I have been thinking a lot about perspective and have struggled with putting my thoughts into words for a blog entry. I'm not sure I have fully formulated what I want or mean to say but here goes....
I love to take pictures. I love thinking about what I'm going to take pictures of...I love setting up the shot...I love editing the photos afterwards...I just love the entire thing. I recently spent some time shooting photos at an open mic night at The Electric Bean. I wandered back and forth around the room taking different shots and it was a living, breathing lesson on perspective.
Perspective is such an interesting word. It is a key to change in my opinion. Changing the angle or how it's cropped or the point of focus in a photo can give you an entirely new perspective. Perspective can not only change a photograph but it can also change your outlook, your attitude, your determination and your course in life.
It is so easy to get caught up in our own way of seeing things. Our own perspective. We can get overwhelmed and frustrated because all we can see is our own point of view. Often times though, if you run a situation by a friend, or family member or co-worker, they will have an entirely different perspective on it. It will become fresh and new and maybe not so hard to tackle.
We are supposed to see things from God's perspective. Isaiah 55:8 says:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord"
That can be such a frustrating and freeing verse all at the same time.
I like to understand things. I want to know why things are a certain way or why someone is thinking the way that they do. I hated it as a kid when my parents would say "because I said so". Luckily for me, they didn't say that to often and actually did take the time to try and explain why they were making the decision they were making. But I just hate not understanding why something is the way that it is.
That's why I can get so frustrated at that verse. I want to understand why God is doing what He is doing. It isn't always enough for me to just accept and move on. Nope, I have to wrestle and struggle and fight to try and understand. Now in the end, there are times that after all that work, I'm no closer to understanding than when I started because God is God and I am not and His ways are not my ways. I'm just a little slow at times on getting back to that realization.
That verse can also be very freeing as well. If I can approach a situation with that perspective or even just switch my perspective to the fact that God is in control and I am not, then it is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I don't have to struggle and fight and strain to try and understand or to solve whatever is happening.
As long as I continue to seek the Lord...His guidance...His path...then I can rest in the fact that He is in control and when my perspective becomes overwhelmed or frustrated...I can turn to God and ask Him to show me His perspective. I can remind myself that I am his daughter whom He loves and that He wants to give me good and perfect gifts. Gifts that shape my character and my soul and that draw me closer to Him.
God has a perspective about everything...you, me, war, love, children, animals, heaven, hell, food, clothing, etc. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says:
"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."
There is nothing we face, or come up against, or struggle with or go thru that hasn't already been faced and struggled with before. If we just spend time in God's word, we can learn His perspective about everything. If we shift our perspective to God's we will start seeing ourselves, others and the world around us differently.
In the end, our perspective should be eternal. Philippians 3:13-14 says
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
So, when you are faced with a situation or feeling overwhelmed, turn to God's Word. Find out what His perspective is on it and always remember to keep pressing on towards the goal which is Christ Jesus.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The Rainbow Family
The Rainbow Family has been coming from far and wide to gather together in the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest (about 40 miles from here) to meditate, "pray", chant, do drugs and who knows what else. They gather together each year in a different forest around the country to pray for world peace and love.
Click here to read a recent article about the Rainbow Family
I've seen members of the "Family" off and on the past couple weeks as they have been traveling into our area by foot, car and old school bus to reach the forest and it has gotten me to thinking. Scary I know...but still true LOL!
What is drawing these people together? Is it drugs....they can do drugs any where. Is it chanting...they can chant any where. Is it "praying"...they can pray any where. Is it sex...they can have sex any where. I think it is community and unity. They are gathering together as a community with a united goal of praying for world peace and love. Now don't get me wrong...they are totally whacked in my book but if you look past their whacked-outness, I think there is actually something there for us to learn.
Everyone wants to belong. I don't care who you are...what you believe in...or where you came from...you want to belong. David sang about it in the Psalms:
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Psalms 133:1-3
The dictionary defines unity as:
1. The state or quality of being one; singleness.
Click here to read a recent article about the Rainbow Family
I've seen members of the "Family" off and on the past couple weeks as they have been traveling into our area by foot, car and old school bus to reach the forest and it has gotten me to thinking. Scary I know...but still true LOL!
What is drawing these people together? Is it drugs....they can do drugs any where. Is it chanting...they can chant any where. Is it "praying"...they can pray any where. Is it sex...they can have sex any where. I think it is community and unity. They are gathering together as a community with a united goal of praying for world peace and love. Now don't get me wrong...they are totally whacked in my book but if you look past their whacked-outness, I think there is actually something there for us to learn.
Everyone wants to belong. I don't care who you are...what you believe in...or where you came from...you want to belong. David sang about it in the Psalms:
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Psalms 133:1-3
The dictionary defines unity as:
1. The state or quality of being one; singleness.
2. The state or quality of being in accord; harmony.
3. a. The combination or arrangement of parts into a whole; unification.
b. A combination or union thus formed.
4. Singleness or constancy of purpose or action; continuity: "In an army you need unity of purpose" (Emmeline Pankhurst).
We, as the human race, long for unity. We want to feel that we are part of a whole, something bigger than ourselves. We want to be attached. The stark reality is that people have taken their own lives because they felt that they didn't belong and were not attached to anyone or part of a group. Belonging and feeling united to someone else is a huge motivator. It fuels cults, peer pressure, teen pregnancy, quick weddings, and a multitude of other poor decisions and actions.
Where is the church in all of this? Are we an "exclusive" club that won't allow others in until they pass a certain test? When the Rainbow Family greets each other they say, "Welcome home...I love you!". Do we welcome people? Again, don't get me wrong, I think it would be off putting to have some total stranger walk up to me and say "I love you" but we should reach out to others with love in our hearts. We should make people feel "welcome" wherever we meet them...whether it's at church or at work or at the grocery store. We need to love people and show Christs love to them.
I feel I need to write a disclaimer here...so here goes...I am not saying to throw caution to the wind or safety out the door and open yourself up or your family up to danger or dangerous people. I'm not saying to pick up the homeless person on the corner and bring them home with you but maybe you could say a prayer for them when you see them on the corner. Or instead of walking by them with your eyes on the sidewalk, look up and smile and say hello. Or instead of assuming that any money you give them will be used for alcohol, offering them some change or a gift card to a local fast food place...they may just really need something to eat.
What if we all reached out to our neighbors? When you come home after work, instead of just opening the garage door and driving straight in and then closing yourself off...what if you parked in the drive-way and walked across the street and shook the hand of your neighbor and said hello? What if you walked a few doors down and offered to mow the lawn for your elderly neighbor? What if you organized a block party and everyone got together for a bbq?
What if we all reached out to people we see in the grocery store? Instead of looking with disdain at the woman with 3 crying kids in her shopping cart...what if you offered a smile and a kind word. The kids will probably keep crying but at least the mom won't feel so alone any more. What if instead of walking by the kids at the front door, you bought a box of donuts, or a raffle ticket, or whatever they are selling? The smile on their face will be totally worth the few dollars it will cost you.
In Matthew 22 Christ states that the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves:
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind". This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Matthew 22:34-40
Now mind you, you must "love" yourself before you can reach out and love others. That doesn't mean you love yourself from a self-centered, puffed up, I'm all that and a bag of chips, mentality but rather you love yourself as a child of the most high God. You were created with a purpose and you are loved by the King. He created you to be exactly you. With that hair, and those eyes, and that smile and those interests and talents and gifts. We, as a society, MUST stop beating ourselves up and measuring ourselves against some imaginary yardstick...God loves us...He created us...and He gives us our purpose! But, that is a whole other blog entry...let's just focus on the whole loving others thing at the moment :-)
I have been struggling a bit with feeling like I belong. I moved from a place I had lived for 42 years to a place where I knew no one except my husband and his family. There are times I long to go back home and feel that sense of community. I would love to walk into a store and see someone I know. Or not have to work up the courage to chat with someone at church but rather just know I can walk up and start talking and they'll be happy to see me. The Rainbow Family has helped me realize that I need to work on helping others feel welcome and that they belong rather than worrying about myself. If I miss a sense of community and unity, then I know that there are others out there who are feeling the same way.
We are not supposed to be a society of singular people...cut off from each other...running from one place to the next. We are supposed to come together in unity and community and purpose. How the world would change if we could just keep that in mind. The Rainbow Family gets it (in a whacked out sort of way) and we should get it too.
We should be showing them and the rest of the world what true community means. What true unity of purpose is all about. It should be an every day thing...not an only on Sunday thing and it should be a feeling we give to everyone, not just to those who are like minded. It's easy to love those who are like us but we need to think of ways, and find ways to show Christ's love to everyone. He created ALL of us...those of us who believe in Him and those of us who don't. We are all His creation and should all be shown His love.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Hurry up, I'm tired of waiting....but don't change things to much!
Having patience and things changing are two things I do not enjoy. Let me repeat that - DO NOT - enjoy. So I find it rather funny (in a very sarcastic, not really finding it at all funny, sort of way) that God made me wait until I was 41 to find the love of my life and get married. Then, on top of that, my wonderful husband lived in an entirely different state which meant my whole life had to change. Not only did I get a new marriage, but also a new family, new state, new city, new job, new church, new friends, new dog, new everything! Isn't God just hilarious! LOL :-D
I know that having patience and accepting change are things I need to work on. And will probably always need to work on. I'm a get 'er done kind of a girl and I like having a solid foundation/base. I LOVE adventure but I want to come home to the familiar.
I wonder how much the Israelites struggled with patience and change. I don't know how long it took for all 10 plagues in the book of Exodus to play out. I've heard some say it took 40 days and others say 10 months but no matter how long it took I bet there were some Israelites who were impatient. They were probably saying, really, really God. We have to go thru all this to get to what YOU promised. You are the one that came up with the idea to free us...why don't you just do it? Why do we have to keep toiling away - with things getting WORSE for us not better - when all you need to do is wipe out the Egyptians (which you could with one swipe of your hand) and set us free. Why is this taking so long?
I'm sure there were also some Israelites who were saying, uhmmm God, could we just forget it. Every time Moses asks for Pharaoh to let us go, Pharaoh makes things harder on us. I know I was miserable before but man, this stinks. I'll just go back to the familiar misery. If this is your plan, I'd like to see plan B.
What lessons was God teaching the Israelites thru the time of the Exodus. I'm sure patience, trust, accepting God's plan and perseverance were at the top of the list. The Israelites knew that everything was happening because God was directing it and yet, I'm sure there were doubters and impatient people and, let's just say it - whiners. Just like you and I can often times see God's plan in our lives and yet we grow impatient. Then we decide that perhaps having to change our lives in the way that God wants us to might cause us more pain than we'd like to endure so we go back to our familiar misery.
God wants all of our love and all of our trust and all of our faith and all of our patience and all of our perseverance. Even when things don't seem to be going according to plan, God is still in control and we need to do our part and trust him. Believe me, I KNOW it is easier said than done. Like I said earlier, having patience and things changing are two things I do not enjoy (present tense, so I'm still learning and growing).
If you are struggling in these areas, then tell God about it. He already knows so you're not really telling him anything new but pour your heart out to Him. He will listen and He will open His arms to hold you and comfort you. Your circumstances may not immediately improve but you will feel closer to the Lord. Think about it, whenever you totally pour our your heart to a friend, or your spouse or your pastor and make yourself vulnerable to them emotionally, you are bonded together in a deeper way. That's how it is with God. He may know what we are thinking and feeling but He wants us to tell Him about it and have that experience of a more intimate, bonded relationship with Him.
I am beyond blessed to be married to Nathan and to be a part of this family. I love where we live more and more and I have a great job with fun people to work with! I'm getting more involved in our church and am making new friends and Holly is the best dog ever :-D So even though I may dislike being patient and don't enjoy change, in the end, God's plan blessed me beyond what I could have ever imagined! Just think what He may have in store for you!!!
I know that having patience and accepting change are things I need to work on. And will probably always need to work on. I'm a get 'er done kind of a girl and I like having a solid foundation/base. I LOVE adventure but I want to come home to the familiar.
I wonder how much the Israelites struggled with patience and change. I don't know how long it took for all 10 plagues in the book of Exodus to play out. I've heard some say it took 40 days and others say 10 months but no matter how long it took I bet there were some Israelites who were impatient. They were probably saying, really, really God. We have to go thru all this to get to what YOU promised. You are the one that came up with the idea to free us...why don't you just do it? Why do we have to keep toiling away - with things getting WORSE for us not better - when all you need to do is wipe out the Egyptians (which you could with one swipe of your hand) and set us free. Why is this taking so long?
I'm sure there were also some Israelites who were saying, uhmmm God, could we just forget it. Every time Moses asks for Pharaoh to let us go, Pharaoh makes things harder on us. I know I was miserable before but man, this stinks. I'll just go back to the familiar misery. If this is your plan, I'd like to see plan B.
What lessons was God teaching the Israelites thru the time of the Exodus. I'm sure patience, trust, accepting God's plan and perseverance were at the top of the list. The Israelites knew that everything was happening because God was directing it and yet, I'm sure there were doubters and impatient people and, let's just say it - whiners. Just like you and I can often times see God's plan in our lives and yet we grow impatient. Then we decide that perhaps having to change our lives in the way that God wants us to might cause us more pain than we'd like to endure so we go back to our familiar misery.
God wants all of our love and all of our trust and all of our faith and all of our patience and all of our perseverance. Even when things don't seem to be going according to plan, God is still in control and we need to do our part and trust him. Believe me, I KNOW it is easier said than done. Like I said earlier, having patience and things changing are two things I do not enjoy (present tense, so I'm still learning and growing).
If you are struggling in these areas, then tell God about it. He already knows so you're not really telling him anything new but pour your heart out to Him. He will listen and He will open His arms to hold you and comfort you. Your circumstances may not immediately improve but you will feel closer to the Lord. Think about it, whenever you totally pour our your heart to a friend, or your spouse or your pastor and make yourself vulnerable to them emotionally, you are bonded together in a deeper way. That's how it is with God. He may know what we are thinking and feeling but He wants us to tell Him about it and have that experience of a more intimate, bonded relationship with Him.
I am beyond blessed to be married to Nathan and to be a part of this family. I love where we live more and more and I have a great job with fun people to work with! I'm getting more involved in our church and am making new friends and Holly is the best dog ever :-D So even though I may dislike being patient and don't enjoy change, in the end, God's plan blessed me beyond what I could have ever imagined! Just think what He may have in store for you!!!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Freedom!
Freedom. What do you think of when you hear that word? Freedom.
That word has been rattling around in my brain for a few days. Freedom is powerful! Governments fight wars over it. People cross borders in search of it. Prisoners look thru bars and dream about it.
People long to be free! They want physical freedom, or political freedom, or religious freedom, or freedom from pain, or freedom from hunger, or freedom from financial struggles…the list could go on and on. We all long for freedom of some sort. But…you knew that was coming huh…a big ol’ but…What are we willing to do for that freedom? Are we willing to give up everything we have for it? Are we willing to fight for it? Are we willing to lay down our life for it?
When I was thinking about freedom I was reminded of my trip to India, several years ago. We went to a small fishing village on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Upon arrival there we were taken to their church. It wasn’t a church like we think of a church with beautiful wood floors and pews and stained glass windows. In fact, this church didn’t have any windows at all. It was a one room, cinder block building with no furniture and no windows or doors. While we stood looking at this church we were told how just a month prior to our visit this very building was going to be torn down.
Over 80% of the population of India is Hindu and just about 2% is Christian. The other 18% is a mixture of Islam, Buddhism and other religions. This particular church was Christian. The “government” of the area had decided that church needed to come down and they sent people and equipment to do just that. The Christian believers of the village surrounded the church and would not let it be torn down. They put their lives on the line to save that church. This cinder block building that was nothing special to look at meant something to them. Something very important and they were not going to let anyone take that away from them. They put their lives on the line to have the freedom to choose how to worship and to whom they worshipped.
Would I do that or would you do that to protect your church? Now I know that God does not reside in a building and that we can have church any where two or more believers gather. But our places of worship are vital and should be treated with respect and honor. (That goes the same for those of us who are in them every week and those of the world who might want to destroy them). The confrontation in India was rooted in the desire for freedom. They stood their ground and God protected them and their church was not torn down.
Freedom is defined as: the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.
We long for freedom but do we long for the One who can set us free? Do we trust that He will do what He says He will do? Are we willing to do whatever it takes to be set free by Him? God came to set us free! Free from addiction, from sin, from worry, from insecurities, from fear and again, the list could go on and on. If only we would trust Him.
In Exodus 3:7-8 The Lord said "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey - the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites."
God sends Moses to the Israelites with this promise for them. They are slaves being held captive and they are given a promise from God that they will be set free and they didn't believe it. They were so stuck in their misery that they didn't see the freedom that was being handed to them. We can be so like that! God is standing there, with open arms saying come here...let me set you free and we look at Him and turn away or stand still and don't run and jump into His arms.
God came down to earth as a man to set us free. He was crucified to set us free. He was buried to set us free and He rose on the third day, all to set us free. Why are we like the Israelites? Why would we choose to stay captive to our addiction or fear or worry or insecurity rather than trust the Creator of the Universe. The very one who made us in His image. Why would we rather stay captive to the things of this earth than set our eyes on eternity with Him.
And then, when He does set us free, why do we go back to our old ways? Just like the Israelites did. Why do we taste freedom and then throw it all away for our old life and our old ways? God came to set us free!
Listen to this song with the word freedom in mind...
Choose freedom! Choose to live His promises for you! Choose to take the gift of freedom that He is offering and don't look back!
That word has been rattling around in my brain for a few days. Freedom is powerful! Governments fight wars over it. People cross borders in search of it. Prisoners look thru bars and dream about it.
People long to be free! They want physical freedom, or political freedom, or religious freedom, or freedom from pain, or freedom from hunger, or freedom from financial struggles…the list could go on and on. We all long for freedom of some sort. But…you knew that was coming huh…a big ol’ but…What are we willing to do for that freedom? Are we willing to give up everything we have for it? Are we willing to fight for it? Are we willing to lay down our life for it?
When I was thinking about freedom I was reminded of my trip to India, several years ago. We went to a small fishing village on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Upon arrival there we were taken to their church. It wasn’t a church like we think of a church with beautiful wood floors and pews and stained glass windows. In fact, this church didn’t have any windows at all. It was a one room, cinder block building with no furniture and no windows or doors. While we stood looking at this church we were told how just a month prior to our visit this very building was going to be torn down.
Over 80% of the population of India is Hindu and just about 2% is Christian. The other 18% is a mixture of Islam, Buddhism and other religions. This particular church was Christian. The “government” of the area had decided that church needed to come down and they sent people and equipment to do just that. The Christian believers of the village surrounded the church and would not let it be torn down. They put their lives on the line to save that church. This cinder block building that was nothing special to look at meant something to them. Something very important and they were not going to let anyone take that away from them. They put their lives on the line to have the freedom to choose how to worship and to whom they worshipped.
Would I do that or would you do that to protect your church? Now I know that God does not reside in a building and that we can have church any where two or more believers gather. But our places of worship are vital and should be treated with respect and honor. (That goes the same for those of us who are in them every week and those of the world who might want to destroy them). The confrontation in India was rooted in the desire for freedom. They stood their ground and God protected them and their church was not torn down.
Freedom is defined as: the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.
We long for freedom but do we long for the One who can set us free? Do we trust that He will do what He says He will do? Are we willing to do whatever it takes to be set free by Him? God came to set us free! Free from addiction, from sin, from worry, from insecurities, from fear and again, the list could go on and on. If only we would trust Him.
In Exodus 3:7-8 The Lord said "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey - the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites."
God sends Moses to the Israelites with this promise for them. They are slaves being held captive and they are given a promise from God that they will be set free and they didn't believe it. They were so stuck in their misery that they didn't see the freedom that was being handed to them. We can be so like that! God is standing there, with open arms saying come here...let me set you free and we look at Him and turn away or stand still and don't run and jump into His arms.
God came down to earth as a man to set us free. He was crucified to set us free. He was buried to set us free and He rose on the third day, all to set us free. Why are we like the Israelites? Why would we choose to stay captive to our addiction or fear or worry or insecurity rather than trust the Creator of the Universe. The very one who made us in His image. Why would we rather stay captive to the things of this earth than set our eyes on eternity with Him.
And then, when He does set us free, why do we go back to our old ways? Just like the Israelites did. Why do we taste freedom and then throw it all away for our old life and our old ways? God came to set us free!
Listen to this song with the word freedom in mind...
Choose freedom! Choose to live His promises for you! Choose to take the gift of freedom that He is offering and don't look back!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Gotta go! I've got a fish!
Those are not the most romantic words to hear from the lips of your husband LOL! But those are the exact words I heard today. You see, my husband is down in Southern Oregon fishing with the men in my family on the annual Father's day fishing trip. I had missed a call from him earlier and when I returned his call they were back out on the water. I was in mid-sentence when my husband belted out "Gotta go...I've got a fish!" and the phone went dead!
Now I could've gotten really annoyed but it actually made me laugh. The fact that my husband's attention at that moment was solely focused on the fish that had just bit his line does not in any way lessen his love or devotion to me. The fish bit and he was gonna catch it no matter what.
Earlier today I was glancing back over the chapter in 66 Love Letters about Exodus. The author sums up the book of Exodus in this sentence:
"I will do whatever it takes to carry out my plan."
That was illustrated perfectly for me when my husband said "Gotta go...I've got a fish!" There was nothing that was going to get in the way of Nathan getting that fish. It had his attention. WE have God's attention! 100% of the time. Nathan called me back after he had the fish in the boat and he focused his attention on me.
But think about it, nothing takes God's attention off of us. Nothing distracts Him. Nothing looks better or brighter, or more fun, or more enticing, or more exciting, or more important to Him. Everything He does, He does for us. Each move He makes, He makes with us in mind and to fulfill His plan.
At times, it might not seem like He is focused on us or it may seem He doesn't care about us just like it could've appeared Nathan didn't care about me when he hung up on me to catch a fish. But I know and trust that Nathan loves me. How much more should I trust that God loves me? Even when it seems to me He is doing something that doesn't really feel like love. If I believe in Him and trust Him, I know everything He does is because He loves me.
Can we really grab a hold of that? God's attention, mind, focus and love is always on me and at the same time it is always on you...and you...and you. It is almost unfathomable the love of God. He never takes His eyes off of any of us. EACH of us, individually, have the attention and focus of God. He has a plan for each of us, individually. He moves on behalf of each of us. He died for each of us. All by ourselves, alone, singular, individually...you and me. We each have the focus and attention of the Creator of the Universe! Wow! I can't even really wrap my brain around it.
And just think what could happen if we put our focus on Him 50% or 25% or even just 10% of the time. How would our hearts change? How would our path in life change? Would we become so wrapped up in God's plan for us that nothing would get in our way of fulfilling His purpose? I think we would. I think we would long to draw closer and closer to Him and to please Him and to honor Him. I think we would see and feel His heart for His people. I think we would strive to live our lives in a way that served others and lifted others up. I think we would do whatever it takes to fulfill His plan for us.
So when you get distracted and focused on other things just remember "Gotta go...I've got a fish!" and then get your eyes back on God. He'll be there, looking right back at you! :-)
Now I could've gotten really annoyed but it actually made me laugh. The fact that my husband's attention at that moment was solely focused on the fish that had just bit his line does not in any way lessen his love or devotion to me. The fish bit and he was gonna catch it no matter what.
Earlier today I was glancing back over the chapter in 66 Love Letters about Exodus. The author sums up the book of Exodus in this sentence:
"I will do whatever it takes to carry out my plan."
That was illustrated perfectly for me when my husband said "Gotta go...I've got a fish!" There was nothing that was going to get in the way of Nathan getting that fish. It had his attention. WE have God's attention! 100% of the time. Nathan called me back after he had the fish in the boat and he focused his attention on me.
But think about it, nothing takes God's attention off of us. Nothing distracts Him. Nothing looks better or brighter, or more fun, or more enticing, or more exciting, or more important to Him. Everything He does, He does for us. Each move He makes, He makes with us in mind and to fulfill His plan.
At times, it might not seem like He is focused on us or it may seem He doesn't care about us just like it could've appeared Nathan didn't care about me when he hung up on me to catch a fish. But I know and trust that Nathan loves me. How much more should I trust that God loves me? Even when it seems to me He is doing something that doesn't really feel like love. If I believe in Him and trust Him, I know everything He does is because He loves me.
Can we really grab a hold of that? God's attention, mind, focus and love is always on me and at the same time it is always on you...and you...and you. It is almost unfathomable the love of God. He never takes His eyes off of any of us. EACH of us, individually, have the attention and focus of God. He has a plan for each of us, individually. He moves on behalf of each of us. He died for each of us. All by ourselves, alone, singular, individually...you and me. We each have the focus and attention of the Creator of the Universe! Wow! I can't even really wrap my brain around it.
And just think what could happen if we put our focus on Him 50% or 25% or even just 10% of the time. How would our hearts change? How would our path in life change? Would we become so wrapped up in God's plan for us that nothing would get in our way of fulfilling His purpose? I think we would. I think we would long to draw closer and closer to Him and to please Him and to honor Him. I think we would see and feel His heart for His people. I think we would strive to live our lives in a way that served others and lifted others up. I think we would do whatever it takes to fulfill His plan for us.
So when you get distracted and focused on other things just remember "Gotta go...I've got a fish!" and then get your eyes back on God. He'll be there, looking right back at you! :-)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Me vs "Them"
You know "Them". In fact, I'm fairly certain you have fought with "Them" before and may still even be in the midst of a fight.
I'm talking about insecurities, fears, failures, guilt, doubt, worries and all those other wonderful foes that attack us on a regular basis. I had a close encounter with "Them" today. In the midst of it, I was reminded of the chapter in 66 Love Letters that I read last night. It's about Genesis and what author, Dr. Larry Crabb, believes God is trying to tell us thru that book of the Bible.
Dr. Crabb, writing from what he believes is God's perspective, says:
"When you finish reading My first love letter to you, I want you to realize that I never underestimated how thoroughly you'd mess up your life or how painfully you would struggle and suffer, and I don't want you to underestimate your failures or struggles either. They're part of the story I'm telling.
But neither have I underestimated My determination or ability to enter the mess you've made and the pain you feel and turn everything around. I can, and I will, make everything good again. Never, never underestimate Me. I have a plan, a very good one, and it will move ahead to completion. Guaranteed!"
I thought this part was interesting "I don't want you to underestimate your failures or struggles either". Let me see if I can explain what I'm thinking....
Sometimes, when we struggle, we think it is because we are weak or not spiritual enough or a good enough Christian. But maybe, really, we are just underestimating the power of our struggles and our pain and our failures. They are tough stuff. They are called a struggle or pain or failure for a reason. There are negative emotions attached to those words and those experiences. So maybe, instead of beating ourselves up over them, we should stop underestimating them and realize that they are doing the job they are supposed to do.
BUT we can't stop there. We can't get stuck in the muck and mire and yuckiness of this life. We have to remember that there is a God and He loves us and He is in control and He has a plan. We must NOT underestimate Him. We must keep our eyes on Him and remember that Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord , "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." James 1:17 says "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
Knowing that God is in control and has a plan doesn't minimize our struggles and pain but it should give us hope! It should refocus our attention away from what is happening to us or in front of us or around us and put it on the One who loves us and is the same yesterday, today and forever. God is not to be underestimated. He has a plan. He gives good and perfect gifts.
His plan may not be and probably isn't our plan. His good and perfect gifts may not necessarily be what we see as good and perfect. He isn't concerned about what we see as important..success, beauty, money, etc. He is concerned about us...you and me...our hearts, our character, our soul, our relationship with Him. His plan is going to have those things in mind. He is going to give good and perfect gifts that shape us and mold us and change us into the person He knows we can be (if we'd only trust Him).
So perhaps my fight with "Them" today was a good and perfect gift from God. Perhaps He is using it to mold and shape me into the woman He wants me to be. Perhaps I should stop underestimating my insecurities, fears, failures, etc and instead of trying to fight them myself, I should put them up against the One that should never be underestimated!
We may not win our battles against "Them" but we have the Victor on our side and He always wins.
I'm talking about insecurities, fears, failures, guilt, doubt, worries and all those other wonderful foes that attack us on a regular basis. I had a close encounter with "Them" today. In the midst of it, I was reminded of the chapter in 66 Love Letters that I read last night. It's about Genesis and what author, Dr. Larry Crabb, believes God is trying to tell us thru that book of the Bible.
Dr. Crabb, writing from what he believes is God's perspective, says:
"When you finish reading My first love letter to you, I want you to realize that I never underestimated how thoroughly you'd mess up your life or how painfully you would struggle and suffer, and I don't want you to underestimate your failures or struggles either. They're part of the story I'm telling.
But neither have I underestimated My determination or ability to enter the mess you've made and the pain you feel and turn everything around. I can, and I will, make everything good again. Never, never underestimate Me. I have a plan, a very good one, and it will move ahead to completion. Guaranteed!"
I thought this part was interesting "I don't want you to underestimate your failures or struggles either". Let me see if I can explain what I'm thinking....
Sometimes, when we struggle, we think it is because we are weak or not spiritual enough or a good enough Christian. But maybe, really, we are just underestimating the power of our struggles and our pain and our failures. They are tough stuff. They are called a struggle or pain or failure for a reason. There are negative emotions attached to those words and those experiences. So maybe, instead of beating ourselves up over them, we should stop underestimating them and realize that they are doing the job they are supposed to do.
BUT we can't stop there. We can't get stuck in the muck and mire and yuckiness of this life. We have to remember that there is a God and He loves us and He is in control and He has a plan. We must NOT underestimate Him. We must keep our eyes on Him and remember that Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord , "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." James 1:17 says "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
Knowing that God is in control and has a plan doesn't minimize our struggles and pain but it should give us hope! It should refocus our attention away from what is happening to us or in front of us or around us and put it on the One who loves us and is the same yesterday, today and forever. God is not to be underestimated. He has a plan. He gives good and perfect gifts.
His plan may not be and probably isn't our plan. His good and perfect gifts may not necessarily be what we see as good and perfect. He isn't concerned about what we see as important..success, beauty, money, etc. He is concerned about us...you and me...our hearts, our character, our soul, our relationship with Him. His plan is going to have those things in mind. He is going to give good and perfect gifts that shape us and mold us and change us into the person He knows we can be (if we'd only trust Him).
So perhaps my fight with "Them" today was a good and perfect gift from God. Perhaps He is using it to mold and shape me into the woman He wants me to be. Perhaps I should stop underestimating my insecurities, fears, failures, etc and instead of trying to fight them myself, I should put them up against the One that should never be underestimated!
We may not win our battles against "Them" but we have the Victor on our side and He always wins.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
You can run but you can't hide...
We've all heard that saying a time or two in our life and apparently, it applies in my life at the moment.
Originally, when I started this blog, I was going to read thru the bible in a year. All 66 books. Hence the name of the blog, Traveling 66. Well, I got off to a great start...then life got in the way...a new marriage, a new job, a new state, eye issues, etc. I let myself get off course (more than once in fact). I didn't follow the map. I may have lost my way, but God still seems to have the same destination in mind for me. Let me explain...
On a recent trip back home to southern Oregon to see my family and friends, my husband, Nathan, and I went shopping. My home town has a main street (like most home towns - LOL!) and there are some fun little shops. One shop that has been there for years is Evangel Christian Store. We went in and took a look around. There, on sale no less, was a book titled 66 love letters by Dr. Larry Crabb.
Right there...in front of me...was 66. Now to some, this may not seem connected at all but you haven't been inside my head for the past several months. You haven't heard the nudging and prodding I've been hearing. No, I haven't been hearing voices in my head (though my husband might disagree LOL) but rather "hearing" nudges and prods in the feeling and knowing sense of the word "hearing".
God has been prodding me and nudging me to get into His Word. ALL of His Word. Not just the easy to read parts or the quick to read parts or the fun to read parts but ALL of the parts. Each part of the Bible is important. Even the begats. They serve a purpose and there is a message for us in every single part. The message I receive from a portion of scripture may not, and, in fact, probably won't be, the same message you receive from those same scriptures. That's part of what makes God's Word so incredible. It's "ancient" yet still relevant to today. It's for everyone yet also so individually for me and for you.
So, I bought the book!
No expectations this time. No plan...no schedule...no end date in mind. I'm just answering the nudge and prod of God to get into His Word.
Originally, when I started this blog, I was going to read thru the bible in a year. All 66 books. Hence the name of the blog, Traveling 66. Well, I got off to a great start...then life got in the way...a new marriage, a new job, a new state, eye issues, etc. I let myself get off course (more than once in fact). I didn't follow the map. I may have lost my way, but God still seems to have the same destination in mind for me. Let me explain...
On a recent trip back home to southern Oregon to see my family and friends, my husband, Nathan, and I went shopping. My home town has a main street (like most home towns - LOL!) and there are some fun little shops. One shop that has been there for years is Evangel Christian Store. We went in and took a look around. There, on sale no less, was a book titled 66 love letters by Dr. Larry Crabb.
Right there...in front of me...was 66. Now to some, this may not seem connected at all but you haven't been inside my head for the past several months. You haven't heard the nudging and prodding I've been hearing. No, I haven't been hearing voices in my head (though my husband might disagree LOL) but rather "hearing" nudges and prods in the feeling and knowing sense of the word "hearing".
God has been prodding me and nudging me to get into His Word. ALL of His Word. Not just the easy to read parts or the quick to read parts or the fun to read parts but ALL of the parts. Each part of the Bible is important. Even the begats. They serve a purpose and there is a message for us in every single part. The message I receive from a portion of scripture may not, and, in fact, probably won't be, the same message you receive from those same scriptures. That's part of what makes God's Word so incredible. It's "ancient" yet still relevant to today. It's for everyone yet also so individually for me and for you.
So, I bought the book!
No expectations this time. No plan...no schedule...no end date in mind. I'm just answering the nudge and prod of God to get into His Word.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Pharaoh looking back at me
I've been reading thru Exodus and am struck by how much I and we are like Pharaoh. How many times have we made bargains with God that if He'd only do a certain thing then we would do something in exchange, like worship Him more, pray more, help our fellow man more, etc. Then when He comes lives up to His end of the bargain...we don't.
Plain and simple, we don't. Our failure to live up or follow thru can be because we harden our hearts (like Pharaoh did) or we get distracted by life or we just honestly don't know how. For whatever reason, we don't follow thru.
Now don't get me wrong, we can never really bargain with God. He is the Creator of all things. He is the King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. He isn't one to be bargained with. He does hear our hearts cry. He does want us to grow and learn and become stronger in Him. He loves us. He wants to give us the desires of our heart but more than anything He wants relationship with us.
Why is it that often times it takes a few slaps up side the head (or in Pharaohs case, 10 plagues) to get our attention? Why is it that we don't give the Lord the attention that He is due? Why is it that we aren't constantly falling on our faces, worshiping Him and seeking His face? Could be that, again like Pharaoh, we are human. We get distracted. We make other choices. We have our own priorities.
The cool thing is God never goes any where. He is always there waiting for us to cry out to Him....to come back to Him....to search for Him....to talk to Him...to love Him. We need to stop looking in the mirror and seeing Pharaoh looking back at us but rather see someone who has a heart longing for God and actively seeking Him. We need to see the face of someone who doesn't get distracted by the busyness, trials, fun, worry, joys and sorrows of life but rather someone who in and thru all things seeks God's face and listens for His voice.
We need to work at learning to listen to God the first time around or the second or maybe even the third but personally...I don't want it to take 10 plagues to knock the Pharaoh out of me
Plain and simple, we don't. Our failure to live up or follow thru can be because we harden our hearts (like Pharaoh did) or we get distracted by life or we just honestly don't know how. For whatever reason, we don't follow thru.
Now don't get me wrong, we can never really bargain with God. He is the Creator of all things. He is the King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. He isn't one to be bargained with. He does hear our hearts cry. He does want us to grow and learn and become stronger in Him. He loves us. He wants to give us the desires of our heart but more than anything He wants relationship with us.
Why is it that often times it takes a few slaps up side the head (or in Pharaohs case, 10 plagues) to get our attention? Why is it that we don't give the Lord the attention that He is due? Why is it that we aren't constantly falling on our faces, worshiping Him and seeking His face? Could be that, again like Pharaoh, we are human. We get distracted. We make other choices. We have our own priorities.
The cool thing is God never goes any where. He is always there waiting for us to cry out to Him....to come back to Him....to search for Him....to talk to Him...to love Him. We need to stop looking in the mirror and seeing Pharaoh looking back at us but rather see someone who has a heart longing for God and actively seeking Him. We need to see the face of someone who doesn't get distracted by the busyness, trials, fun, worry, joys and sorrows of life but rather someone who in and thru all things seeks God's face and listens for His voice.
We need to work at learning to listen to God the first time around or the second or maybe even the third but personally...I don't want it to take 10 plagues to knock the Pharaoh out of me
Sunday, January 2, 2011
"Get back on the horse..."
or what about "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps" or maybe "Try, try and try again"....well, that's where I find myself. At a point where I need to get back on the horse...pull myself up and try again.
I let life get in the way of my goal. I let myself get distracted by work, failing eyesight, traveling and just the busyness of life. I got off the road that was set before me and now it's time to get my map out again, figure out my course and get moving!
There are things that I need to learn and the only way I can is to do the work and read God's Word. There are things in my heart that need to change and that can only happen when I seek after God and His heart. There are things that God is waiting to show me and the only way I can see them is to look in His direction.
Soooooo....new year....new day....new start! May my resolve be stronger. My perseverance more true. And my determination more steadfast.
I'm getting back on the horse....
I let life get in the way of my goal. I let myself get distracted by work, failing eyesight, traveling and just the busyness of life. I got off the road that was set before me and now it's time to get my map out again, figure out my course and get moving!
There are things that I need to learn and the only way I can is to do the work and read God's Word. There are things in my heart that need to change and that can only happen when I seek after God and His heart. There are things that God is waiting to show me and the only way I can see them is to look in His direction.
Soooooo....new year....new day....new start! May my resolve be stronger. My perseverance more true. And my determination more steadfast.
I'm getting back on the horse....
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