3 hours ago
Last night Derek and I went to our church Bible study. We haven't been going as regularly as we'd like, but we decided to start trying to go every week. It was such a blessing to go spend time with fellow believers and study God's word! Last night we were studying 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22. Our church elder, Herb, who leads the Bible study called these "Admonitions On 'How To Live In Order To Please God'", and I thought they were really good things to work on in my own life. I thought I'd share this list here; you can also look up the Bible verse and read them for yourself!
Admonitions On How To Live In Order To Please God
1. Appreciate those who labor among you and have charge over you in the Lord; esteem them highly in love.
2. Live in peace with one another.
3. Admonish the unruly. (Other versions said the lazy or idle as well)
4. Encourage the fainthearted.
5. Help the weak.
6. Be patient with everyone.
7. See that no one repays evil for evil.
8. Seek after that which is good for each other and all people.
9. Rejoice always.
10. Pray without ceasing.
11. In everything give thanks.
12. Do not quench the Spirit. (I was a little confused on this one at first, but we read different Bible versions, and it was explained to me that this means not to ignore the Holy Spirit when He convicts you, or when He is leading you to do or say something. I usually pay attention when the Holy Spirit convicts me, but I don't always listen when He is calling me to some action - that is something I need to work on).
13. Do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything carefully. (Test everything against Scripture).
14. Hold fast to that which is good.
15. Abstain from every form of evil. (Or every appearance of evil; the Greek word there is eidos, which means "that which strikes the eye").
I thought these admonitions for living were really good, and I'm going to work on these personally; because what better goal is there than to live in order to please God?
Admonitions On How To Live In Order To Please God
1. Appreciate those who labor among you and have charge over you in the Lord; esteem them highly in love.
2. Live in peace with one another.
3. Admonish the unruly. (Other versions said the lazy or idle as well)
4. Encourage the fainthearted.
5. Help the weak.
6. Be patient with everyone.
7. See that no one repays evil for evil.
8. Seek after that which is good for each other and all people.
9. Rejoice always.
10. Pray without ceasing.
11. In everything give thanks.
12. Do not quench the Spirit. (I was a little confused on this one at first, but we read different Bible versions, and it was explained to me that this means not to ignore the Holy Spirit when He convicts you, or when He is leading you to do or say something. I usually pay attention when the Holy Spirit convicts me, but I don't always listen when He is calling me to some action - that is something I need to work on).
13. Do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything carefully. (Test everything against Scripture).
14. Hold fast to that which is good.
15. Abstain from every form of evil. (Or every appearance of evil; the Greek word there is eidos, which means "that which strikes the eye").
I thought these admonitions for living were really good, and I'm going to work on these personally; because what better goal is there than to live in order to please God?
I recently stumbled across a website called Internet Cafe Devtions. This is a website that provides devotions for Christian women. They also have a weekly meme where a question is asked, and those who want to participate answer the question in a blog post. I thought I'd try it this week.
The question had to do with a story of a Missionary in the Congo who chose to stay and minister to the people there in a very dangerous time. She was attacked by a truckload of soldiers who did awful things to her, but she escaped with her life and was taken away from the Congo for her recovery. This is a quote from David Jeremiah regarding Helen's attitude about what happened to her.
We're supposed to tell our thoughts about this question.
I think if something similar had happened to me my first response would be to ask God why He had let this happen to me when all I was trying to do was to serve Him. I would probably start out depressed and maybe a little angry. But I'm not the type to stay that way, and I think if I heard the above question I would be able to say yes, that I would trust my Lord that He had let this happen for a reason, even if I never knew why.
Not that my questions and anger would go away just like that. I'm sure I would struggle with the why questions for years to come, and there would certainly be occasional moments of anger or bitterness. But the Lord is in control of everything that happens, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I would find comfort in that verse, that there has to be some purpose in my suffering, even though I may never know it.
It's easy to say how I think I would react now, when I'm in the safety and comfort of my living room. The real test comes when something bad really does happen to you. But I'm still confident that I would respond in a very similar way to what I described above. Though I may have twinges of anger at God, I couldn't stay angry at Him. Though my faith my be in danger for a brief time, I couldn't lose it entirely. Though I may cry out to God why He would let this happen, I couldn't turn my back on Him. Because without Jesus, what else do I have? I know that though I may react in a very negative and ungodly way at first, He would gently draw me back, hold me together in my time of weakness, remind me to just trust Him, and bring me out stronger in the end. I'm safely in the palm of His hand, and He would never let me go; the only way I could get through it would be to cling to Him. I have nothing, I am nothing without Him, and He suffered much worse for me.
The following is one of my much loved songs sung by Aaron Shust, and I think the section in bold would be my refrain through a time of suffering, and I think the thought would bring me much comfort.
The question had to do with a story of a Missionary in the Congo who chose to stay and minister to the people there in a very dangerous time. She was attacked by a truckload of soldiers who did awful things to her, but she escaped with her life and was taken away from the Congo for her recovery. This is a quote from David Jeremiah regarding Helen's attitude about what happened to her.
"There was no bitterness within her, though Helen had experienced terrible, mindless evil. It would have been so easy to demand of God why He allowed these atrocities, when she had been so faithful to His service. But in her heart of hearts, she felt that God’s question would be, 'Can you thank Me for trusting you with this experience, even if I never tell you why?'"
We're supposed to tell our thoughts about this question.
I think if something similar had happened to me my first response would be to ask God why He had let this happen to me when all I was trying to do was to serve Him. I would probably start out depressed and maybe a little angry. But I'm not the type to stay that way, and I think if I heard the above question I would be able to say yes, that I would trust my Lord that He had let this happen for a reason, even if I never knew why.
Not that my questions and anger would go away just like that. I'm sure I would struggle with the why questions for years to come, and there would certainly be occasional moments of anger or bitterness. But the Lord is in control of everything that happens, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I would find comfort in that verse, that there has to be some purpose in my suffering, even though I may never know it.
It's easy to say how I think I would react now, when I'm in the safety and comfort of my living room. The real test comes when something bad really does happen to you. But I'm still confident that I would respond in a very similar way to what I described above. Though I may have twinges of anger at God, I couldn't stay angry at Him. Though my faith my be in danger for a brief time, I couldn't lose it entirely. Though I may cry out to God why He would let this happen, I couldn't turn my back on Him. Because without Jesus, what else do I have? I know that though I may react in a very negative and ungodly way at first, He would gently draw me back, hold me together in my time of weakness, remind me to just trust Him, and bring me out stronger in the end. I'm safely in the palm of His hand, and He would never let me go; the only way I could get through it would be to cling to Him. I have nothing, I am nothing without Him, and He suffered much worse for me.
The following is one of my much loved songs sung by Aaron Shust, and I think the section in bold would be my refrain through a time of suffering, and I think the thought would bring me much comfort.
"I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior
I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior
That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior
Chorus (2x's)
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be
Yes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring;
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior
That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior
Chorus (2x's)
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be"
One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Carols Those Kids Used To Sing" by the Statler Brothers. I think I love it so much, because of the lyrics. I had a terrible time trying to find the lyrics to post on here, but if you would like to hear the song you can go to this link: http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/statler_brothers/800209/album.jhtml.
This song talks about kids who gather together before Christmas and go around their town singing Christmas carols to their neighbors. The second verse talks about how one year they decided to bring turkey and toys to a family who otherwise wouldn't have a Christmas. The chorus says:
"Joy to the World!
The Lord has come;
Let Earth recieve her King!
And at Christmas each year,
I still love to hear
The carols those kids used to sing!"
I think there are a few reasons why I love this song. One would be my own memories of Christmas caroling. I've been going to my church since I was ten years old, and every year our church gathers together in mid-December and goes caroling door to door. It was always such a joy to see people's faces light up when we came to sing at their house, and being able to carol with people I love made the experience fun and special. Most of my friends from those days have moved on; one by one they moved away, and they no longer come to our church. However, my wonderful memories of that time will always bring a smile to my face, and this song by the Statler Brothers reminds me of all the fun times we had caroling.
I think another reason why I appreciate this song so much is because I feel like it captures the spirit of the Christmas season. The phrase "The Christmas Spirit" is very over-used in most Christmas movies and cards today, but who actually stops to think about what that means? Christmas can only be meaningful in the true way to those of us who are Christians, and I think the Christmas Spirit can only be fully understood by Christians.
What is Christmas all about? Many people who do not believe in Christ would just say it was about being with family and friends, etc. But as we know, the true reason for Christmas is to celebrate the wonderful gift the Lord has given us by sending His Son. God Himself was born in a manger so that He could eventually die to save us from our sins. For Christians, that thought inspires us and makes the Christmas season something wonderful and special.
And if God did such a thing for us, should we not serve God by serving other people? Doesn't the Christmas Spirit have to do with our joy and gratefulness to God for the Gift He has given us? Because of our joy and gratefulness to God, we show special kindnesses to those around us, and that's the source of the Christmas Spirit, that is so often referred to at this time of year. "Carols Those Kids Used To Sing" is special to me because it captures that true spirit of joy and thanks in a beautiful way, and it reminds me not only of my childhood, but also of the Reason why we celebrate, and it inspires me to do more for others. And aren't those three things really what Christmas is all about?
Take some time to sing some carols this Christmas, and remember the source of the Christmas Spirit!
"Thanks be to God for His Indescribable gift!"
2 Corinthians 9:15
Since it's Thanksgiving tomorrow, I thought I'd post a hymn that I just found. I think it's a beautiful thanksgiving hymn. It's put to the music of "For the Beauty of the Earth" only the words are different, but beautiful just the same. The music was composed by Conrad Kocher, and the lyrics are by Josiah Conder.
O Give Thanks To Him Who Made
O give thanks to Him Who made
Morning light and evening shade;
Source and Giver of all good,
Nightly sleep and daily food;
Quickener of our wearied powers,
Guard of our unconscious hours.
O give thanks to nature’s King,
Who made every breathing thing;
His, our warm and sentient frame,
His, the mind’s immortal flame.
O how close the ties that bind
Spirits to the Eternal Mind!
O give thanks with heart and lip,
For we are His workmanship;
And all creatures are His care:
Not a bird that cleaves the air
Falls unnoticed; but who can
Speak the Father’s love to man?
O give thanks to Him Who came
In a mortal, suffering frame-
Temple of the Deity—
Came for rebel man to die;
In the path Himself hath trod
Leading back His saints to God.
I found this on www.cyberhymnal.org. If you would like to hear the melody you can go to the following link: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/g/t/ogtthwma.htm. Listen to the music, read the lyrics, and remember to thank the Lord for all He has done for us - especially for giving His Son. I wish you all a joyful Thanksgiving!
"Let us come before Him with thanksgiving, and extol Him with music and song." Psalm 95:2
O Give Thanks To Him Who Made
O give thanks to Him Who made
Morning light and evening shade;
Source and Giver of all good,
Nightly sleep and daily food;
Quickener of our wearied powers,
Guard of our unconscious hours.
O give thanks to nature’s King,
Who made every breathing thing;
His, our warm and sentient frame,
His, the mind’s immortal flame.
O how close the ties that bind
Spirits to the Eternal Mind!
O give thanks with heart and lip,
For we are His workmanship;
And all creatures are His care:
Not a bird that cleaves the air
Falls unnoticed; but who can
Speak the Father’s love to man?
O give thanks to Him Who came
In a mortal, suffering frame-
Temple of the Deity—
Came for rebel man to die;
In the path Himself hath trod
Leading back His saints to God.
I found this on www.cyberhymnal.org. If you would like to hear the melody you can go to the following link: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/g/t/ogtthwma.htm. Listen to the music, read the lyrics, and remember to thank the Lord for all He has done for us - especially for giving His Son. I wish you all a joyful Thanksgiving!
"Let us come before Him with thanksgiving, and extol Him with music and song." Psalm 95:2
Do you have failings? I suppose all of us do. A couple of my failings (and there are many) would be worrying, and being selfish.
I don't know why I have to get anxious when I know that the Lord is in control and I just need to trust in Him. Trusting in the Lord is almost always easier said than done for me. And I don't know why! He's certainly done enough for me and my family that I have every reason to let go of my cares. But part of me always wants to worry. That's pretty silly when worrying does absolutely no good, and most of my worries are unfounded anyway. I know that with my head, but something in me stresses and worries, and it's very hard to control sometimes. I try and try not to worry, but I almost always fail in that area.
Being selfish is the catagory that pretty much all of my other sins fall into. It's such a broad catagory that it's almost hard to write a paragraph about it - where do you start? But I guess to narrow it down, I don't do things for other people as often as I should. Just doing something helpful for someone else, or doing something yourself that someone else was supposed to do could be a great way to cultivate unselfishness. But once again I know it with my head; putting it into practice is alot more difficult.
My pastor said something interesting last Sunday that prompted this post on failings. He was quoting from Lenord Ravenhill who said "Poverty in prayer is the seedbed of all our failures." When I think about it, I think that statement is very true. I know if I prayed more I would certainly worry less. And the more a person prays the more the Lord molds him into the image of Jesus - it's unavoidable; and if a person becomes more like Jesus they would by default become less selfish, because Jesus is the opposite of selfish. I also read a recent article by Steve Brown entitled "Good For Goodness Sake" (http://www.keylife.org/magazine/christmas-magazine-good-for-goodness-sake-2.html). In this article he made the point that if someone trys to be good, just to be good he will probably not succeed. However if that person spends more time in prayer, that person will automatically begin to cultivate goodness, just by praying, because they will cultivate a better relationship with the Lord. And the more a person realizes the Lord's love for them, the more they want to please Him.
I think the Lord has been trying to prompt me to spend more time in prayer. All of my goals as far as goodness will be met much easier if I will just spend a few extra minutes in prayer. And not only that but I will develop my relationship with the Lord to a deeper level if I will devote more time in prayer.
Prayer is hard for me. It always has been. Somehow when I'm praying I get the most distracted, and it's hard to keep focused. Because of the distraction (which I suspect is Satan throwing other things into my mind) I don't get much accomplished in prayer.
I think I will try to make it my goal to change that. Once again, easier said than done; I've been trying for years to improve my praying habits. But I'm feeling convicted that I have not been focusing as much energy and attention to prayer as the Lord would want me to, and so changing in this area will be my goal. If you think of it you could pray for me!
P.S. I think I'll be able to focus better if I have specific things to pray for, at least to start, so if any of you have any prayer requests, let me know. I can give you my e-mail if you would like to send them to me.
I don't know why I have to get anxious when I know that the Lord is in control and I just need to trust in Him. Trusting in the Lord is almost always easier said than done for me. And I don't know why! He's certainly done enough for me and my family that I have every reason to let go of my cares. But part of me always wants to worry. That's pretty silly when worrying does absolutely no good, and most of my worries are unfounded anyway. I know that with my head, but something in me stresses and worries, and it's very hard to control sometimes. I try and try not to worry, but I almost always fail in that area.
Being selfish is the catagory that pretty much all of my other sins fall into. It's such a broad catagory that it's almost hard to write a paragraph about it - where do you start? But I guess to narrow it down, I don't do things for other people as often as I should. Just doing something helpful for someone else, or doing something yourself that someone else was supposed to do could be a great way to cultivate unselfishness. But once again I know it with my head; putting it into practice is alot more difficult.
My pastor said something interesting last Sunday that prompted this post on failings. He was quoting from Lenord Ravenhill who said "Poverty in prayer is the seedbed of all our failures." When I think about it, I think that statement is very true. I know if I prayed more I would certainly worry less. And the more a person prays the more the Lord molds him into the image of Jesus - it's unavoidable; and if a person becomes more like Jesus they would by default become less selfish, because Jesus is the opposite of selfish. I also read a recent article by Steve Brown entitled "Good For Goodness Sake" (http://www.keylife.org/magazine/christmas-magazine-good-for-goodness-sake-2.html). In this article he made the point that if someone trys to be good, just to be good he will probably not succeed. However if that person spends more time in prayer, that person will automatically begin to cultivate goodness, just by praying, because they will cultivate a better relationship with the Lord. And the more a person realizes the Lord's love for them, the more they want to please Him.
I think the Lord has been trying to prompt me to spend more time in prayer. All of my goals as far as goodness will be met much easier if I will just spend a few extra minutes in prayer. And not only that but I will develop my relationship with the Lord to a deeper level if I will devote more time in prayer.
Prayer is hard for me. It always has been. Somehow when I'm praying I get the most distracted, and it's hard to keep focused. Because of the distraction (which I suspect is Satan throwing other things into my mind) I don't get much accomplished in prayer.
I think I will try to make it my goal to change that. Once again, easier said than done; I've been trying for years to improve my praying habits. But I'm feeling convicted that I have not been focusing as much energy and attention to prayer as the Lord would want me to, and so changing in this area will be my goal. If you think of it you could pray for me!
P.S. I think I'll be able to focus better if I have specific things to pray for, at least to start, so if any of you have any prayer requests, let me know. I can give you my e-mail if you would like to send them to me.
This fall I've been revisiting some of the books that I enjoyed most when I was growing up; when you're older you are able to pick new things out of books that you may have already read. One of the series I re-started was the "Anne of Green Gables" series, by L. M. Montgomery. I really love these books for many reasons, one of which is that the author is somehow able to sneak good points into the story, and it's interesting because it's done in such a natural way. I especially liked one of these points this time around, and I thought I'd share an excerpt. This is from the second book Anne of Avonlea:
"Gilbert was as yet little more than a boy; but a boy has his dreams as have others, and in Gilbert's future there was always a girl with big, limpid gray eyes, and a face as fine and delicate as a flower. He had made up his mind, also, that his future must be worthy of its goddess. Even in quiet Avonlea there were temptations to be met and faced. White Sands youth were a rather "fast" set, and Gilbert was popular wherever he went. But he meant to keep himself worthy of Anne's friendship and perhaps some distant day her love; and he watched over every word and thought and deed as jealously as if her clear eyes were to pass in judgement on it. She held over him the unconcious influence that every girl, whose ideals are high and pure, weilds over her friends; an influence that would endure as long as she was faithful to those ideals and which she would as certainly lose if she were ever false to them. In Gilbert's eyes Anne's greatest charm was the fact that she never stooped to the petty practices of so many of the Avonlea girls - the small jealousies, the little deceits and rivalries, the palpable bids for favor. Anne held herself apart from all this, not conciously or of design, but simply because anything of the sort was utterly foreign to her transparent, impulsive nature, crystal clear in it's motives and aspirations."
I thought this was a beautiful description of something that I have witnessed myself: that when a persons holds high standards in their behaviour and speech, the people around them tend to live up to that person's standards, whether they realize it or not. My parents have always had high expectations of the behaviour of my siblings and me, and I have noticed many times, with my family members and myself, that people do tend to watch their own behaviour around us because of our high standards. I especially love the following line: "She held over him the unconcious influence that every girl, whose ideals are high and pure, wields over her friends; an influence that would endure as long as she was faithful to those ideals, and which she would as certainly lose if she was ever false to them." It's amazing that someone can so easily influence other people for the better, simply by holding pure ideals, but it's very true. But it's important not only to have high ideals yourself, but to practice them. As soon as you violate your own standards there is no reason for others to try to live up to them, because you yourself do not.
This section of the book encouraged me to watch myself for any lapses in practicing my ideals, and I hope it encourages you too. You could be influencing those around you, and it's important to represent Christ in your actions and keep the best ideals possible; it could matter more than you know.
End note: I got the above image from www.ddsbinfo.wordpress.com.
Well, it's been a really long time since I've posted anything on my blog, so I thought I'd better just sit down and write something. This week we're dog-sitting/house-sitting for my grandma, who is on a trip to Oregon. We're watching her pure-bred, white German Shepherd named Shatze. She's still a puppy, but she's a very large puppy and she has alot of energy to expend. Derek has figured out that if he chases her around the upper level of my grandma's house a few times it tires her out fairly well, and hopefully she won't gnaw on our feet for another couple hours. We've been having fun taking her to the dog park everyday, and she's a really cute, sweet dog.
Derek and I are both out of work at the moment. Derek resigned from his previous position a couple weeks ago, and I haven't been working for about a month (it's a long story). Before all this happened Derek and I used to worry about money. It seems ridiculous to say now that we have no income at the moment. Well, that's not really true, because we are getting paid for house-sitting this week, and that money will be a big help.
I think that in the long run this time without jobs will be a blessing to Derek and me. We've been learning to rely on the Lord much more. And this has been a huge lesson for me about worrying. What's the point of worrying anyway? Like I said, we used to worry about money when we had plenty to spare, and now that we don't it seems really silly. At the same time, now that we don't have much money, we aren't worrying about it as much as I would expect (maybe we're learning our lesson a little). I guess my lesson is to appreciate what you have now, even when things things aren't perfect, because things could get alot worse, and then you'll wonder why you used to worry so much.
By the way, I think things are going to work out fine. I'm starting work with a new staffing agency on Monday, and I may have a potential permanent position. Derek has already got a few leads on jobs too. See, the Lord is already taking care of us, so we can enjoy our time off without being worried.
Well, I'm off to dry off the floor (Shatze gets water everywhere when she drinks. My feet are always getting wet; good thing I'm not wearing socks!), and make some dinner. And I'll try to write something again before another year passes (I know, that was pretty bad; I'm going to do better). Ta Ta!
P.S. Matthew 6 is the "worry" chapter. It's qouted alot, because it's true. I also like Matthew 10:29-31. It's a really comforting thought.
Derek and I are both out of work at the moment. Derek resigned from his previous position a couple weeks ago, and I haven't been working for about a month (it's a long story). Before all this happened Derek and I used to worry about money. It seems ridiculous to say now that we have no income at the moment. Well, that's not really true, because we are getting paid for house-sitting this week, and that money will be a big help.
I think that in the long run this time without jobs will be a blessing to Derek and me. We've been learning to rely on the Lord much more. And this has been a huge lesson for me about worrying. What's the point of worrying anyway? Like I said, we used to worry about money when we had plenty to spare, and now that we don't it seems really silly. At the same time, now that we don't have much money, we aren't worrying about it as much as I would expect (maybe we're learning our lesson a little). I guess my lesson is to appreciate what you have now, even when things things aren't perfect, because things could get alot worse, and then you'll wonder why you used to worry so much.
By the way, I think things are going to work out fine. I'm starting work with a new staffing agency on Monday, and I may have a potential permanent position. Derek has already got a few leads on jobs too. See, the Lord is already taking care of us, so we can enjoy our time off without being worried.
Well, I'm off to dry off the floor (Shatze gets water everywhere when she drinks. My feet are always getting wet; good thing I'm not wearing socks!), and make some dinner. And I'll try to write something again before another year passes (I know, that was pretty bad; I'm going to do better). Ta Ta!
P.S. Matthew 6 is the "worry" chapter. It's qouted alot, because it's true. I also like Matthew 10:29-31. It's a really comforting thought.
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