A few years ago, I came across a couple of spiritual inventories to take in the New Year regarding my spiritual growth in the past year. I have been trying to do that since then and, for some reason, I sat down to do that tonight rather than after the 1st. I just was struck by how hard I had to think to come up with some of the answers. This is such a good exercise for me and it made me realize that I must go through much of my life without really engaging myself enough in the activity of the moment to allow a lasting impression. How shallow is that???
I think when I encounter deeply moving experiences with my husband, children and their spouses, and my nineteen grandchildren, I need to allow myself the privilege of savoring!!! I have come to the conclusion that I am too much of a "taster" and not enough of a "savorer"! Life is meant to be enjoyed, says the Preacher in Eccleasiastes. And I am convinced that enjoyment takes time and thought and engagement!!!
So, with that thought, my goal for this new year is to engage myself more purposefully with each encounter with the people God puts in my path, especially those He uses to spiritually impact my life for His glory.
I pray that you have a spiritually prosperous New Year in 2008! If you are interested in these inventoreis, let me know and I can email them to you!! Or, maybe I can get my daughter to help me put them in a link on this post????!!!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Communication
Can we realize how dependent we are on things before they are removed from us? Probably, to some extent...........some things. But what I have learned is that not having a home phone is really not that big of a deal for me these days. As I mentioned before, the telemarketers can't reach me (still) and maybe with the constant recording they get from my phone provider, they will even remove me now from their lists. I think we are going on our 6th day now without our home phone and I have no idea who has been trying to get a hold of us............outside our close family who have our cell phone numbers.
But, one thing I have thought about this week, is how bound to communication we really are. God is a communicating God and He has given us that same characteristic........one of the ways we are created in His image. Relationships are sustained by communication. And the more accessible one is to our communication, the easier it is to strengthen the relationship.
LONG PAUSE HERE>>>>>>>>>>>, like 30 hours or so!! Funny thing!! As I was trying to "communicate" my thoughts here, I lost my cable connection which took away my internet and television. ...still residual effects from the power outage. It was like God was trying to reinforce my point............one must have connectivity to communicate and thus properly relate to others. I just smiled and thought once again about Jer 33:3 - God's phone number.........."Call upon Me and I will show you great and mighty things." He is always available to us who are properly "connected" to Him through the perfect sacrifice of God the Son, Whose miraculous connection to humanity we celebrate in this glorious season.
I am now back online, with telephone service and I am sure the whole world at my fingertips on the television, which I have not yet checked. One thing, for certain, is that I will make every effort to "stay in touch" with those who are important to me!!! Especially Jesus!!!
But, one thing I have thought about this week, is how bound to communication we really are. God is a communicating God and He has given us that same characteristic........one of the ways we are created in His image. Relationships are sustained by communication. And the more accessible one is to our communication, the easier it is to strengthen the relationship.
LONG PAUSE HERE>>>>>>>>>>>, like 30 hours or so!! Funny thing!! As I was trying to "communicate" my thoughts here, I lost my cable connection which took away my internet and television. ...still residual effects from the power outage. It was like God was trying to reinforce my point............one must have connectivity to communicate and thus properly relate to others. I just smiled and thought once again about Jer 33:3 - God's phone number.........."Call upon Me and I will show you great and mighty things." He is always available to us who are properly "connected" to Him through the perfect sacrifice of God the Son, Whose miraculous connection to humanity we celebrate in this glorious season.
I am now back online, with telephone service and I am sure the whole world at my fingertips on the television, which I have not yet checked. One thing, for certain, is that I will make every effort to "stay in touch" with those who are important to me!!! Especially Jesus!!!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Deceitfulness of Beauty
How can something so beautiful be so deceptive?
When we just experienced our worst ice storm in history here in OKC (or so they are saying) this past week, that question kept coming to my mind. The beauty of the icicles hanging so brilliantly on everything had an almost "Narnia" beauty about it as you looked out at the trees, the roof lines, the patio furniture, the ice covered grass, and even the slick roads. There was something so captivating in the picturesque scenes throughout the city. So, you ask, what is the deception?
It is kind of like the verse in Proverbs about the virtuous woman......31:30 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain" (or in the NLT...."beauty does not last")!! The superficial look does not say it all...........in women or in icicles!! Both can be very devastating if the "beauty is on too thick"!! In the case of the ice, the destructive effects are still with us. We still do not have the use of our home phone (which I must admit is not all bad!!) Our phone has not been this silent in years!! But.........where would we be without cell phones?? The only ones who really can't reach us are the telemarketers!!
The first day of the storm (Monday) there were over 600,000 homes without power. After about 24-36 hours, that number had decreased to around 400,000. Now, I believe it is about 100,000, and some of those are looking at 30 days before it is restored. That is just an example of the deceitfulness of the "beauty".
If you want to see some visuals of what I am saying, check out some photos from a local source here. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
And as far as the woman........the rest of that verse says "but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised." That is real beauty..........with no deception!!!
When we just experienced our worst ice storm in history here in OKC (or so they are saying) this past week, that question kept coming to my mind. The beauty of the icicles hanging so brilliantly on everything had an almost "Narnia" beauty about it as you looked out at the trees, the roof lines, the patio furniture, the ice covered grass, and even the slick roads. There was something so captivating in the picturesque scenes throughout the city. So, you ask, what is the deception?
It is kind of like the verse in Proverbs about the virtuous woman......31:30 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain" (or in the NLT...."beauty does not last")!! The superficial look does not say it all...........in women or in icicles!! Both can be very devastating if the "beauty is on too thick"!! In the case of the ice, the destructive effects are still with us. We still do not have the use of our home phone (which I must admit is not all bad!!) Our phone has not been this silent in years!! But.........where would we be without cell phones?? The only ones who really can't reach us are the telemarketers!!
The first day of the storm (Monday) there were over 600,000 homes without power. After about 24-36 hours, that number had decreased to around 400,000. Now, I believe it is about 100,000, and some of those are looking at 30 days before it is restored. That is just an example of the deceitfulness of the "beauty".
If you want to see some visuals of what I am saying, check out some photos from a local source here. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
And as far as the woman........the rest of that verse says "but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised." That is real beauty..........with no deception!!!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
The SOON return of the LORD??
It has been a while since the urge to blog has come upon me...............well, that is not quite true. The urge to do it came the other day, but the time did not. Busy week!!!! But, just this afternoon when I read the article I will add to this, the urge came upon me once again.
The time of the LORD'S return must be soon! I was reading the signs of the end times in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that. NLT
I know that in my six decades of living, it was not always this way. I can well remember the days of my childhood when we left our cars and houses unlocked all of the time. There was not the love of pleasure more than the love of God, even on a national scale. People made covenants with each other with a handshake............and kept them. Marriage was sacred. Courtesy was common. Loyalty was the norm. As children, we would walk everywhere in the neighborhoods by ourselves, no adults, and played for hours together. I would walk to the grocery store and charge the food Mom sent me to get on a ticket that she would come by and pay later, the next time she was in for more groceries. That was less than 50 years ago.
Those of you who are in your 30's, do you not remember that you could play outside, in the front yard..............or even walk a few blocks or even several blocks to your friend's house to play? Would you let your child do that now?
With the shooting today of the young people at the Youth With a Mission training center, I have been saddened by such fear that comes to parents who are training their children to love Jesus and be willing to serve Him wherever and whatever the cost, even in their own schools, malls, or spiritual life training centers. It was not unusual to expect tragedy if they were called to Papua New Guinea or the jungles of Columbia, but Arvada, CO????
I remembered the contrasts between the deeds of the flesh and of the Spirit that God inspired Paul to write in the letter to the Galatians. 5:19-23 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. NLT
Participation in demonic activities is what came to my mind when thinking about the recent shootings, and the article I read (click on article for the link). I looked up the Greek word for that again, sometimes translated "witchcraft", and found that it was Pharmakeía, which means the occult, sorcery, witchcraft, illicit pharmaceuticals,(from The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament © 1992 by AMG International, Inc. Revised Edition, 1993) Does that word look familiar to one of our English words?? "Pharmacy" Drugs. I won't bore you with all that I studied about this word, but I found it to be enlightening in the other passages where it is used, like in Revelation 9:21 & 18:23.
I know that "witchcraft" is not a new idea, nor a unique "sign of the times", but the frequency of drug usage is certainly on the rise and, as you can read in the article, the effects are lethal. I am just wondering how will it all end? I seen no way other than the soon return of our LORD. Even so, come quickly, LORD Jesus!!! Amen
The time of the LORD'S return must be soon! I was reading the signs of the end times in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that. NLT
I know that in my six decades of living, it was not always this way. I can well remember the days of my childhood when we left our cars and houses unlocked all of the time. There was not the love of pleasure more than the love of God, even on a national scale. People made covenants with each other with a handshake............and kept them. Marriage was sacred. Courtesy was common. Loyalty was the norm. As children, we would walk everywhere in the neighborhoods by ourselves, no adults, and played for hours together. I would walk to the grocery store and charge the food Mom sent me to get on a ticket that she would come by and pay later, the next time she was in for more groceries. That was less than 50 years ago.
Those of you who are in your 30's, do you not remember that you could play outside, in the front yard..............or even walk a few blocks or even several blocks to your friend's house to play? Would you let your child do that now?
With the shooting today of the young people at the Youth With a Mission training center, I have been saddened by such fear that comes to parents who are training their children to love Jesus and be willing to serve Him wherever and whatever the cost, even in their own schools, malls, or spiritual life training centers. It was not unusual to expect tragedy if they were called to Papua New Guinea or the jungles of Columbia, but Arvada, CO????
I remembered the contrasts between the deeds of the flesh and of the Spirit that God inspired Paul to write in the letter to the Galatians. 5:19-23 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. NLT
Participation in demonic activities is what came to my mind when thinking about the recent shootings, and the article I read (click on article for the link). I looked up the Greek word for that again, sometimes translated "witchcraft", and found that it was Pharmakeía, which means the occult, sorcery, witchcraft, illicit pharmaceuticals,(from The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament © 1992 by AMG International, Inc. Revised Edition, 1993) Does that word look familiar to one of our English words?? "Pharmacy" Drugs. I won't bore you with all that I studied about this word, but I found it to be enlightening in the other passages where it is used, like in Revelation 9:21 & 18:23.
I know that "witchcraft" is not a new idea, nor a unique "sign of the times", but the frequency of drug usage is certainly on the rise and, as you can read in the article, the effects are lethal. I am just wondering how will it all end? I seen no way other than the soon return of our LORD. Even so, come quickly, LORD Jesus!!! Amen
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