"I don't live. I get things done. My life is entirely task oriented. I wake and pray, because if I don't pray, I get taken out by warfare. It's not leisurely prayer, it's purposeful prayer."*
This is so me. I just get things done. I blow through the day. I check off my tasks. Prayer - check (sometimes), Laundry - check, dinner - check, etc. I don't even think about things, I just get them done.
How did I get like this? How do I get "unlike" this? Isn't this the American dream? What we're all doing to live the "American life"? It sucks!
Jesus said "I have come to give you life, a full an abundant life." John 10:10.
Yes he came to give us eternal life. But there is more. He wants us to have a full and abundant life. But does that mean to blow through the day and get as much as I can get done? Even if some of those things are for his glory?
NO! It means to stop. Enjoy Him. Enjoy the beauty around me. Enjoy the silence. Talk to him. Be with him.
When I don't do this, I shut down. I shut down emotionally, mentally and sometimes physically. Because I am so busy blowing through the moment, day, week, month that I can't keep up with myself. So I blow up, burn out.
I know all of this. So why do I do it over and over and over and over again? Ahh the joy of being a human!
I am so so so thankful for a God who is patient and loving. Who waits for me every single time to come back to him. Who doesn't get mad at me like everyone else. Who isn't disappointed in me like everyone else. Who isn't frustrated with me like everyone else. He is only captivated by me. He loves me wholly, completely and abundantly. He will never ever give up on me or throw be under the bus.
I am such a blessed daughter of our God. I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing.
*Taken from "Walking with God" by John Eldredge
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
He is here...
Something I've been pondering lately...
As a Christian, I have heard people pray "Lord please be with us/her/him/me..." I have prayed this way many times too. It becomes some sort of a catch phrase.
But something that I realized recently, he is with us. He is with us always. His dwelling place is our heart. "...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." Ephesians 3:17
He also promises never to leave or forsake us. "he will never leave nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8. The bible even states this twice within one passage.
So if he is already dwelling in us as believers, then why do we need to ask him to be with us. He already is with us. A word picture that came to me today was sitting in a room with your absolute best friend, but not talking to her or acknowledging her. Instead you say to the room, "Mary please be with me now!" even though she is sitting right there with you.
I read a quote recently from "Waking the Dead" by John Eldredge. He says "Without your heart you cannot hope to find God, for the heart is his dwelling place. If you ignore your heart, it's like looking for him everywhere but at home." Oh this hit me this week too! I couldn't feel him or hear him until I realized that I had been ignoring my heart.
So what I should be doing instead is thanking him for being with me. And believing that he is with me, "Lord Jesus thank you for being with me in this moment. Thank you for not forsaking me."
But there will be moments that I don't feel like he is with me. So I need to pray that he helps me feels his presence. "Lord I need you now. Please help me feel your presence in this moment."
The enemy wants us to believe that he isn't really with us. He whispers those lies in our ears. He whispers to us that he has left us or that he never really was with us. Or sometimes even worse he whispers to us that he has forsaken us. But these are all lies and agreements that we make.
The bible doesn't lie. Nor is it a book of exceptions. He was, he is and is to come. He is here with me now and always. Thank you Jesus for being with me now in this moment....
As a Christian, I have heard people pray "Lord please be with us/her/him/me..." I have prayed this way many times too. It becomes some sort of a catch phrase.
But something that I realized recently, he is with us. He is with us always. His dwelling place is our heart. "...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." Ephesians 3:17
He also promises never to leave or forsake us. "he will never leave nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8. The bible even states this twice within one passage.
So if he is already dwelling in us as believers, then why do we need to ask him to be with us. He already is with us. A word picture that came to me today was sitting in a room with your absolute best friend, but not talking to her or acknowledging her. Instead you say to the room, "Mary please be with me now!" even though she is sitting right there with you.
I read a quote recently from "Waking the Dead" by John Eldredge. He says "Without your heart you cannot hope to find God, for the heart is his dwelling place. If you ignore your heart, it's like looking for him everywhere but at home." Oh this hit me this week too! I couldn't feel him or hear him until I realized that I had been ignoring my heart.
So what I should be doing instead is thanking him for being with me. And believing that he is with me, "Lord Jesus thank you for being with me in this moment. Thank you for not forsaking me."
But there will be moments that I don't feel like he is with me. So I need to pray that he helps me feels his presence. "Lord I need you now. Please help me feel your presence in this moment."
The enemy wants us to believe that he isn't really with us. He whispers those lies in our ears. He whispers to us that he has left us or that he never really was with us. Or sometimes even worse he whispers to us that he has forsaken us. But these are all lies and agreements that we make.
The bible doesn't lie. Nor is it a book of exceptions. He was, he is and is to come. He is here with me now and always. Thank you Jesus for being with me now in this moment....
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Random thoughts from people our age...
Random thoughts from people our age....
I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you’re crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook or Myspace, people that I do know but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?
There is a great need for sarcasm font.
Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.
How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my
groceries in.
I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.
Was learning cursive really necessary?
Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and
said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)...ummm...Goonies"
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my
neighborhood.
I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
Bad decisions make good stories
Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from; this shouldn't be a problem....
You never know when it wi ll strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your
mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't care to have to restart my
collection.
There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the
phone and run away?
I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of
transportation, I always hate cyclists.
Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket and Pinning
the Tail on the Donkey - but I’d bet everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How do I respond to that?
It really ticks me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
I wonder if cops ever get ticked off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.
I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you’re crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook or Myspace, people that I do know but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?
There is a great need for sarcasm font.
Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.
How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my
groceries in.
I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.
Was learning cursive really necessary?
Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and
said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)...ummm...Goonies"
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my
neighborhood.
I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
Bad decisions make good stories
Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from; this shouldn't be a problem....
You never know when it wi ll strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your
mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't care to have to restart my
collection.
There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the
phone and run away?
I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of
transportation, I always hate cyclists.
Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket and Pinning
the Tail on the Donkey - but I’d bet everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How do I respond to that?
It really ticks me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
I wonder if cops ever get ticked off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
There is more...
So I haven't been at this Christian life for very long, maybe a few years. But since I've been in it, the ongoing theme has been "Salvation". It's been about how once you are a believer, Jesus gives you an eternal life. He also comes to take our sins and to forgive us. Yes all of this is true but there is so much more.
He has come to give us abundant life. He has come to restore our hearts. He has come to romance us. He has come to adore us. Why isn't this being taught too? How can we be missing all of this?
John 10:10 states "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy but I have come to give you an abundant life." He came to give us more. Not just to give us an eternal life. He came to gives us LOTS.
Isaiah 61 says that he has come to bind up the brokenhearted, to set the captives free. He has come to bestow us with a crown of beauty. He wants to heal us, to restore our hearts.
Hosea 2:14 says that he wants to allure us so that he can speak tenderly to us. He wants to romance us. To show us that he loves us enough to stumble upon 15 Elk in an area where no one else has seen elk before. Or to hear just the right song on the radio the moment we need to hear it.
We are so missing all of this! It is more than about just forgiving us and letting us live in heaven with him forever! He wants us to have a full and abundant life. He wants us to know how much he loves us! We are loved by the king!
I get this! This makes my heart beat! I am free! I am loved by the king! I am all of the things that we sing about at church but now I truly believe it!
Ok so now I just need to figure out how to make everyone else believe this too....
He has come to give us abundant life. He has come to restore our hearts. He has come to romance us. He has come to adore us. Why isn't this being taught too? How can we be missing all of this?
John 10:10 states "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy but I have come to give you an abundant life." He came to give us more. Not just to give us an eternal life. He came to gives us LOTS.
Isaiah 61 says that he has come to bind up the brokenhearted, to set the captives free. He has come to bestow us with a crown of beauty. He wants to heal us, to restore our hearts.
Hosea 2:14 says that he wants to allure us so that he can speak tenderly to us. He wants to romance us. To show us that he loves us enough to stumble upon 15 Elk in an area where no one else has seen elk before. Or to hear just the right song on the radio the moment we need to hear it.
We are so missing all of this! It is more than about just forgiving us and letting us live in heaven with him forever! He wants us to have a full and abundant life. He wants us to know how much he loves us! We are loved by the king!
I get this! This makes my heart beat! I am free! I am loved by the king! I am all of the things that we sing about at church but now I truly believe it!
Ok so now I just need to figure out how to make everyone else believe this too....
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Myth & Perspective
When you hear the word myth, what comes to mind? For me it meant something that wasn't true, a fabricated story. The underlying meaning wasn't just a story but a lie.
We have Myth Busters, Snopes, the evening news... It seems like society has gone out to prove the truth. When you get an email about coke being able to clean a toilet, where do you go? Snopes.com of course. When you want to see if two chemicals are mixed together, you turn to Myth Busters.
I'm reading 'Waking the Dead' by John Eldredge. It is a powerful book. For me it is a continuation of the journey that I started in Colorado. He has another perspective of myths.
Myths are stories that awakens your heart. "Myth is the name of a way of seeing, a way of knowing. Not fantasy, not lies, but things coming to us from beyond the walls of this world."
This completely changes my perspective about myths. It's made me step back and look at the big picture. Stop trying to figure out the actual truth. Trust my heart and let it awaken.
We all need this! The bible says "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23. This doesn't mean to go out and try to prove all facts. It means to guard your heart from some of them.
No I am not saying walk around with a bag over your head (and heart) to hide from the reality of this world. I am just saying that we should allow stories to just be stories. Allow them to stir something in us. Allow them to make us think. Above all, allow Jesus to use them to romance us! For he wants us to know how much he loves us!
We have Myth Busters, Snopes, the evening news... It seems like society has gone out to prove the truth. When you get an email about coke being able to clean a toilet, where do you go? Snopes.com of course. When you want to see if two chemicals are mixed together, you turn to Myth Busters.
I'm reading 'Waking the Dead' by John Eldredge. It is a powerful book. For me it is a continuation of the journey that I started in Colorado. He has another perspective of myths.
Myths are stories that awakens your heart. "Myth is the name of a way of seeing, a way of knowing. Not fantasy, not lies, but things coming to us from beyond the walls of this world."
This completely changes my perspective about myths. It's made me step back and look at the big picture. Stop trying to figure out the actual truth. Trust my heart and let it awaken.
We all need this! The bible says "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23. This doesn't mean to go out and try to prove all facts. It means to guard your heart from some of them.
No I am not saying walk around with a bag over your head (and heart) to hide from the reality of this world. I am just saying that we should allow stories to just be stories. Allow them to stir something in us. Allow them to make us think. Above all, allow Jesus to use them to romance us! For he wants us to know how much he loves us!
Friday, August 28, 2009
The food chain...
Last night Robert was watching a nature show on PBS about Cuttlefish. I was kind of listening to it while cleaning up the kitchen and such. (You know those lovely nighttime duties that usually falls on the mom!)
Anyway the narrator was talking about what other creatures prey on these fish. The narrator said that everything has a predator. I thought about how that is true and started thinking about the food chain. But I thought about how humans don't have a predator, no other animal preys on humans.
Then God reminded me that we do have a predator. Satan is our hunter and we are the hunted. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." John 10:10
But we have our own armor to protect us from his attacks. That is the armor of God. "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:11
So unlike the cuttlefish that gets eaten and doesn't have an armor to protect itself, we have our own armor to protect ourselves with. We have the armor of God and the power of Jesus Christ.
Anyway the narrator was talking about what other creatures prey on these fish. The narrator said that everything has a predator. I thought about how that is true and started thinking about the food chain. But I thought about how humans don't have a predator, no other animal preys on humans.
Then God reminded me that we do have a predator. Satan is our hunter and we are the hunted. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." John 10:10
But we have our own armor to protect us from his attacks. That is the armor of God. "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:11
So unlike the cuttlefish that gets eaten and doesn't have an armor to protect itself, we have our own armor to protect ourselves with. We have the armor of God and the power of Jesus Christ.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Waiting on the Lord
The other day I went down to the lake for some quiet time with the Lord. I spent the past weekend getting to know him more and wanted to continue that. So what better place than to enjoy the peace and beauty than Black Lake.
This is what I arrived to see...
Talk about beautiful! It was amazing!
So I sat on the dock for some quiet time with him. As I sat there, he performed a show just for me! The birds were singing and flying about. A beaver swam right in front of me! A duck came up to the edge of the dock to check me out too! It was absolutely amazing what was going on around me.
As I sat there waiting for the sun to rise God spoke to me. I realized that the sun seems to set very quickly. So quickly that if you are at the beach and happen to look away you could miss it. Yet the sun seems to take it's time rising. As I sat there in anticipation of it's rise, God spoke to me. He told me that waiting for the sun to rise is the same thing as waiting for him. I too must wait for him to show me his full glory. I got a glimpse of it this past weekend but it was only just the beginning!
I am on a new journey with him. It's a path that I have never been down before. There is excitement and fear around the corner but it will be so worth it. It will be worth the wait! There is more, he wants to show me the more!
Because if I thought this was beautiful, I can't even imagine what heaven and seeing God's face will be like!I can only imagine!
This is what I arrived to see...
Talk about beautiful! It was amazing!
So I sat on the dock for some quiet time with him. As I sat there, he performed a show just for me! The birds were singing and flying about. A beaver swam right in front of me! A duck came up to the edge of the dock to check me out too! It was absolutely amazing what was going on around me.
As I sat there waiting for the sun to rise God spoke to me. I realized that the sun seems to set very quickly. So quickly that if you are at the beach and happen to look away you could miss it. Yet the sun seems to take it's time rising. As I sat there in anticipation of it's rise, God spoke to me. He told me that waiting for the sun to rise is the same thing as waiting for him. I too must wait for him to show me his full glory. I got a glimpse of it this past weekend but it was only just the beginning!
I am on a new journey with him. It's a path that I have never been down before. There is excitement and fear around the corner but it will be so worth it. It will be worth the wait! There is more, he wants to show me the more!
Because if I thought this was beautiful, I can't even imagine what heaven and seeing God's face will be like!I can only imagine!
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