Today Amelia is trying to drink out of a straw, she can do it, but she has this tendency to turn the cup up. When she turns it up a bunch of juice spills all over her from the shirt, so I kept trying to show her to hold the cup down so she could sip the juice up. She yelled, I tipped the cup down anyway, she yelled again and I let her spill it all over herself to show her what would happen.
Scott said, 'God does that with us.'
The way up is down.
like...
"Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are
regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high
officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Sunday, October 14, 2012
just thinkin'
thinking a little philosophically about what born again means.
when we're conceived & born physically we are conceived into eternity but when we're born again we are born into Christ.
just tossing around word pictures for it to make sense. Any thoughts?
also, thoughts on "hearing God" He lives in me and I can sense Him talking to me. It's comparable to our consciences that we're born with, but there is a distinguishable difference that can't exactly be explained... much like explaining what it's like to be pregnant; the first flutters feel a little like gas and (as hearing from God sounds like the conscience) and as pregnancy progresses it's more and more obvious what the difference is, as it is the more we get to know God the more obvious the difference.
when we're conceived & born physically we are conceived into eternity but when we're born again we are born into Christ.
just tossing around word pictures for it to make sense. Any thoughts?
also, thoughts on "hearing God" He lives in me and I can sense Him talking to me. It's comparable to our consciences that we're born with, but there is a distinguishable difference that can't exactly be explained... much like explaining what it's like to be pregnant; the first flutters feel a little like gas and (as hearing from God sounds like the conscience) and as pregnancy progresses it's more and more obvious what the difference is, as it is the more we get to know God the more obvious the difference.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Why is this a political issue?
A topic like this is really difficult to post, but it seems as though I can't not post it. So here is what I wrote last night after the debate and am posting now after sitting on it for 24.
Life begins at conception. Why is this a political issue?
This is a tender subject for so many and my intention is not to cause anyone more emotional pain, Jesus saves us from and forgives us for the things we do-- like aborting a baby. I know several people who range in closeness to me who have made this decision and I know that God can and does set us free from the guilt & shame these type decisions produce. Also, I have no judgement toward anyone about this, especially being that our education, political, & entertainment systems make abortion appear to be something that is the only choice to make when we don’t want a baby for any given reason. Having said that...
Life does begin at conception and even if I disagreed on every other point a presidential candidate had except for being pro-life, I would still vote for him hands down. But the people who run that I agree the most with about political matters are always also pro-life. What I want to say here has less to do with presidential candidates and more to do with God’s view...
Psalm 139: 13, the Psalmist prays to God "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."
God knows us before we’re born-- we are knowable before we’re born, thus life!! That’s how significant we are to Him!! His Love for us is immeasurable.
Ok, so let’s think on this outside of “religion” for a moment.
Say, education for instance represents pregnancy & finishing said education through a bachelor's degree is birth... Once I’m done I can ‘theoretically’ go get a job, so that bachelor’s degree is alive up walking around, it is among us. If I don’t have that piece of paper... am I any less educated? no. That education gives the ability to read, write, work mathematical problems...
When babies are born they are among us, we see their lives at use... but if they aren’t born, were they any less a person? no. Live Cells merge together to create a person (Kindergarten), A heart develops very quickly (Elementary), all organs begin to function (HighSchool) & the baby can feel, grasp, and begins to have every function of a baby outside the womb & could even survive outside if he/she came too early but fought really hard(Bachelor’s)...
This idea made sense to me and I know that so many people try to leave out what God has to say on issues like this, but we could all use a little perspective whether we’re believers or not. This is something we should all be thinking and praying about, rather than arguing about!!
Back to what God thinks about this...Infant sacrifice was a huge issue that caused God to remove His blessing from an entire country. Is America guilty of the same thing, as we’re sacrificing our unborn infants to our personal agendas? Sacrifice to the idol of self is what it is.
Again, I urge anyone who is living in guilt over making a decision like this to ask for forgiveness from the One who yearns to give it!! God forgives and cleanses us completely of our guilt and shame!! And that’s all He wanted from the people in the Old Testament who were offering infant sacrifice to idols-- heart felt repentance, receiving His LOVE, & loving Him rather than the idol. He is desperate for us to live life in a LOVING relationship with Him.
Life begins at conception. Why is this a political issue?
This is a tender subject for so many and my intention is not to cause anyone more emotional pain, Jesus saves us from and forgives us for the things we do-- like aborting a baby. I know several people who range in closeness to me who have made this decision and I know that God can and does set us free from the guilt & shame these type decisions produce. Also, I have no judgement toward anyone about this, especially being that our education, political, & entertainment systems make abortion appear to be something that is the only choice to make when we don’t want a baby for any given reason. Having said that...
Life does begin at conception and even if I disagreed on every other point a presidential candidate had except for being pro-life, I would still vote for him hands down. But the people who run that I agree the most with about political matters are always also pro-life. What I want to say here has less to do with presidential candidates and more to do with God’s view...
Psalm 139: 13, the Psalmist prays to God "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."
God knows us before we’re born-- we are knowable before we’re born, thus life!! That’s how significant we are to Him!! His Love for us is immeasurable.
Ok, so let’s think on this outside of “religion” for a moment.
Say, education for instance represents pregnancy & finishing said education through a bachelor's degree is birth... Once I’m done I can ‘theoretically’ go get a job, so that bachelor’s degree is alive up walking around, it is among us. If I don’t have that piece of paper... am I any less educated? no. That education gives the ability to read, write, work mathematical problems...
When babies are born they are among us, we see their lives at use... but if they aren’t born, were they any less a person? no. Live Cells merge together to create a person (Kindergarten), A heart develops very quickly (Elementary), all organs begin to function (HighSchool) & the baby can feel, grasp, and begins to have every function of a baby outside the womb & could even survive outside if he/she came too early but fought really hard(Bachelor’s)...
This idea made sense to me and I know that so many people try to leave out what God has to say on issues like this, but we could all use a little perspective whether we’re believers or not. This is something we should all be thinking and praying about, rather than arguing about!!
Back to what God thinks about this...Infant sacrifice was a huge issue that caused God to remove His blessing from an entire country. Is America guilty of the same thing, as we’re sacrificing our unborn infants to our personal agendas? Sacrifice to the idol of self is what it is.
Again, I urge anyone who is living in guilt over making a decision like this to ask for forgiveness from the One who yearns to give it!! God forgives and cleanses us completely of our guilt and shame!! And that’s all He wanted from the people in the Old Testament who were offering infant sacrifice to idols-- heart felt repentance, receiving His LOVE, & loving Him rather than the idol. He is desperate for us to live life in a LOVING relationship with Him.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
little gentleman
My 3 year old son, Nathan, loves to run to a door to open it for whoever is coming behind him to go through. Tonight at church he ran to open 2 different doors that were a little "out of his league" and as I walked up behind him I pushed the door with him while he was pushing with all his might...
Isn't that just a beautiful picture of how God works? We push while He is right there with us making things happen through us. = in Christ. The impossible happens with the might of God.
<3
Isn't that just a beautiful picture of how God works? We push while He is right there with us making things happen through us. = in Christ. The impossible happens with the might of God.
<3
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
a break from myself
Does anyone else ever get all discombobulated with life only to be left feeling like you need just 1 day away from yourself to put things right again???
I'm totally there.
I used to think that I was a pretty spontaneous kind of person. Really, the thought is laughable! I'm actually pretty boring, I do the same things everyday and thrive on it. At this point my life is full of responsibility and I'm lagging with this weird urge to shake it all off and just do what I want (which would be a whole lot of nothing).
Aha!!!
I typed those words and then the Lord speaks the word "persevere" to me. I'm studying Love-- Agape Love, which is godly love and 1 Corinthians 13 says that love endures through every circumstance... it perseveres through every inch of our lives!! That is God's love for us perseveres through every inch of our lives. When the Lord grows it in us as a fruit of the Spirit we can then persevere through each day and every circumstance!
I prayed for Love the other day, to see what would happen! Kinda like I did for patience 16 years ago, click here to read about it. Agape Love has several different and interesting facets that I did not expect!! Endurance is apparently one of them, as I read tonight with fresh insight. Days like today I really wish I could get away from myself for a bit, but what I really need is to give my distractions (all things that are woeing me away from the Lord & my responsibilities) to the Lord-- walking with Him daily. I've been very distracted lately. :/
I'm totally there.
I used to think that I was a pretty spontaneous kind of person. Really, the thought is laughable! I'm actually pretty boring, I do the same things everyday and thrive on it. At this point my life is full of responsibility and I'm lagging with this weird urge to shake it all off and just do what I want (which would be a whole lot of nothing).
Aha!!!
I typed those words and then the Lord speaks the word "persevere" to me. I'm studying Love-- Agape Love, which is godly love and 1 Corinthians 13 says that love endures through every circumstance... it perseveres through every inch of our lives!! That is God's love for us perseveres through every inch of our lives. When the Lord grows it in us as a fruit of the Spirit we can then persevere through each day and every circumstance!
I prayed for Love the other day, to see what would happen! Kinda like I did for patience 16 years ago, click here to read about it. Agape Love has several different and interesting facets that I did not expect!! Endurance is apparently one of them, as I read tonight with fresh insight. Days like today I really wish I could get away from myself for a bit, but what I really need is to give my distractions (all things that are woeing me away from the Lord & my responsibilities) to the Lord-- walking with Him daily. I've been very distracted lately. :/
forgive
Something I came across as I've been studying the fruit of the Spirit, Love, is that unforgiveness kills it. I'll go into more about Love on Sunday after our Bible Study group.
I think we all have a good idea of what it is to not forgive someone... like if someone lies to me or wrongs me in some big way, then it's good to forgive. But what if it means more?-- forgiving, that is. There are people, whether we know them well or not, who make fun of us, make us the butt of a joke, jump clear down our throat for no clear reason... Isn't it easy to not like that person/ people because of it? I mean it's not like we hate them, we just don't really like them because of the negative feeling they pulled out of us. Nothing is wrong with that, right?
Holding little or big things against people is un-forgiveness and it's killing the love in our hearts.
When I decided to pray to ask for Love, all kinds of opportunities to forgive started arising. Naturally it's easier to hold someone else's bad attitude against them which is why I need Christ to give my irritated attitude to. It's all part of growing up in Christ--earning the fruit of His Spirit, one of which is Love.
<3
I think we all have a good idea of what it is to not forgive someone... like if someone lies to me or wrongs me in some big way, then it's good to forgive. But what if it means more?-- forgiving, that is. There are people, whether we know them well or not, who make fun of us, make us the butt of a joke, jump clear down our throat for no clear reason... Isn't it easy to not like that person/ people because of it? I mean it's not like we hate them, we just don't really like them because of the negative feeling they pulled out of us. Nothing is wrong with that, right?
Holding little or big things against people is un-forgiveness and it's killing the love in our hearts.
When I decided to pray to ask for Love, all kinds of opportunities to forgive started arising. Naturally it's easier to hold someone else's bad attitude against them which is why I need Christ to give my irritated attitude to. It's all part of growing up in Christ--earning the fruit of His Spirit, one of which is Love.
<3
Monday, October 8, 2012
Redeem Myself??
One of my favorite things to watch on tv is "Once Upon a Time", it's the story of Snow White and her Evil Step Mother. The Queen puts a curse over the Enchanted Forest so that all the fairy tale would be swept into our world to live.. but no one knows (or knew) who they were... Anyway... one of the lines that the Evil Step Mother/ Queen said to her adopted son (actually Snow White's grandson); she said "I want to redeem myself". I haven't heard that phrase from someone in so long I had forgotten it completely.
It's knowing you've done something wrong and when apologizing for it, saying "I want to redeem myself." I remember that what is meant by that is that the person wants to change and prove that he/ she can change. ... Here's the thing:
There is not one person on this earth who can be as good as God. It is impossible. It is why Jesus Christ came... so we could be with God even though we couldn't do it on our own. The only redeeming that is at all possible is the redemption through Jesus Christ-- I cannot change apart from Him. I've proven that to myself over and over. But God is faithful and serious about redeeming us; it is what He wants most and all we have to do is give in to His all consuming Love.
I just don't know... I would never make it without Him-- through the days... and when I was running from Him I really just wanted to die. I wasn't happy, I just lived and breathed in and out... and as I'm getting closer and closer to Him now, I have more and more joy. I love life, because I love Him. I love Him, because I received His Love that He has freely given. Some days I live depending totally on Him and others I'm distracted and suddenly feel the fading away... He didn't move; I did. But He is faithful, He lives in me and helps me to stay walking side by side with Him provoking my attention when I'm giving it to something else.
Is it obvious that I'm really seeking God on what it means to be "in Christ"??
Thank You God for loving us! <3
It's knowing you've done something wrong and when apologizing for it, saying "I want to redeem myself." I remember that what is meant by that is that the person wants to change and prove that he/ she can change. ... Here's the thing:
There is not one person on this earth who can be as good as God. It is impossible. It is why Jesus Christ came... so we could be with God even though we couldn't do it on our own. The only redeeming that is at all possible is the redemption through Jesus Christ-- I cannot change apart from Him. I've proven that to myself over and over. But God is faithful and serious about redeeming us; it is what He wants most and all we have to do is give in to His all consuming Love.
I just don't know... I would never make it without Him-- through the days... and when I was running from Him I really just wanted to die. I wasn't happy, I just lived and breathed in and out... and as I'm getting closer and closer to Him now, I have more and more joy. I love life, because I love Him. I love Him, because I received His Love that He has freely given. Some days I live depending totally on Him and others I'm distracted and suddenly feel the fading away... He didn't move; I did. But He is faithful, He lives in me and helps me to stay walking side by side with Him provoking my attention when I'm giving it to something else.
Is it obvious that I'm really seeking God on what it means to be "in Christ"??
Thank You God for loving us! <3
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