Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Heroes
It's been a while since I have blogged about my heroes. I have a new one that I want to introduce you to. I have been blessed to know a few people who, though years and years younger than I am, are giants of faith. These young people just seemed to get it, you know? Their spiritual maturity surpasses that of many adults and you just walk away humbled for having been with them.
When we moved to Spearman to work with the church there was a young girl in the youth group that was exactly the kind of person I am talking about. She had a depth and a spark in her that just would not be dimmed. She was as cute as could be, and equally as sweet. She was an absolute delight. I still have a letter that she wrote to me when my husband left me and I was just falling apart at the seams. I asked her "What good could possibly come from this?" and she wrote me the most wonderful letter. She listed several things that could come from the mess if I trusted God to lead me through. Good grief I don't think the girl could have been more than twenty years old! She lost her mom during that time after a very sudden and short illness. Here she is, in college, her mom has just died and she is writing me giving me comfort about my life. Oh Jan, oh Jan -- what a gift the Lord gave me when He let our paths cross.
As things go, years passed and I lost touch. I loosely kept track of her because she was the same age as one of my good friend's daughter. I knew that she had married. This past year I got the news that her husband had died. I was heart broken for her -- got her address and then promptly lost it. Out of the clear blue sky several weeks ago she emailed me after having gotten my email address from my friend. She gave me the link to her blog so I could read what had happened in her life. I couldn't tear myself away - her writing is fantastic (she does it for a living and you can tell) but the awesome part was the story of her faith during the valley of the shadow of death through which she was forced to walk. Now she finds herself a widow and experiences all the feelings that you would expect but continually she lets God lead and gives Him the glory for the little things. Go check her out at Just Jan. I just know you are going to love her to death and be as humbled as I am.
I love you sweet friend!!!
When we moved to Spearman to work with the church there was a young girl in the youth group that was exactly the kind of person I am talking about. She had a depth and a spark in her that just would not be dimmed. She was as cute as could be, and equally as sweet. She was an absolute delight. I still have a letter that she wrote to me when my husband left me and I was just falling apart at the seams. I asked her "What good could possibly come from this?" and she wrote me the most wonderful letter. She listed several things that could come from the mess if I trusted God to lead me through. Good grief I don't think the girl could have been more than twenty years old! She lost her mom during that time after a very sudden and short illness. Here she is, in college, her mom has just died and she is writing me giving me comfort about my life. Oh Jan, oh Jan -- what a gift the Lord gave me when He let our paths cross.
As things go, years passed and I lost touch. I loosely kept track of her because she was the same age as one of my good friend's daughter. I knew that she had married. This past year I got the news that her husband had died. I was heart broken for her -- got her address and then promptly lost it. Out of the clear blue sky several weeks ago she emailed me after having gotten my email address from my friend. She gave me the link to her blog so I could read what had happened in her life. I couldn't tear myself away - her writing is fantastic (she does it for a living and you can tell) but the awesome part was the story of her faith during the valley of the shadow of death through which she was forced to walk. Now she finds herself a widow and experiences all the feelings that you would expect but continually she lets God lead and gives Him the glory for the little things. Go check her out at Just Jan. I just know you are going to love her to death and be as humbled as I am.
I love you sweet friend!!!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Just Another Wrinkle Closer to Jesus
I found this today and loved it. It puts the view from my mirror in better perspective!! Hope you enjoy...........
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Faithlessness
One of the things that has always just appalled me about the Israelites was how quickly they forgot God. If I had just watched a swarm of grasshoppers come through and destroy everything in their path, water turn to blood, and then turn around to see an entire army be swallowed up by water that just moments before had not been there wouldn't I have been more faithful??? Wouldn't I have had complete faith that God was going to take care of me out there in the desert when I had just witnessed such incredible displays of his power? You wouldn't catch me grumbling that slavery was better than freedom and I should never have left Egypt. You wouldn't see me griping that I was sick and tired of manna that was just falling from the heavens to feed me.
That's what I always say. How could the Israelites been so forgetful? How could they be so ungrateful? They had seen God's power and might with their own eyes and still they fumbled the ball. They wanted freedom all right, but they wanted freedom on their own terms.
About 72 seconds after I shake my head at their appalling lack of faith there's that little voice inside my head that says "Excuse me, Michelle -- can I point out that you_____" fill in the blank with whatever faithless behavior I have recently displayed. How can I be so forgetful? God has never failed to show me that He's in control. He has a plan. He knows what I need. Reflection forces me to acknowledge just how many times I am exactly like the faithless Israelites. God doesn't do what I'm asking. He doesn't show up in the way I have predetermined is best. He allows struggles and disappointments that just don't seem at all necessary. Invariably He puts someone, something in my path that calls for accountability and I am humbled again. Please, Lord, help me remove this sense of entitlement that rears its ugly head. That thing that causes me to think that I've been faithful and so you should work this out the way I believe best. Oh I can so, so, so understand the frightened father's confession to Jesus, "Lord I believe! Help my unbelief."
That's what I always say. How could the Israelites been so forgetful? How could they be so ungrateful? They had seen God's power and might with their own eyes and still they fumbled the ball. They wanted freedom all right, but they wanted freedom on their own terms.
About 72 seconds after I shake my head at their appalling lack of faith there's that little voice inside my head that says "Excuse me, Michelle -- can I point out that you_____" fill in the blank with whatever faithless behavior I have recently displayed. How can I be so forgetful? God has never failed to show me that He's in control. He has a plan. He knows what I need. Reflection forces me to acknowledge just how many times I am exactly like the faithless Israelites. God doesn't do what I'm asking. He doesn't show up in the way I have predetermined is best. He allows struggles and disappointments that just don't seem at all necessary. Invariably He puts someone, something in my path that calls for accountability and I am humbled again. Please, Lord, help me remove this sense of entitlement that rears its ugly head. That thing that causes me to think that I've been faithful and so you should work this out the way I believe best. Oh I can so, so, so understand the frightened father's confession to Jesus, "Lord I believe! Help my unbelief."
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Oh me...........time flies
Goodness, time is getting away from me. All my good intentions----here it is January 17 and over a week since I last posted. I should have made a New Year's resolution about being busy. I just don't know how to cut things out of the schedule when they are all good things. Of course if I didn't have to work things would be so much easier don't you know? Since that isn't an option I'm going to have to draw up a new plan. Right now here is the week schedule:
Sunday night - Small Group
Monday night - Beth Moore "A Woman's Heart" study
Tuesday night - Families Anonymous
Wednesday night - Praise Team practice
Thursday night - Weight Watchers
Friday night - crash and burn
Saturday night - ditto
No wonder I haven't posted. Good grief! No wonder I don't cook every night and my laundry is spilling out over the top of my hamper. Another thing that crazy schedule doesn't allow me to do - exercise at night. We have a membership at the Natatorium here and they have all brand new exercise equipment. We met with the trainer and got all the settings done on the Fit Linxx machines. I've been twice. In seventeen days I've exercised twice. I've lost two pounds in those 17 days. Expensive pounds to be sure. I won't do it without WW though so here I am. Eleven down and twenty to go. I wish taking it off was as easy and fun as putting it on was.
Several things have happened this year that have made me think I should be studying Ephesians. So the verses I want to memorize at the moment are in chapter 1:3-11
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
I am blessed, chosen, holy, blameless, loved, predestined, adopted,redeemed and marked. What more could a girl possibly need?
Sunday night - Small Group
Monday night - Beth Moore "A Woman's Heart" study
Tuesday night - Families Anonymous
Wednesday night - Praise Team practice
Thursday night - Weight Watchers
Friday night - crash and burn
Saturday night - ditto
No wonder I haven't posted. Good grief! No wonder I don't cook every night and my laundry is spilling out over the top of my hamper. Another thing that crazy schedule doesn't allow me to do - exercise at night. We have a membership at the Natatorium here and they have all brand new exercise equipment. We met with the trainer and got all the settings done on the Fit Linxx machines. I've been twice. In seventeen days I've exercised twice. I've lost two pounds in those 17 days. Expensive pounds to be sure. I won't do it without WW though so here I am. Eleven down and twenty to go. I wish taking it off was as easy and fun as putting it on was.
Several things have happened this year that have made me think I should be studying Ephesians. So the verses I want to memorize at the moment are in chapter 1:3-11
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
I am blessed, chosen, holy, blameless, loved, predestined, adopted,redeemed and marked. What more could a girl possibly need?
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Happy New Year
Well, I was determined that I wasn't going to post until I had my Christmas decorations put up but I'm afraid I will forget my log on before that happens. I do not understand how it was that I was more organized, more together when I had little kids than I am now when they're all grown and I only have to take care of me. Maybe I am just delusional and I have rewritten history in my head -- but it seems to me as though things used to get done faster with more planning and foresight than they ever do now.
Did you make New Year's resolutions? I didn't commit to anything which is the same thing as not making any. I very much want to be more dedicated to the Word this year and most especially to memorization. I started out last year determined to memorize the book of James. Yep, the entire book. I was rolling right along and then lost steam at the second chapter. I allowed Satan to steal that goal right out from underneath me. I won't start with such lofty goals but want to be more purposeful about my life and hiding God's word in my heart is a great way to start! I also want 2008 to be the year that I take better care of this house my soul resides in. I want to be a healthy old lady that doesn't look quite so much like an old lady and that's not going to happen if I don't get dedicated to exercise. It's just so doggone hard to do that after I get home at night. I give myself lots of excuses...it's so early when I leave for work and it's so late when I get back from work and I'm so tired and it's so hot or it's so cold. I've got an appointment tomorrow night with the trainer at the natatorium.....maybe he can motivate me. Sadly paying membership dues does not do it -- I think I went a dozen times last year. Sigh. I have no longing to exercise. None. I have a longing for blizzards and for fresh off the grill flour tortillas, for Photoshop and for a new car for Tyler. But exercise? Fat chance.
I also intend to be more purposeful at writing down the random thoughts that are in my head. Regardless of the lack of depth, insight and wisdom I resolve to write something....sort of often. My unwillingness to commit is appalling. I commit to be better.
Did you make New Year's resolutions? I didn't commit to anything which is the same thing as not making any. I very much want to be more dedicated to the Word this year and most especially to memorization. I started out last year determined to memorize the book of James. Yep, the entire book. I was rolling right along and then lost steam at the second chapter. I allowed Satan to steal that goal right out from underneath me. I won't start with such lofty goals but want to be more purposeful about my life and hiding God's word in my heart is a great way to start! I also want 2008 to be the year that I take better care of this house my soul resides in. I want to be a healthy old lady that doesn't look quite so much like an old lady and that's not going to happen if I don't get dedicated to exercise. It's just so doggone hard to do that after I get home at night. I give myself lots of excuses...it's so early when I leave for work and it's so late when I get back from work and I'm so tired and it's so hot or it's so cold. I've got an appointment tomorrow night with the trainer at the natatorium.....maybe he can motivate me. Sadly paying membership dues does not do it -- I think I went a dozen times last year. Sigh. I have no longing to exercise. None. I have a longing for blizzards and for fresh off the grill flour tortillas, for Photoshop and for a new car for Tyler. But exercise? Fat chance.
I also intend to be more purposeful at writing down the random thoughts that are in my head. Regardless of the lack of depth, insight and wisdom I resolve to write something....sort of often. My unwillingness to commit is appalling. I commit to be better.
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