Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas!
May you and your loved ones have a Merry Christmas! I pray you have a wonderful new year full of hope, love, and many blessings.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
My Slow Awakening
I want to continue a bit with the "awakening" thoughts. It's no secret that I battle with food issues, as in I love food - all kinds of food. Crispy, crunchy, gooey, creamy - I like a lot of it. But recently, some points have been brought to my attention.
Point #1: I know that unhealthy eating and lack of exercise can lead to numerous diseases and even death. I wrestle with that thought everyday. The point the Lord made to me was this - My life was bought at a price. It is worth more than the greasy slice of pizza I ate for lunch.
Point #2: At this moment, food controls me. It was hard to type that last line, but it's true. If I'm given a choice between a piece of fruit or candy, I will pick the candy. Now that I admit this I realize how ridiculous it is to have an inanimate object control me. It can't control me, but somehow I have given it power.
Point #3: The LORD has supplied me with the knowledge regarding health. Basically, I believe, any food He has created is good for me. That includes fruits, veggies, grass-fed meats, and multi-grains, all as minimally processed as possible. Now it's my choice - am I going to be wise or foolish?
Point #4: Part of my responsibility in taking care of my family is to make sure they are fed healthy meals so that they can do what they need to do everyday.
Maybe there is something in your life that is holding you hostage. I want you to know there is freedom in Christ. It may not happen overnight - it could be His plan for you to experience this journey with Him, but it will happen when you surrender completely to Jesus. I believe that's the case for me.
Let me finish with an encouraging verse: Galatians 5:1 says "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (NIV)
Point #1: I know that unhealthy eating and lack of exercise can lead to numerous diseases and even death. I wrestle with that thought everyday. The point the Lord made to me was this - My life was bought at a price. It is worth more than the greasy slice of pizza I ate for lunch.
Point #2: At this moment, food controls me. It was hard to type that last line, but it's true. If I'm given a choice between a piece of fruit or candy, I will pick the candy. Now that I admit this I realize how ridiculous it is to have an inanimate object control me. It can't control me, but somehow I have given it power.
Point #3: The LORD has supplied me with the knowledge regarding health. Basically, I believe, any food He has created is good for me. That includes fruits, veggies, grass-fed meats, and multi-grains, all as minimally processed as possible. Now it's my choice - am I going to be wise or foolish?
Point #4: Part of my responsibility in taking care of my family is to make sure they are fed healthy meals so that they can do what they need to do everyday.
Maybe there is something in your life that is holding you hostage. I want you to know there is freedom in Christ. It may not happen overnight - it could be His plan for you to experience this journey with Him, but it will happen when you surrender completely to Jesus. I believe that's the case for me.
Let me finish with an encouraging verse: Galatians 5:1 says "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (NIV)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sleepwalking
Ephesians 5:13-15 "But everything exposed by the light becomes visible - and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said 'Wake up Sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' 15 Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise." (NIV)
Lately I've been re-thinking how I live my life - what virtues I possess and what character traits I want to instill in my children. I think the Lord is using homeschooling to open my eyes even more to His will and purpose for life (homeschooling - apparently it's not just for kids).
I will admit though, it is a struggle at times to choose to do what is right instead of what I want to do. Though, ultimately, I want to be obedient to His call, I also fight against my flesh. Okay, at this point fight may be too strong of a word. It's more like the flesh calls, I say "well..." and then run right to it; whether if it's eating that bowl of ice cream or choosing to sleep in instead of praying. Life is about choices.I will admit, I tend to make some unwise choices. At times, it's as if I'm on auto-pilot because I've made the same unwise choices so many times. But, now the Lord is opening my eyes to this very dilemma. I like the phrasing of verse 14 "Wake up Sleeper." I feel that's what I've been doing - sleeping through part of this life.
I don't want my children to have to learn the lessons of life the hard way - if possible. I mean, for example, I would prefer they learn to live a healthy, active life while they are young, so that it becomes second nature. Not when they are 50 pounds overweight and HAVE to do it because of a health crisis. I want my children to care for others and realize this world does not center around them while they are young as opposed to becoming an adult and throwing a tantrum when they don't get their own way. I am realizing more than ever that I cannot just teach these virtues, character, and lifestyle traits, but I have to model them as well. But the question becomes "How am I going to model these traits?" Am I going to continue making unwise choices and have my children learn from my poor example or am I finally going to look towards the light of Christ and choose what is right? Further down in Ephesians 5:17, Paul writes "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Actually, I like the Amplified version better: "Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is."
Finally, Proverbs 9:10 says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." I'm beginning to understand that some choices cannot be made while half asleep. I must ask myself "Is this what the Lord wants me to do? Is this the best use of the time He has given me?" It is time to stop sleepwalking.
Lately I've been re-thinking how I live my life - what virtues I possess and what character traits I want to instill in my children. I think the Lord is using homeschooling to open my eyes even more to His will and purpose for life (homeschooling - apparently it's not just for kids).
I will admit though, it is a struggle at times to choose to do what is right instead of what I want to do. Though, ultimately, I want to be obedient to His call, I also fight against my flesh. Okay, at this point fight may be too strong of a word. It's more like the flesh calls, I say "well..." and then run right to it; whether if it's eating that bowl of ice cream or choosing to sleep in instead of praying. Life is about choices.I will admit, I tend to make some unwise choices. At times, it's as if I'm on auto-pilot because I've made the same unwise choices so many times. But, now the Lord is opening my eyes to this very dilemma. I like the phrasing of verse 14 "Wake up Sleeper." I feel that's what I've been doing - sleeping through part of this life.
I don't want my children to have to learn the lessons of life the hard way - if possible. I mean, for example, I would prefer they learn to live a healthy, active life while they are young, so that it becomes second nature. Not when they are 50 pounds overweight and HAVE to do it because of a health crisis. I want my children to care for others and realize this world does not center around them while they are young as opposed to becoming an adult and throwing a tantrum when they don't get their own way. I am realizing more than ever that I cannot just teach these virtues, character, and lifestyle traits, but I have to model them as well. But the question becomes "How am I going to model these traits?" Am I going to continue making unwise choices and have my children learn from my poor example or am I finally going to look towards the light of Christ and choose what is right? Further down in Ephesians 5:17, Paul writes "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Actually, I like the Amplified version better: "Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is."
Finally, Proverbs 9:10 says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." I'm beginning to understand that some choices cannot be made while half asleep. I must ask myself "Is this what the Lord wants me to do? Is this the best use of the time He has given me?" It is time to stop sleepwalking.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Knowing God
"The people who know their God shall be strong and do great things." Daniel 11:32b (TLB)
This is the verse referenced on my artsy, scripture calendar for October. It is a simple, matter-of-fact statement, but at the same time it's powerful. After reading the context of the verse, it holds even more power and yes, conviction.
At first, I believed this verse to mean that if I have faith in the Lord then I can be strong and do great things. While this may be true, this is not the context of the verse. At the time, this was written as a prophecy regarding the future of Israel. It spoke of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his attack on Jerusalem. When he attacked, he desecrated the temple by sacrificing pigs on an altar he built for Zeus inside the temple. Here is verse 32 (the entire verse): "He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will stand firm and take action." (ESV) Antiochus was able to flatter some people away from the covenant, but the ones who truly loved God and knew God, chose to stand firm in their beliefs and convictions while others took action (the Maccabees).
These people were choosing death instead of desecrating their bodies or abandoning their beliefs because they knew God. They understood his Holiness and how He set them apart. They would rather die than eat unclean pork (at least in one example I read) because they knew this would separate them from the Lord.
Well, once I understood the verse, I wondered how many times have I not stood firm against the enemy? How many times have I chosen to abuse His temple for my selfish wants? How many times have I been seduced by flattery ("Go ahead, you've earned it...")?
Once again, the point has been made - my relationship with the Lord requires and deserves a deeper understanding of Him, which only He can reveal to me. As James 4:8 says "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you..." (ESV)
This is the verse referenced on my artsy, scripture calendar for October. It is a simple, matter-of-fact statement, but at the same time it's powerful. After reading the context of the verse, it holds even more power and yes, conviction.
At first, I believed this verse to mean that if I have faith in the Lord then I can be strong and do great things. While this may be true, this is not the context of the verse. At the time, this was written as a prophecy regarding the future of Israel. It spoke of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his attack on Jerusalem. When he attacked, he desecrated the temple by sacrificing pigs on an altar he built for Zeus inside the temple. Here is verse 32 (the entire verse): "He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will stand firm and take action." (ESV) Antiochus was able to flatter some people away from the covenant, but the ones who truly loved God and knew God, chose to stand firm in their beliefs and convictions while others took action (the Maccabees).
These people were choosing death instead of desecrating their bodies or abandoning their beliefs because they knew God. They understood his Holiness and how He set them apart. They would rather die than eat unclean pork (at least in one example I read) because they knew this would separate them from the Lord.
Well, once I understood the verse, I wondered how many times have I not stood firm against the enemy? How many times have I chosen to abuse His temple for my selfish wants? How many times have I been seduced by flattery ("Go ahead, you've earned it...")?
Once again, the point has been made - my relationship with the Lord requires and deserves a deeper understanding of Him, which only He can reveal to me. As James 4:8 says "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you..." (ESV)
Monday, September 26, 2011
What's in a Name?
One of my favorite songs lately has been Natalie Grant's "Your Great Name." It speaks to the power of the name of Jesus Christ. But what power does His name hold?
We are first introduced to the name of Jesus in Matthew 1:21, with an angel telling Joseph to name the baby Mary is carrying Jesus "because He will save the people from their sins." Jesus means "the LORD saves."
From that moment forward, He is then known as a teacher, a healer, a friend, one who calms the storm, one who casts out demons, raises the dead, feeds 5000 hungry people with five loaves of bread and two fish, one who offers rest, God's chosen Servant, the Son of God, the Son of Man, The Lamb of God. He is known as Immanuel (which means "God with us"), Counselor, the Prince of Peace, Almighty, powerful, Holy One, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, the Lion of Judah - just to name a few.
So much power behind a name, yet some take the name in vain, giving no second thought as to what it means. Some in society even use it more as a "curse" word, when something goes wrong. I wonder, if they realized the power behind the name, would they still use it in vain? I mean, even the demons flee and shudder at the sound of Jesus' name. Jesus was with God in the beginning. He humbled Himself and then died for our sins. On the third day, he was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of God, preparing a place for us.
When I sit and meditate upon the names and descriptions of Jesus, I get goosebumps. His name means so much more than I can ever comprehend in this lifetime. Of course, I do have one name for Jesus that I do comprehend - Savior. That is one I cherish and am most grateful for.
We are first introduced to the name of Jesus in Matthew 1:21, with an angel telling Joseph to name the baby Mary is carrying Jesus "because He will save the people from their sins." Jesus means "the LORD saves."
From that moment forward, He is then known as a teacher, a healer, a friend, one who calms the storm, one who casts out demons, raises the dead, feeds 5000 hungry people with five loaves of bread and two fish, one who offers rest, God's chosen Servant, the Son of God, the Son of Man, The Lamb of God. He is known as Immanuel (which means "God with us"), Counselor, the Prince of Peace, Almighty, powerful, Holy One, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, the Lion of Judah - just to name a few.
So much power behind a name, yet some take the name in vain, giving no second thought as to what it means. Some in society even use it more as a "curse" word, when something goes wrong. I wonder, if they realized the power behind the name, would they still use it in vain? I mean, even the demons flee and shudder at the sound of Jesus' name. Jesus was with God in the beginning. He humbled Himself and then died for our sins. On the third day, he was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of God, preparing a place for us.
When I sit and meditate upon the names and descriptions of Jesus, I get goosebumps. His name means so much more than I can ever comprehend in this lifetime. Of course, I do have one name for Jesus that I do comprehend - Savior. That is one I cherish and am most grateful for.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Is it Faith or Religion?
Isaiah 29:13 - "The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." (NIV)
Confession time: I've found bits of this verse springing forth in my mind during praise and worship at church because I've been lacking focus. Here's an example of my thought process: "Oh, I like this song! I like the original version better. Hmm, the drums are awfully loud. How many times are we going to repeat the chorus? " Nothing in there about how wonderful God is or how beautiful, holy, forgiving and merciful He is. What's worse, I'll catch myself wandering and try to focus, only to be distracted by my intent to focus. That's when I give up and pray for mercy.
Though my example does not indicate the authenticity of my relationship with the Lord, I do believe this verse addresses a lack of authentic faith - where one claims to be a Christian because s/he shows up and sings the songs and follows the rules, but does not have a meaningful, personal relationship with the Lord.
The Lord desires more than lip service and rule-following from us. He desires a true, authentic relationship with us. If He didn't want that relationship, then He wouldn't have sent His Son to die for our sins. Though only the Lord knows a person's heart, we can at least have insight into our own hearts. Am I following the Lord because my parents did or because I "grew up" in the faith? Or do I follow the Lord because I desire to follow His ways and long for a relationship with Him? When I sing the praise and worship songs in church, am I wanting to bring praise or am I just going with the flow of the service (apparently I'm struggling with this one lately, though I am aware of it now)?
Do I want to follow rules for the sake of following traditon or do I follow the Lord and His ways in service to Him? My prayer is that my walk with the Lord is an authentic faith, not a religion built on man's traditions and lovely, shallow words.
What are your thoughts?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Summer Break
I guess it's a bit obvious that I am taking a summer break. I've been wanting to write, but a few things popped up, taking my time in a different direction. I do plan on returning though September 6th, so please come back then and check out the blog.
Have a wonderful summer!
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