Sometimes, I ask God, "What about me?", "Why did this happen to me?" "Why me?" Sometimes I sit and look at prayers and I ask myself to whom am I praying to. Am I praying to a "Santa Calus" or to a God that is only job is to please me. Who am I that I should ask these questions. We are his creation, who are we to tell the creator how to do his job. I have started reading Exodus. Exodus is a great narrative. When God tells Moses why he is hardening Pharaoh's heart. The reason is so that the Israelites will know that when they are rescued from the oppression of Egypt is because of God and him alone. Every time God told Moses what to say to Pharaoh and Israel God always said it was so that he would gain the glory.
Reading this was a humbling experience. Everything good and bad is the for the glory of God. It reminds us that everything we do is for the glory of God. Our lives should be lived to the glory of God. it is about him not us.
In our culture it is hard to remember this. We are faced with a culture that wants us to put our needs and wants first. 1 Corinthians 10:24 "No one should seek his own good, but the good of others." This concept is foreign to us. We have to look at how we live daily and see how we are looking for God's glory, and not seeking the good of others.
As a nanny, a housekeeper, a chef, and sometimes a mentor I am constantly thinking what is the best for the family. Sometimes that decision is I spend more time with the boys than cleaning the house that day.
For the glory of God. Hard yes, but we must start seeking the good of others before our own. Again... Hard yes...
Peace
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
City Living
Okay, I know I do not live in the city. But, i am there a lot and really want to live in the city. One major reason is public transportation. It would be so much cheaper if I lived in the city. I would have to leave earlier for places but I am perfectly okay with that. Because I can sit on a train or bus and read a book, instead of driving and having to pay attention to the road. Well, I guess I could read a book and drive, but I am not looking to get into any accidents anytime soon. :)
I have seen apartments over different stores and here is a few that I would not mind living above.
1. Whole Foods
2. Coffee Shop
3. Bakery
4. Church
5. Sushi
I will have to keep adding to this list but right now this is all I got.
I have seen apartments over different stores and here is a few that I would not mind living above.
1. Whole Foods
2. Coffee Shop
3. Bakery
4. Church
5. Sushi
I will have to keep adding to this list but right now this is all I got.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Our Father's Love for Us
Almost everyday I have to tell one of the boys that we (their parents and I) discipline them because we love them, and because we want that bad behavior to end. Oh how God uses being a parent/caregiver to reveal himself. God loves us so much. We will never be able to understand how vast his love is. Christ like love is thought being ridiculous and strange in the world. In Francis Chan's Crazy Love he reminds us of October 2006, the shooting that happened in am Amish school near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I remember this happening. But, out of that horrible event, that Amish community showed the nation if not the world a true Christ like love. Parent of the girls who, were killed went to the shooter's parents and forgave them and their son.
The parents forgave their child's murderer. Do you understand that. Could you do that? Could I do that?
Generally, I can forgive things that happen to me. If you call me names, beat me, etc. I can forgive you. But, mess with my friends or my family there will be some consequences. I can not understand that love, that compassion those families have. I pray that in a situation like that God would give me the strength to do what those parents did. But, I also pray that I will not be put into that situation.
Anyways to get back on the track of how much God loves us and disciplines us. So I tell the boys we do this because we want that specific behavior to end.
At the moment I am studying 1 Corinthians. Today, I read chapter 11. Paul is talking about worship and how we should approach God in praising him. He begins this chapter talking about covered and uncovered heads during prayer. In the end of his discussion he tells the church to judge for itself about a woman having her head covered during prayer, and a man having his hair uncovered during prayer. I do not know how this applies today. I will leave that for smarter people than me. But, after he talks about this Paul goes into another issue the church in Corinth is dealing with. Verse 17 Paul states that he has no reason to praise the church for their meetings. When they meet there is division. The divisions are rooted in proving who has the approval of God. I kind of see a "one upping" kind of division, by what Paul writes.
But also Paul gets into the Lord's Supper. People were not recognizing the significance of the Lord's Supper. Paul retells the story of when Jesus gave the bread and the wine to his disciples. Paul tells us that we much examine ourselves before we take part in the Lord's Supper. Paul also says that people have not been doing this because there are so many weak, sick and asleep people. Now if we can figure out if that means spiritually or physically. I mean, who knows there could have been beds of people just sleeping for months at a time. :) My guess I would say spiritually sick , weak and asleep.
Oh but hope!!! If we judge ourselves before we partake in the Lord's Supper we will not come under judgement.
11:32 is where the conversations with the boys comes in.
"When we are judged by the Lord we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world" Is this not a Father's love for is children. When God disciplines us, he does it so that the bad behavior will end, and that we will not be condemned with the people of the world.
So the next question is, "How does God discipline us?" Does he count to three and then our toys get taken away? Does he send us to our room when we back talk and argue with him? Does he force us to go places or do things we do not want to do? I would say yes to all three.
The follow up question: Is God disciplining you? Or on the other hand, How is God rewarding you for your faithfulness?
God is the only sustainer. We have nothing without him because everything comes from him.
Think it over.....
Shalom
The parents forgave their child's murderer. Do you understand that. Could you do that? Could I do that?
Generally, I can forgive things that happen to me. If you call me names, beat me, etc. I can forgive you. But, mess with my friends or my family there will be some consequences. I can not understand that love, that compassion those families have. I pray that in a situation like that God would give me the strength to do what those parents did. But, I also pray that I will not be put into that situation.
Anyways to get back on the track of how much God loves us and disciplines us. So I tell the boys we do this because we want that specific behavior to end.
At the moment I am studying 1 Corinthians. Today, I read chapter 11. Paul is talking about worship and how we should approach God in praising him. He begins this chapter talking about covered and uncovered heads during prayer. In the end of his discussion he tells the church to judge for itself about a woman having her head covered during prayer, and a man having his hair uncovered during prayer. I do not know how this applies today. I will leave that for smarter people than me. But, after he talks about this Paul goes into another issue the church in Corinth is dealing with. Verse 17 Paul states that he has no reason to praise the church for their meetings. When they meet there is division. The divisions are rooted in proving who has the approval of God. I kind of see a "one upping" kind of division, by what Paul writes.
But also Paul gets into the Lord's Supper. People were not recognizing the significance of the Lord's Supper. Paul retells the story of when Jesus gave the bread and the wine to his disciples. Paul tells us that we much examine ourselves before we take part in the Lord's Supper. Paul also says that people have not been doing this because there are so many weak, sick and asleep people. Now if we can figure out if that means spiritually or physically. I mean, who knows there could have been beds of people just sleeping for months at a time. :) My guess I would say spiritually sick , weak and asleep.
Oh but hope!!! If we judge ourselves before we partake in the Lord's Supper we will not come under judgement.
11:32 is where the conversations with the boys comes in.
"When we are judged by the Lord we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world" Is this not a Father's love for is children. When God disciplines us, he does it so that the bad behavior will end, and that we will not be condemned with the people of the world.
So the next question is, "How does God discipline us?" Does he count to three and then our toys get taken away? Does he send us to our room when we back talk and argue with him? Does he force us to go places or do things we do not want to do? I would say yes to all three.
The follow up question: Is God disciplining you? Or on the other hand, How is God rewarding you for your faithfulness?
God is the only sustainer. We have nothing without him because everything comes from him.
Think it over.....
Shalom
Sunday, November 14, 2010
TEDS
Last week I visited Trinity International University. This place is everything I have been looking for in a Graduate School. Great academics and a focus on spiritual formation. The schools focus on community is on its way to being the community that God calls us to be.(So I have been told by current students.) One thing I know is that speaking to the Spiritual Formation Advisor Lisa Sung at lunch and sitting in on a class with Dr. Johnson was enough for me to decide that I really want to go to this school.
Now, all I have to do is take the Millers Analogy Test, send in my transcripts and get my last recommendation in. So hopefully by the February I will know if I was accepted or not. The bad thing is, I want to be a student now. All in good time, I was reminded of that today. (Thank you Mr. Tyer) Now I wait and pray.
Five years ago when I walked onto Gardner-Webb's campus I would not have thought that I would be applying to Graduate School with the intention on getting my PhD. No way. It is amazing how God changes us. With the Duel Degree program I might be in Graduate School for 4-5 years. 4-5 years in the cold of North Chicagoland, studying and writing papers. I think I am okay with that. God knows.
Remember: YOU ARE LOVED!!!!
Now, all I have to do is take the Millers Analogy Test, send in my transcripts and get my last recommendation in. So hopefully by the February I will know if I was accepted or not. The bad thing is, I want to be a student now. All in good time, I was reminded of that today. (Thank you Mr. Tyer) Now I wait and pray.
Five years ago when I walked onto Gardner-Webb's campus I would not have thought that I would be applying to Graduate School with the intention on getting my PhD. No way. It is amazing how God changes us. With the Duel Degree program I might be in Graduate School for 4-5 years. 4-5 years in the cold of North Chicagoland, studying and writing papers. I think I am okay with that. God knows.
Remember: YOU ARE LOVED!!!!
Generosity
I recently finished a study of Matthew. It has been so long since I have read Matthew and the other Gospels. Reading about Christ's life left me challenged and encouraged. The other day I was sitting in Starbuck, and reading and God popped this thought into my head.(I know Starbucks is evil, lol but there are no independent coffee shops where I live) The thought was about people who have accepted Christ right before they pass away. A person on his or her death bed, accepts Christ as his or hers Lord and Savior, repents from their sin and dies soon after. If he accepted Christ then he is now our brother in Christ. Praise God, he is now in heaven.
I have the feeling that people do not think this is fair. I think people who have accepted Christ at a young age feel that they deserve more because they have lived a life serving God.
Jesus gives us a parable to correct this feeling of entitlement. Matthew 20 "The Workers in the Vineyard" Basically the farmer comes to workers at different times and hires them to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day when it is time to pay wages the last people were given their payment first. The workers received a full days pay. The workers who worked all day came to the farmer expected to get paid more than a days pay, they thought they deserved more, if the workers who only worked a few hours received a full days wages.
The farmer asks them, “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ Matt 20: 13-15
So the question to us is, "How is God being unfair to us?" He's not. He has given us all we need. And no matter if we are called early in live or minutes before our death, the prize is the same. No matter when people accept Christ we need to celebrate that one more person will be with us in heaven. Praise God!!
It is not unfair that people can live their life without knowing God until the very end. I think we have it pretty awesome. We have the hope of Christ. We have a common bond that cannot be broken no matter who tries to separate us. We have the honor of living our lives as Christ has called us to live. Yes, that means we have suffering, pain and heartache. But, we have the hope that the trials of this life are only temporary and His joy comes in the morning. Praise God.
Praise God when there is a new believer, no matter what point of their life he accepts. There is one more of God's children in heaven. One down and a few billion to go...
I have the feeling that people do not think this is fair. I think people who have accepted Christ at a young age feel that they deserve more because they have lived a life serving God.
Jesus gives us a parable to correct this feeling of entitlement. Matthew 20 "The Workers in the Vineyard" Basically the farmer comes to workers at different times and hires them to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day when it is time to pay wages the last people were given their payment first. The workers received a full days pay. The workers who worked all day came to the farmer expected to get paid more than a days pay, they thought they deserved more, if the workers who only worked a few hours received a full days wages.
The farmer asks them, “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ Matt 20: 13-15
So the question to us is, "How is God being unfair to us?" He's not. He has given us all we need. And no matter if we are called early in live or minutes before our death, the prize is the same. No matter when people accept Christ we need to celebrate that one more person will be with us in heaven. Praise God!!
It is not unfair that people can live their life without knowing God until the very end. I think we have it pretty awesome. We have the hope of Christ. We have a common bond that cannot be broken no matter who tries to separate us. We have the honor of living our lives as Christ has called us to live. Yes, that means we have suffering, pain and heartache. But, we have the hope that the trials of this life are only temporary and His joy comes in the morning. Praise God.
Praise God when there is a new believer, no matter what point of their life he accepts. There is one more of God's children in heaven. One down and a few billion to go...
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