2 Samuel 24:10 “Now David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.’”
Acts 13:22 “...He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’”
There are days when I feel so inadequate and unworthy. I could supply an endless number of stories where I have done the dorkiest things and wonder – how do people put up with me? I can barely stand myself sometimes. I suppose we all have those experiences. And somehow knowing THAT can help me get through the day.
Of course, knowing that God loves me is all I really need, but that human component in me still does that “misery-loves-company” thing. Maybe this is why God included various details found in a lot of the Old Testament stories. Most of these men and women of God did some pretty crazy things, and yet, God still loved them and used them to help build His kingdom. Many of them are in Jesus’ genealogy.
God’s patience is tremendous, when you really thing about how much He has to watch and “put up with.” He is not only doing that with me and you, but EVERYBODY. I always have to shake my head when someone says something like, “Well, your mom is now up in heaven looking down on you.” And I’m thinking, “I hope NOT!” I know she isn’t, and I wouldn’t want her to be. Mind you, hypothetically if she was - I’m sure I’d amuse her at times, and even “do her proud,” but there’d be all those other times I’d be causing her to slap her forehead with disappointment, wondering “What is she thinking???” No, it’s enough that God is watching... He is all-knowing, as well as all-powerful – at least I can depend on God to help me out.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Time Management
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.”
Time is such a funny thing. Even with the best intentions, it can get away from us. Or we can choose to abuse, neglect or squander various opportunities as they present themselves. We rarely recognize time as being a precious commodity – a resource that needs to be valued and respected. Like money, we need to budget wisely, because there are only so many hours in a day.
Of course, there is a need for “me-time.” The question is just how much of that should I allow myself? And just how selfish is this “me-time?” Obviously, studying the Bible should be part of that schedule, but is there a point at which it stops being constructive? Now I must be honest, I occasionally struggle with squeezing this activity into my itinerary. But I do remember a time when I was determined to read through the entire Bible as quickly as possible, but I soon realized that it should not be done to the extent of neglecting my responsibilities!
“Everything in moderation,” was one of my mom’s favorite mottos, which is very useful and has stuck with me. I just need to remind myself of this. Prioritizing is also a very helpful tool. But most importantly, I need to continuously ask God to help manage my time effectively; since every second, does in fact, belong to Him.
Time is such a funny thing. Even with the best intentions, it can get away from us. Or we can choose to abuse, neglect or squander various opportunities as they present themselves. We rarely recognize time as being a precious commodity – a resource that needs to be valued and respected. Like money, we need to budget wisely, because there are only so many hours in a day.
Of course, there is a need for “me-time.” The question is just how much of that should I allow myself? And just how selfish is this “me-time?” Obviously, studying the Bible should be part of that schedule, but is there a point at which it stops being constructive? Now I must be honest, I occasionally struggle with squeezing this activity into my itinerary. But I do remember a time when I was determined to read through the entire Bible as quickly as possible, but I soon realized that it should not be done to the extent of neglecting my responsibilities!
“Everything in moderation,” was one of my mom’s favorite mottos, which is very useful and has stuck with me. I just need to remind myself of this. Prioritizing is also a very helpful tool. But most importantly, I need to continuously ask God to help manage my time effectively; since every second, does in fact, belong to Him.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
FORGIVENESS
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a “Love is patient, love is kind... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...”
The saying “Love is never having to say I’m sorry” is a little amiss... perhaps even a LOT amiss. It seems fairly straightforward to say love is kind. Most people would agree with that definition. So when you do end up hurting someone you love, you should WANT to apologize. If you don’t, the other person will eventual believe that you are taking them for granted, or that you really do mean to hurt them. Matthew 5:23-24 says "if you... remember that your brother has something against you... go... first be reconciled to your brother, and then present your offering.”
But very often we do not even realize we have hurt someone. Very often, it is unintentional, or due to miscommunication. And there’s only so much a person can take. So how much should one person try to take? And are we just supposed to ‘take it quietly.’ I would say ‘no.’ Matthew 18:15 tells us to reprove a brother in private IF they have sinned. In other words – work it out! Why not?
And if that person continues doing the same things, realize that it is there problem. They are obviously dealing or struggling with something. Jesus tells Peter, in Matthew 18, that we should forgive our ‘brothers’ 70x7 times. In other words, you should never stop forgiving. It is really something that helps us – so we don’t end up being bitter – which then causes us to become the things that we hate. And if you struggle to forgive – ask God to forgive them for you. Through experience, I know this to work.
To summarize: the saying “You can dish it out but you can’t take it” should really be “You don’t dish it out - and you can take a lot.” This really embodies love – which only demonstrates an unnatural strength – which can only come from God.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a “Love is patient, love is kind... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...”
The saying “Love is never having to say I’m sorry” is a little amiss... perhaps even a LOT amiss. It seems fairly straightforward to say love is kind. Most people would agree with that definition. So when you do end up hurting someone you love, you should WANT to apologize. If you don’t, the other person will eventual believe that you are taking them for granted, or that you really do mean to hurt them. Matthew 5:23-24 says "if you... remember that your brother has something against you... go... first be reconciled to your brother, and then present your offering.”
But very often we do not even realize we have hurt someone. Very often, it is unintentional, or due to miscommunication. And there’s only so much a person can take. So how much should one person try to take? And are we just supposed to ‘take it quietly.’ I would say ‘no.’ Matthew 18:15 tells us to reprove a brother in private IF they have sinned. In other words – work it out! Why not?
And if that person continues doing the same things, realize that it is there problem. They are obviously dealing or struggling with something. Jesus tells Peter, in Matthew 18, that we should forgive our ‘brothers’ 70x7 times. In other words, you should never stop forgiving. It is really something that helps us – so we don’t end up being bitter – which then causes us to become the things that we hate. And if you struggle to forgive – ask God to forgive them for you. Through experience, I know this to work.
To summarize: the saying “You can dish it out but you can’t take it” should really be “You don’t dish it out - and you can take a lot.” This really embodies love – which only demonstrates an unnatural strength – which can only come from God.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
EXCLAMATIONS!
Ps.19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight.”
Proverbs 17:7 “Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, much less are lying lips to a prince.”
As a writer, I understand the importance of words and knowing their definitions. If I’m going to use them, I better know what they all mean. A few times I have used a word incorrectly and either embarrassed myself and/or offended someone. And, I wonder, how many times have I offended God?
So as I’ve worked at cleaning up my personal speech, I have realized that merely dropping or changing a few letters doesn’t necessarily make it “better.” Would you be okay if someone you cared about - called you a “frigging b-otch”? Even though they changed or dropped a few letters, you still know what they meant.
Using the same principle, these are found in the dictionary:
GOSH — euphemism for God
GOLLY – euphemism for God
JEEZ/GEEZ – euphemism for Jesus
GEE – euphemism for Jesus
OMG/omg – “oh my God”
Do these fool the world? Does this fool God? Something to consider... "Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” Here, the Hebrew word for “vain” is “Shav.” Part of its definition and application is: emptiness, nothingness, vanity – the frivolous use of God’s name. Part of the dictionary’s definition for “in vain” – “in an irreverent or blasphemous manner [you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain — Deuteronomy 5:11 (RSV)].”
Even Hollywood knows what it means. In “Indian Jones: The Last Crusade” - when Indy exclaims, “Jesus Christ!” - his father whacks him across the head and says, “Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain!” In another movie, as well as in a popular sitcom, the main character reacts to something with a loud, “Oh my God!” Upon receiving some odd looks, the character quickly bows their head and continues with a softer, “we thank You for…” as a quick cover-up.
So when you really think about it, even throwing around words like “Holy” or “Almighty” tends to mock the Lord we pray to. Very often we end our prayers with “in Your Holy and precious name...” If we truly honor God and His name, why would we even want to sound CLOSE to how the world mocks and scorns our Lord and Savior? “When they see among them their children, the work of My hands, they will keep My name holy, they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.” Isaiah 29:23
1 John 2:3 “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” I have been trying to practice – to say what I actually mean, like - “THAT was awesome!” “THAT is tragic, I’ll be in prayer.” “That is so cute, where did you get it?” “That is surprising!” It would also be so refreshing if we were able to step out of the exclamation-rut that we find ourselves in - and be creative and original. Brilliant!
Proverbs 17:7 “Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, much less are lying lips to a prince.”
As a writer, I understand the importance of words and knowing their definitions. If I’m going to use them, I better know what they all mean. A few times I have used a word incorrectly and either embarrassed myself and/or offended someone. And, I wonder, how many times have I offended God?
So as I’ve worked at cleaning up my personal speech, I have realized that merely dropping or changing a few letters doesn’t necessarily make it “better.” Would you be okay if someone you cared about - called you a “frigging b-otch”? Even though they changed or dropped a few letters, you still know what they meant.
Using the same principle, these are found in the dictionary:
GOSH — euphemism for God
GOLLY – euphemism for God
JEEZ/GEEZ – euphemism for Jesus
GEE – euphemism for Jesus
OMG/omg – “oh my God”
Do these fool the world? Does this fool God? Something to consider... "Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” Here, the Hebrew word for “vain” is “Shav.” Part of its definition and application is: emptiness, nothingness, vanity – the frivolous use of God’s name. Part of the dictionary’s definition for “in vain” – “in an irreverent or blasphemous manner [you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain — Deuteronomy 5:11 (RSV)].”
Even Hollywood knows what it means. In “Indian Jones: The Last Crusade” - when Indy exclaims, “Jesus Christ!” - his father whacks him across the head and says, “Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain!” In another movie, as well as in a popular sitcom, the main character reacts to something with a loud, “Oh my God!” Upon receiving some odd looks, the character quickly bows their head and continues with a softer, “we thank You for…” as a quick cover-up.
So when you really think about it, even throwing around words like “Holy” or “Almighty” tends to mock the Lord we pray to. Very often we end our prayers with “in Your Holy and precious name...” If we truly honor God and His name, why would we even want to sound CLOSE to how the world mocks and scorns our Lord and Savior? “When they see among them their children, the work of My hands, they will keep My name holy, they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.” Isaiah 29:23
1 John 2:3 “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” I have been trying to practice – to say what I actually mean, like - “THAT was awesome!” “THAT is tragic, I’ll be in prayer.” “That is so cute, where did you get it?” “That is surprising!” It would also be so refreshing if we were able to step out of the exclamation-rut that we find ourselves in - and be creative and original. Brilliant!
Monday, August 30, 2010
ACCEPTING YOURSELF
2 Corinthians 10:7 “You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.”
There are definitely some physical traits that I struggled to accept for many, many years. It didn’t help that other people would point these things out to me and joke about them. And my own mother told me once, “We will always see to it that you have what you need, but for things like nose jobs, you have to pay for that, yourself.” I never pursued such things, but I did save up my money for contact lenses. I figured God created me this way; I need to be content with that.
Over the years, I have grown to completely accept these God-given traits and even be confident - in Him. Oh, and ladies, don’t hate your butt. Here’s my theory, I appreciate the form of husband, and he really appreciates the curves of my form. It would most certainly look weird if I had a man’s butt... for what? So I can enjoy looking at myself? Case closed. This almost negates the necessity to ever ask the question, “Does this make my butt look big?”
Why I think about all of this NOW is because we just came home from vacation. During such times, many pictures are taken. And my husband insists that we should have people in the shots so we can prove that we were actually there. I insist, “Why would I want to ruin the shot with me in it?” So while I have the pleasure of editing the photos, I keep coming across ghastly shots of myself. I’m not being vain, here, but I do this weird “eye-thing” which makes me look completely insane. And the more a camera is pointed at me, the more insecure I become, thinking, “Oh no, I’m probably going to do that eye-thing again.” So being self-absorbed in my efforts to look good for the camera - I USUALLY wind up looking worse! Can one even practice humility in front of a camera?
Meanwhile, I was given yet another opportunity to reflect and meditate on what was truly important in life... to get over myself, and focus on what really is important – the inner beauty that God will create as we allow Him to work in us.
There are definitely some physical traits that I struggled to accept for many, many years. It didn’t help that other people would point these things out to me and joke about them. And my own mother told me once, “We will always see to it that you have what you need, but for things like nose jobs, you have to pay for that, yourself.” I never pursued such things, but I did save up my money for contact lenses. I figured God created me this way; I need to be content with that.
Over the years, I have grown to completely accept these God-given traits and even be confident - in Him. Oh, and ladies, don’t hate your butt. Here’s my theory, I appreciate the form of husband, and he really appreciates the curves of my form. It would most certainly look weird if I had a man’s butt... for what? So I can enjoy looking at myself? Case closed. This almost negates the necessity to ever ask the question, “Does this make my butt look big?”
Why I think about all of this NOW is because we just came home from vacation. During such times, many pictures are taken. And my husband insists that we should have people in the shots so we can prove that we were actually there. I insist, “Why would I want to ruin the shot with me in it?” So while I have the pleasure of editing the photos, I keep coming across ghastly shots of myself. I’m not being vain, here, but I do this weird “eye-thing” which makes me look completely insane. And the more a camera is pointed at me, the more insecure I become, thinking, “Oh no, I’m probably going to do that eye-thing again.” So being self-absorbed in my efforts to look good for the camera - I USUALLY wind up looking worse! Can one even practice humility in front of a camera?
Meanwhile, I was given yet another opportunity to reflect and meditate on what was truly important in life... to get over myself, and focus on what really is important – the inner beauty that God will create as we allow Him to work in us.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
PURPOSE AND TALENTS
Isaiah 10:15 “Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.”
1 Corinthians 14:12 “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.”
The first thing we like to figure out for ourselves is, “What is life” and “What are we supposed to be doing with it?” I am comforted by the fact that we are all given purpose in our lives, complete with unique talents. As well, it gives me greater confidence to know that God is the one providing and equipping us, and that it is God who is in control...
The world is so big and confusing. There isn’t a hope for us to figure it all out. Most days, I can’t figure out what I want to wear. But the Creator of the universe loves and cares about us, and designed each one of us as very unique individuals. He also designed us as social creatures... to hopefully all work together to accomplish great things. And as social creatures, God has a vested interest in each one of us as individuals and desires a personal relationship with us. Wow!
Once we understand and accept this, the next question usually is, “So what ARE our individual spiritual gifts (talents)” and “How do we fit into this whole grand scheme?” This is actually pretty simple! What are you good at? I think we tend to look too deeply and miss the obvious. Our spiritual gifts are not going to look “mystical” or “spiritually deep.” God has given us practical talents. When we use these - to God’s glory and in God’s strength – these talents become Spirit-centered... Serving God by serving others with our talents become spiritual gifts.
God, in His infinite wisdom, also blessed us with a variety of gifts that differ from other people, so we’d have to work together as a team. Ever notice while working on a project with other people, you really develop close and meaningful friendships? As well, every single talent is significant. If I wrote a drama, and there wasn’t a director, actors, stagehands, lighting and sound experts... there would be nothing. There would be an untold story. But only because of God, was I able to write anything in the first place.
Our finally question needs to be, “How user-friendly are we?” Do we graciously work together with our brothers and sisters in Christ? And most importantly, do we allow God to use us and work through us? God does a much better job than any of us could ever do. This will determine the “success” of any project or effort.
1 Corinthians 14:12 “So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.”
The first thing we like to figure out for ourselves is, “What is life” and “What are we supposed to be doing with it?” I am comforted by the fact that we are all given purpose in our lives, complete with unique talents. As well, it gives me greater confidence to know that God is the one providing and equipping us, and that it is God who is in control...
The world is so big and confusing. There isn’t a hope for us to figure it all out. Most days, I can’t figure out what I want to wear. But the Creator of the universe loves and cares about us, and designed each one of us as very unique individuals. He also designed us as social creatures... to hopefully all work together to accomplish great things. And as social creatures, God has a vested interest in each one of us as individuals and desires a personal relationship with us. Wow!
Once we understand and accept this, the next question usually is, “So what ARE our individual spiritual gifts (talents)” and “How do we fit into this whole grand scheme?” This is actually pretty simple! What are you good at? I think we tend to look too deeply and miss the obvious. Our spiritual gifts are not going to look “mystical” or “spiritually deep.” God has given us practical talents. When we use these - to God’s glory and in God’s strength – these talents become Spirit-centered... Serving God by serving others with our talents become spiritual gifts.
God, in His infinite wisdom, also blessed us with a variety of gifts that differ from other people, so we’d have to work together as a team. Ever notice while working on a project with other people, you really develop close and meaningful friendships? As well, every single talent is significant. If I wrote a drama, and there wasn’t a director, actors, stagehands, lighting and sound experts... there would be nothing. There would be an untold story. But only because of God, was I able to write anything in the first place.
Our finally question needs to be, “How user-friendly are we?” Do we graciously work together with our brothers and sisters in Christ? And most importantly, do we allow God to use us and work through us? God does a much better job than any of us could ever do. This will determine the “success” of any project or effort.
Monday, June 14, 2010
LOVE'S DEFINITION
Psalm 36:7 “How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings.” (NIV)
Colossians 3:14 “Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (NAS)
Being the artistic-type that I am, I feel things very deeply - sometimes maybe too deeply. This makes for some interesting “discussions”... (Okay, this can also lead to some very heated debates – ARGUMENTS! Yes, it’s true.)
So is real love – that “love at first sight”, tingly all over, passionate, romantic-movie-type feeling??? Even though I had logically thought through who I was dating and why, so I would KNOW I was choosing a really good Christian guy, I still felt some of that. So when we became engaged, I was determined to never lose those feelings.
Well, just as soon as the honeymoon was over, those feelings were gone. Unable to analyze this properly, I put this concern in the back of my mind to assess at a later date. Meanwhile, the feelings had been replaced with a kind of peaceful contentment... like we had already been together forever and this is how it would - should always be.
About a year later, I started singing solos again on Sunday mornings. As I waited to go up, I became very nervous – and then realized that these were the very same tingling feelings that we like to call “chemistry.” Well, in that case, I do not want those feelings in my marriage. Why in the world would I want to be nervous around my spouse? Does my hair look okay? Do my jeans make me look slim? What does he think about me now? Forget that! We have moved on.
Love, especially in marriage, should be a commitment. You cannot fall out of that – you would have to decide that - because real love is a choice. It is a conscious, selfless action towards someone. Your thinking shouldn’t be “What is that person doing for me so I will love them?” – your thinking should be “How am I loving that person?”
Most importantly is our walk with God. Imagine a bicycle wheel. The hub represents God, and each of us is on a different spoke. The closer we get to God, the closer we get to each other. When we make God our hub, our pillar of strength, our foundation of love – marriage will last. We make mistakes and fail each other, but God never fails. This is security. This is love.
Colossians 3:14 “Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (NAS)
Being the artistic-type that I am, I feel things very deeply - sometimes maybe too deeply. This makes for some interesting “discussions”... (Okay, this can also lead to some very heated debates – ARGUMENTS! Yes, it’s true.)
So is real love – that “love at first sight”, tingly all over, passionate, romantic-movie-type feeling??? Even though I had logically thought through who I was dating and why, so I would KNOW I was choosing a really good Christian guy, I still felt some of that. So when we became engaged, I was determined to never lose those feelings.
Well, just as soon as the honeymoon was over, those feelings were gone. Unable to analyze this properly, I put this concern in the back of my mind to assess at a later date. Meanwhile, the feelings had been replaced with a kind of peaceful contentment... like we had already been together forever and this is how it would - should always be.
About a year later, I started singing solos again on Sunday mornings. As I waited to go up, I became very nervous – and then realized that these were the very same tingling feelings that we like to call “chemistry.” Well, in that case, I do not want those feelings in my marriage. Why in the world would I want to be nervous around my spouse? Does my hair look okay? Do my jeans make me look slim? What does he think about me now? Forget that! We have moved on.
Love, especially in marriage, should be a commitment. You cannot fall out of that – you would have to decide that - because real love is a choice. It is a conscious, selfless action towards someone. Your thinking shouldn’t be “What is that person doing for me so I will love them?” – your thinking should be “How am I loving that person?”
Most importantly is our walk with God. Imagine a bicycle wheel. The hub represents God, and each of us is on a different spoke. The closer we get to God, the closer we get to each other. When we make God our hub, our pillar of strength, our foundation of love – marriage will last. We make mistakes and fail each other, but God never fails. This is security. This is love.
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