Journeys

“I know, Lord, that our lives our not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So, correct me, Lord, but please be gentle.” (Jeremiah 10:23-24)

 

I read that today and I almost started to giggle, even though I know it’s not funny. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I have prayed that exact prayer! Even reading it over and over again I can see it in my mind. How many times have I sat in this exact spot and let God know that I know He is in control? How many times have I confessed my sins but then, in the back of my mind, I am chanting “be gentle, be gentle, be gentle”? Do you ever feel good when you know you are not alone in your heart?

 

My journey through the Bible this morning was much of the same. I came across verses, as I did my morning Lent readings, and each time I felt God speaking to me. This is why I love God’s Word because the pages aren’t just filled with words. This tattered book I carry around with me, and try to pick up every morning, has become His voice in my heart. Now, I don’t get these warm fuzzy feelings every time but when I do it’s pretty neat stuff and I reminded once again of God’s beauty and His grace and love. I am reminded of how blessed I am and how much I love Him!

 

So, I finish this up with a few more versus from today.

 

“As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?” (Psalm 42:1-2)

 

“Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.” (Psalm 43:3)

 

“For the sin of this one man, Adam, causes death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:17)

 

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd;

            I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

            He leads me beside peaceful streams.

            He knows my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

            bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk

            through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

            for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

            protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me

            in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

            my cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

            All the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

I got that…maybe not

“Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do.” (1 Peter 4:4)

 

There were many passages I read this morning that really caused me to pause and ask: Do I get it? How is it that 2,000 years ago that people were going through the same things as we do today. I haven’t had any issues with former friends the way others I know have but there are other things that I can relate to and, yet still, other things I wish I felt I understood better.

 

Like 1 Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at that fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange is happening to you.” I got that. Our salvation does not keep us from life’s trials and we can use them to become stronger for God. I will honestly say I don’t like the trials and since I seem to go through the same trial over and over again I feel as though I am either not learning what He is trying to show me or that He is building me up for something.

 

2 Peter 2:19b “For you are a slave to whatever controls you.” This one sucks. There is no one person I feel that controls me. However, there are times when I feel out of control and I can’t seem to turn on my self-control button. The Bible says the Spirit gives us self-control, I just haven’t done a very good job of figuring out where it is. Consequently, there are days when I feel like I am a slave to my lack of self-control when I would much rather feel like a slave to God, whom I gladly serve.

 

1 John 1:9 “but if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” If we confess all our sins but forget one, I mean honestly forget, are we not truly forgiven. Once we accept Jesus into our hearts and are saved does that mean past, present, and future sins are forgiven by default? What if you die before you have a chance to confess a sin? Does it make a difference if that sin was by ‘accident” or if it was deliberate?

 

I imagine many of my questions, and some days there are more than others, won’t be answered while I breathe on this earth. Sometimes there are probably only questions that can be answered by God Himself, or questions we will most definitely see on the other side of Heaven. I am okay with not knowing all the answers though. Having a direct answer to any of my questions does not help decide if I have faith or not. I am pretty sure I had even more questions the day I stepped over that line into faith and belief. This morning I am just glad that God took the time to make sure His Word spoke to me, right where I am, this very moment in time, telling me He knows and He loves. Those are the only answers I really need.

 

“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Change

“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies have spoken—who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?” (Isaiah 14:27)

 

I struggle greatly when things change. Granted my body moves along with just about anything, like floating on the sea. But I don’t like change. I like schedules and time management. Our church has gone through great changes over the last 18 months and I have actually dealt with those changes much better than I thought I would. I am very confident in God’s perfect plans so even on days when I do not understand I still trust that He is with us, He knows what is going on, and He has a plan.

 

Have you ever compared the changes and/or trials we experience with that of the Pharisees and their reactions to Jesus? The Jewish people were waiting for the Conqueror, a King, and Savior and Jesus was not what they thought they needed.  God had told them quite clearly what to expect throughout the passages of the Old Testament; starting in Genesis. However, because the Pharisees wanted their own will to be done more than God’s they were blinded by the work God was doing through one man.

 

No one and nothing could have shaken up the church the way Jesus did over two thousand years ago. Is there really anything so hard about the changes we go through everyday that we have to give up or complain? I don’t think so. I think, if anything, this is a time to trust that God’s will is being done and if you have questions to ask them, don’t sit and stew. Pharisees spent much time accusing and complaining but only one of them actually went to Jesus searching (John 3:1-21) and looked how enlightened Nicodemus was that night! Are we searching out God’s will in our lives or are we content blaming, criticizing, and complaining about our circumstances? Do we truly understand that our way is not always the right way and the biggest change, or event, in all of history is the very reason we are saved and can call ourselves sons and daughters of God?  Praise God for change because without we wouldn’t be where we are today. Thank God for your trials because they help you grow.  And thank God you live in a society where you can ask questions, worship freely, and make a difference in this world that will grow His Kingdom and bring us closer to Him.

 

“’For I know the plans I have for you’, says the Lord, “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

The Path You Are On

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” (Micah 4:2)

 

We had quite a lively discussion on the way to my parent’s house on Saturday. I had shared with my husband that they had arrested the estranged husband of a woman who was shot and killed on I-235 a couple weeks ago. My husband, in his confusion, couldn’t believe that anything could bring him to such a breaking point as to shot me. We started debating the reasons behind divorce, the rationalization behind who should pay support, and the problem with the way people view marriage. There are very few things that truly get my husband riled up but marriage is definitely on the top of the list.

 

We were going back and forth until I had reminded him that our marriage is set in our faith and we derive our values, morals, and priorities from that faith. Ohhhh, now he gets why I was saying what I saying. I wasn’t looking at things from my point of view. I was trying to get him to understand that when people live by the values set out by our culture that their thought process, and maybe even their reality, is not the same as ours. The Christian faith is all about commitment, monogamy, love, relationships, honesty, trust, and faith. If you didn’t want to fit in as much as possible in our society the best thing to do is to claim Jesus as your Savior and people will steer clear of you. It’s kind of sad.

 

It is so easy to walk away from things that seem to make life difficult. It is so much easier to say yes to what you want, every time you want, without considering the consequences because you want to feel good right now.  It is so much easier to sleep in on Sundays, lust after co-workers and friends, do things in anger, not forgive, and step over a line that you can’t see but you know is there. However, the rewards are so great when you stay on God’s path. You will struggle, but in your struggles you will find joy and peace. There may be turmoil in your relationships from time to time, but in those you will find forgiveness and grace. And when you are in community and worshipping your Lord you free yourself from the bonds of the world we live in and you have that small taste of heaven that carries you through until you go to meet God once again.

 

“May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in our life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” (Philippians 1:11)

Be Courageous

“Be strong and courageous, for you are one who will lead these people to posses all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave to you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command–be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9)

 

God is not going to waste words. God is not going to tell us something and it not mean something, let alone three times!

 

Be strong and courageous.

Be strong and courageous.

Be strong and courageous.

 

This first part of Joshua is beautiful because God is giving us that comfort that He knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). He has given us the instruction that we need to live life fully–the BIBLE. And He promises that we will prosper and succeed in all that we do if we take the time to learn His Word and meditate on it.

 

Now, we have to be careful and not put our own definitions on what it means to prosper and what it means to succeed. If you think reading the Bible will bring you that big fat check you are waiting for you may find yourself highly disappointed. However, your spiritual life—your very soul—will prosper and you will succeed in living the life God intended for you and your treasure in Heaven will be massive!

 

So, be strong and courageous. Follow the path that God has laid before you. Turn to God’s Word for guidance in all things and you will find that He lights your path along the way (Psalm 119:105). Love the Lord with everything you have and spend time with Him daily and you will find that the days when it is harder to be strong and courageous that He will step in with His might and put the muscle in for you.

 

“For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:19)

1st Day of School

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

As much as I did not apply myself in school I really did love it. I remember I would experience the same feelings every year the night before school started: nervous, excited, curious, and nervous again. I would fall asleep with butterflies in my tummy and wake up early to make sure everything was perfect before walking out the door. I do not know why I went through this routine. It’s not like I wasn’t going to sit in the same spot with the same people but it was a new school year and I was a year older. However, I also remember that once I sat in the first desk on that first day it was like summer had never happened or it was just a really long weekend.

 

God told me very early on what His plans were for my life I just didn’t recognize His voice. We didn’t go to church growing up and I am pretty sure I didn’t know what Christmas and Easter really were until my early twenties. And like any spoiled child my Father was telling me what He knew I was made for and snubbed my nose and refused to listen. God gave me a love of numbers. When I was little I would carry around a big calculator and just count. I could sit for hours just writing numbers. Math and Science were my favorite subjects. I took computer and accounting courses in high school instead of home-ec and I feel that instead of comparing new amazing things to the “best thing since sliced bread” it should be compared to Excel. I wanted to be an accountant but I have always had a fear of being a dork so I slacked off, didn’t apply myself, and made some choices that kept me from pursuing college immediately after high school. But, if God wants to move a mountain He will and if God has a purpose for you it will find you if you start to listen, which is what I had done.

 

Some people go in circles again and again searching for their purpose; seeking what they were made for but they never actually sit down and try to listen. No machine is made for nothing and God didn’t make us with out some sort of design in mind. I had fought my talents for a long while, and even when a soft voice was coming into my life I was still fighting. I found my answer in a Bible study in which I was able to finally accept my calling….if you want to call it that but I do love what I do and I have to wonder why I fought it for so very long. Now, I enjoy and dread finding my answers in God’s Word because it’s always there, whether or not I want to hear it. Look to God for your path and He will show it to you but be careful, working with God is no easy task but it is an amazing adventure.

 

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.” (James 1:22)

 

 

Give them a Gift

 

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

 

I had taken a huge step back from children’s ministries this past year or two. I had been a part of wonderful ministries for a long while but that was also while I was running a daycare and working on my Associate degree. I was tired, burned out, and, honestly, sick of it. I had gotten to the point where all the effort I put in to preparing was never rewarded because I left each session with these kids left me tired and annoyed. I was saturated in little ones and I was so exhausted. By my own mindset I needed to step back and take a break.

 

I had planned to see what our Christian Ed program needed next year after I finish up school in 2009. As I have moved into the core of my degree program I have found that it is hard for me to add to that load, especially with my husband being gone every weeknight and rushing our three children here and there. However, I have always encouraged my children to be a part of Sunday school and Wednesday night youth programs and they enjoy both very much. In fact, there is very little I would limit them from doing at church. I like that they want to be there because our church home is full of great leaders, role models, inspiration, and love.

 

For some reason, when there was a call out for brainstorming session for Wednesday nights for kids, I jumped on it. I had no idea why. During the meeting I felt as if my heals were dragging on cement. I loved the ideas and the passion flowing in that room that night and I had the greatest urge to jump up and say, “put me in a group. I’ll lead!” But then my brain would pipe in, “no, you can’t do that. You have school and what if Kyle can’t do it”. The urge did not dissipate and even the next day, when I woke up, I felt that I was going to be incredibly blessed by leading/teaching this year but I still didn’t want to do it.

 

Then this past weekend some of our church kids got confirmed. Pastor Craig said it’s not one class that will encourage our youth to follow Jesus, it’s all the opportunities for them to learn, grow, fellowship, and lead that will build a beautiful relationship with God. My heart’s desire is to grow Jesus loving kids, and not just my own, but all the kids. However, it’s hard to make that happen if we don’t have the leaders and teachers to pull that through. So, I am more confident than ever that God is walking me, and has talked me, into volunteering for our Christian Ed program this year.

 

Right now my almost desperate prayer every day has been that God will move the other adults in our church to find Jesus’ passion for our children to grow in light and love, to be surrounded by encouragement, and lead by good role models. God has great plans for our family of faith but we need hands and feet to put them into action.

 

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of services, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

The Library

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105)

 

I was leaving the library yesterday afternoon smiling to myself. I am currently listening to a series of books while I finish a project I am working on and I had to pick up the next couple of books on CD. See, once I start school in September I will stop my free reading almost entirely. It seems as though reading about tax laws and financial statements makes it impossible for me to pick up anything fun to read. However, there is a series I wanted to reread before the summer is up and I have a project I have to do so I am doing both but that is not why I was smiling I was just sitting up the story.

 

The kids and I have faithfully made it to the library quite often this summer. My oldest discovered Calvin & Hobbes, my youngest had a fascination with I Spy and fictional books about frogs, and my daughter bounced from series to series trying to find the perfect one for her. I read all kinds of great series books from some of my favorite authors. We all could find what we wanted and what appealed to us the most, which is why I was smiling.

 

I love the Bible. I believe it is one of the most precious gifts God has given us. Within the pages of this amazing book are 66 books consisting of history, poems, songs, chapters reading like news stories or tabloid scandals, lessons, financial counseling, marriage and self help, parenting advice, and so much more. The Bible is so much more than a book, it’s a library. There is something for everyone on these pages and words that help guide us and simplify our lives. I was smiling yesterday because I never have to leave home to go the library, it is always right here with me and I can take it anywhere I go! If you truly take the time to try some Bible reading I am sure you will know what I am talking about.

 

Unlike any other book, or library, the Bible has the ability to do something extraordinary. The more you dive into this precious book and soak in God’s Word, the more you will be transformed and the more God’s Word will become a part of you, written on your heart, and embedded in your mind. His Word will guide you through your day, help you in times of distress, give you words when you cannot find any, and show you glimpses of the future that are mere heartbeat away.

 

“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” (John 17:17)

Bells and Whistles

“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.  The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” (Proverbs 27:12)

 

I got to go on my first fire truck ride the other day. Not only that, but the ride was done on one of the runways at the Des Moines International Airport. The driver, a very good friend, and I have a love-hate relationship and I am sure he took great pleasure in terrifying me to the point of screaming and squirming as he drove that truck taking extremely sharp turns and taking it up to 75 MPH before hitting the breaks. He and my husband thought it was pretty darn funny.

 

This fire truck was the neatest thing I had ever seen. It didn’t look like the normal one you would see driving down your street. This fire truck had a front end like it could be a boat and the hose on top of the truck could be operated from the inside. Basically, this truck was designed to be operated by one person, inside the cab, if need be. The truck also had this really neat feature where bells and whistles start going off inside the cab when a turn is taken too sharply. When I think on the couple crazy corners my friend took, and as I remember the bells going off, I am reminded of how many times I have gone ahead and made a bad choice with bells and whistles were going off in my mind.

 

I will admit that much of my life has been spent with my bells and whistles going off and my doing whatever I wanted to anyway. I even got to a point where bells and whistles were going off, there was something before me I knew was wrong and I didn’t want to do it, and I went ahead and did it anyway without any reason. So, I had to start doing something that I am not very good at: be quiet.

 

I had to learn to just be quiet and learn to just listen. Instead of acting on something right away I take a step back and try to keep my mouth shut, or my body still….my success rate is steadily climbing and you know what I have learned? It is not better to act first and ask for forgiveness later and living in guilt and second-guessing is no way to live.

 

Do you have bells and whistles going off all the time? Do you listen or just keep going? Grab onto God’s Word and your decisions will become easier and still your self long enough to recognize His voice when He is guiding you.

 

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him.  He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (John 10:3)