desire is to be brave and wise in the face of the enemy who is whispering 'this will NEVER get any better than it is now.' I desperately want to be strong and to not quit. Those are His desires for me too. So see how my desires are aligning with His? He knows every thought I have so He obviously knows I ultimately want to be free from this condition. I do not deny I want that, but I try to not make it the main point of every prayer. My character has changed so much in the last seven years or so. I am so glad God didn't leave me where I was even if that meant living a really tough life. He loves you too much to leave you where you are at.
We are to pray with boldness, expectation. Do not be afraid to pray barrel prayers. Yes, seek God's will in all you do, but don't deny yourself those hidden dreams that are buried deep within. Wrestle with God over them in prayer. Seek Him in all you do and in time, His desires will become your own.
Many of my recent Bible studies have had two similar themes. One is the story of Abraham and Sarah. The other is the concept of praying big, gigantic prayers. Our small group is doing a study together called "The Circle Maker." We had a super discussion this past week and I intend on buying the book. I'm also reading through a devotion on declaring good over your life and the lives of loved ones. Pastor Bobby recently did an awesome sermon series on praying barrel prayers. On stage he had a cup, a bucket, and a barrel. It was a great visual. I'm not going to lie...I typically pray cup and bucket prayers because I'm too afraid to prayer barrel prayers. What if God let's me down? What if I get my hopes up for nothing? What if, what if, what if...it's the devil's game. Today's blog is going to consist of my thoughts on these topics and hopefully in the end it will make some sense to you (and me).
Matthew 6:10) ...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Think about the above verse. How many times have you prayed that prayer? I have noticed that many denominational churches recite it quite often. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but can desensitize us to the realness of the words we are saying. Essentially it is saying that we desire His will above our own. Ultimately that's the goal here, right? We SHOULD want God's will above our own. That would entail a large amount of trust. I'm working everyday to truly desire God's will above my own. It is easier to do in some things and harder in others. For example, I am better at giving our living situation over to God and struggle more with giving my health condition over to Him. Dave's job could take us to The Czech Republic, South Africa, Utah, North Carolina, Ohio, etc. Now I would prefer some locations over others, but at the end of the day I'll go where He sends us. Now with my health...it freaks me out. I get terrified that I will have to live with some of these symptoms for the rest of my life. I mean when I say terrified I mean terrified. Is this Godly? Nope. Does Satan know my weakness? Yep. I am battling him day in and day out because I WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR. So my point here is that it's easier to say "Your will be done" in some things more than others.
Along those same lines how many times do we tack on "if it's Your will God" onto the end of the prayer? Is it done because we are like uber Christians and want to sound super holy to ourselves, others, and even God? I think so many times. If we get totally honest with ourselves we tack it on to provide God an escape route. I have done it. It's my way of praying without getting my hopes up that He will actually provide what I'm asking for. Really think about this. I will not pretend I get the whole God's will thing and when something is or isn't His will or how do I know it is His will so I can pray with authority and confidence. Yeah, I don't have it all figured out. What I know is that He wants us to pray with confidence that He is going to provide something above and beyond what we ask or desire. That is a barrel prayer.
Ephesians 3:20) 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...
Another thought I have had recently is on the topic of my heart's desire and dreams I have buried down within me. Sometimes I think my dreams aren't worthy because they don't involve me becoming a pastor, worship leader, missionary to the jungle, Christian theologian, Christian author, mother of orphans, Mother Teresa, fill in the blank of some awesome title. They are just small things to me. They are too personal to share right now, but they are mine. I hold them very dear in my heart. They are a part of me. I have struggled with praying over these dreams because they are not good enough or holy enough. He is revealing to me a little at a time that they are important to Him because they are important to me. Is it even possible that He is the one who put them there in the first place?
Psalm 37:4) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The more time I spend with God the more my desires become His. My prayers change, my goals change, and my desires change. For example, I used to pray that God would take my health condition away, just take it all away. I still do at times, but now I try to pray more prayers about the process. I ask Him to give me courage and strength as I go through this trial. My heart's desire is that I face it head on without fear. My desire is to be brave and wise in the face of the enemy who is whispering 'this will NEVER get any better than it is now.' I desperately want to be strong and to not quit. Those are His desires for me too. So see how my desires are aligning with His? He knows every thought I have so He obviously knows I ultimately want to be free from this condition. I do not deny I want that, but I try to not make it the main point of every prayer. My character has changed so much in the last seven years or so. I am so glad God didn't leave me where I was even if that meant living a really tough life. He loves you too much to leave you where you are at.
We are to pray with boldness, expectation. Do not be afraid to pray barrel prayers. Yes, seek God's will in all you do, but don't deny yourself those hidden dreams that are buried deep within. Wrestle with God over them in prayer. Seek Him in all you do and in time, His desires will become your own.
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